Geological consequences of superplumes

Journal Article · Tue Oct 01 00:00:00 EDT 1991 · Geology; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1130/0091-7613(1991)019<0963:GCOS>2.3.CO;2· OSTI ID:5877504

Larson, R L ^[1]

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1. Univ. of Rhode Island, Narragansett (United States)

Superplumes are suggested to have caused the period of constant normal magnetic polarity in mid-Cretaceous time (124-83 Ma) and, possibly, the period of constant reversed polarity in Pennsylvania-Permian time (323-248 Ma). These times coincide with increases in world temperature, deposition of black shales, oil generation, and eustatic sea level in the mid-Cretaceous, and increased coal generation and gas accumulation in the Pennsylvanian-Permian, accompanied by an intracratonic Pennsylvanian transgression of epicontinental seas. These geologic anomalies are associated with episodes of increased world-wide ocean-crust production and mantle outgassing, especially of carbon and nutrients. These superplumes originated just above the core-mantle boundary, significantly increased convection in the outer core, and stopped the magnetic field reversal process for 41 m.y. in the Cretaceous and 75 m.y. in Pennsylvanian-Permian time.

• OSTI ID: 5877504
• Journal Information: Geology; (United States), Vol. 19:10; ISSN 0091-7613
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

58 GEOSCIENCES
02 PETROLEUM
04 OIL SHALES AND TAR SANDS
01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT
03 NATURAL GAS
EARTH PLANET
GEOMAGNETIC FIELD
PACIFIC OCEAN
SEA-FLOOR SPREADING
AMBIENT TEMPERATURE
CARBONIFEROUS PERIOD
COAL DEPOSITS
CONVECTION
CORRELATIONS
CRETACEOUS PERIOD
DEGASSING
DEPOSITION
EARTH CORE
EARTH MANTLE
FLUCTUATIONS
GEOLOGIC HISTORY
NATURAL GAS DEPOSITS
OCEANIC CRUST
OIL SHALE DEPOSITS
ORGANIC MATTER
ORIGIN
PALEOMAGNETISM
PALEOTEMPERATURE
PERMIAN PERIOD
PETROLEUM DEPOSITS
RUPTURES
SEA LEVEL
VOLCANOES
EARTH CRUST
ENERGY TRANSFER
FAILURES
GEOLOGIC AGES
GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS
HEAT TRANSFER
LEVELS
MAGNETIC FIELDS
MAGNETISM
MASS TRANSFER
MATTER
MESOZOIC ERA
MINERAL RESOURCES
PALEOZOIC ERA
PLANETS
RESOURCES
SEAS
SURFACE WATERS
VARIATIONS
580000* - Geosciences
020200 - Petroleum- Reserves
Geology
&amp; Exploration
040200 - Oil Shales &amp; Tar Sands- Reserves
Geology
&amp; Exploration
011000 - Coal
Lignite
&amp; Peat- Reserves
Geology
&amp; Exploration
030200 - Natural Gas- Reserves
Geology
&amp; Exploration