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Q50 (NDA-II/2012) Geography › Indian Physical Geography › Indian geology and tectonics Answer Verified

The Deccan Trap Formation was caused by

Result
Your answer: —  Â·  Correct: D
Explanation

The Deccan Trap formation is a classic example of a Large Igneous Province (LIP) characterized by flood basalt eruptions [4]. During the Late Cretaceous period, approximately 66 million years ago, enormous quantities of highly fluid basaltic lava were poured out through fissures and cracks in the Earth's crust [3]. This low-viscosity lava flowed over vast distances, covering about 5 lakh sq km of the Indian subcontinent with thick, multiple layers of tholeiitic basalt [6]. These eruptions were of the Hawaiian or fissure type, where explosive activity was largely absent, allowing the lava to spread and form a massive plateau rather than a steep volcanic cone [5]. The resulting stratigraphic sequence reaches thicknesses of over 2,000 to 3,000 meters in regions like the Western Ghats [5]. While some sources describe the overall feature as a massive shield volcano due to its scale, the primary mechanism is defined as flood basalt volcanism [4].

Sources

  1. [4] FUNDAMENTALS OF PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY, Geography Class XI (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 3: Interior of the Earth > Flood Basalt Provinces > p. 24
  2. [2] Geography of India ,Majid Husain, (McGrawHill 9th ed.) > Chapter 2: Physiography > 6. The Deccan Trap > p. 51
  3. [3] Physical Geography by PMF IAS, Manjunath Thamminidi, PMF IAS (1st ed.) > Chapter 11: Volcanism > Fissure Type or Flood Basalt Volcanoe (Lava Plateaus) > p. 141
  4. [1] Geography of India ,Majid Husain, (McGrawHill 9th ed.) > Chapter 1: Geological Structure and formation of India > THE CRETACEOUS SYSTEM (THE DECCAN TRAP) > p. 19
  5. [5] https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/earth-and-planetary-sciences/deccan-traps
  6. [6] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deccan_Traps
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SIMILAR QUESTIONS

NDA-I · 2011 · Q58 Relevance score: 0.89

Which of the following statements regarding the Deccan Traps is/are correct ? 1. Intense volcanic activity in the form of fissure eruption took place towards the end of Cretaceous period 2. The volcanic lava spread out in horizontal sheets 3. The regur soil found here is rich in nitrogen Select the correct answer using the code given below :

CAPF · 2015 · Q74 Relevance score: -1.64

Match List-I with List-II and select the correct answer using the code given below the Lists : List-I (Volcano type) A. Shield Volcano B. Composite C. Caldera D. Flood Basalt Provinces List-II (Location) 1. Indonesia 2. India Volcano 3. Hawaii 4. Philippines Code: A B C D

CDS-II · 2013 · Q39 Relevance score: -4.12

Composite volcanic cone is also called strata cone because of the :

CDS-I · 2022 · Q57 Relevance score: -4.25

Individual lava flows are normally only a few feet thick, but over a long period of time, repeated flows may build up a volcano. Such volcanoes are termed as :

CDS-I · 2010 · Q36 Relevance score: -4.63

Tsunamis are not caused by