『This webpage is a condensed and modified version of a paper of the same title, accepted by Drs. Ian P. Skilling and James D. L. White, Guest Editors of a forthcoming special issue of J. Volcanol. Geotherm. Res., entitled “Physical Volcanology of Large Igneous Provinces”. 』

『Abstract

The term Large Igneous Province (LIP) has been widely applied to large flood basalt provinces (e.g., Deccan), and the term Silicic Large Igneous Province (SLIP) to volcanic provinces of dominantly felsic composition (e.g., Whitsunday, Australia). Neither of these terms has been applied to the large granitic batholiths of the world to which both are perfectly applicable. LIP has also not been applied to broad areas of contemporaneous magmatism and sizeable layered mafic intrusions. I suggest use of the term LIP only in its broad sense and propose a minimum area of 50,000 km² for a LIP.

I present a simple hierarchical classification of LIPs that is independent of composition, tectonic setting, or emplacement mechanism. I suggest that volcanic provinces such as the Deccan Traps and Whitsunday (Australia) be called Large Volcanic Provinces (LVPs), and large mafic intrusions, dyke swarms, and other intrusive provinces be called Large Plutonic Provinces (LPPs). LVPs and LPPs together cover all large igneous provinces (LIPs), having felsic to ultramafic compositions of sub-alkalic and alkalic lineages, emplaced in continental and oceanic settings.

I subdivide LVPs into four groups:

　　i.　the dominantly/wholly mafic Large Basaltic Provinces (LBPs) (e.g., Deccan, Ontong Java);
　　ii.　the dominantly felsic Large Rhyolitic Provinces (LRPs) (e.g., Whitsunday, Sierra Madre Occidental);
　　iii.　the dominantly andesitic Large Andesitic Provinces (LAPs) (e.g., Andes, Indonesia), and
　　iv.　the bimodal Large Basaltic-Rhyolitic Provinces (LBRPs) (e.g., Snake River-High Lava Plains; Dongargarh, India).

The intrusive equivalent of LRPs are the Large Granitic Provinces (LGPs) (e.g., the Andean batholiths), but a corresponding term for intrusive equivalents of LBPs is not necessary or warranted. The largest LBP, and LIP, is neither the Ontong Java, the Siberian Traps, or the Central Atlantic Province, but simply the ocean floor. 』

Table 1. Proposed terminology and hierarchical classification of the large igneous provinces (LIPs), with examples (Sheth, in press)

LARGE IGNEOUS PROVINCES (LIPs) 巨大火成岩岩石区 Extrusive/intrusive provinces of any composition and tectonic setting with a minimum area of 50,000 km2
EXTRUSIVE (lavas: pyroclastics = 100:0 to 0:100, sub-alkalic: alkalic = 100:0 to 0:100) LARGE VOLCANIC PROVINCES (LVPs)					INTRUSIVE LARGE PLUTONIC PROVINCES (LPPs)
Dominantly or wholly felsic: Large Rhyolitic Provinces (LRPs)	Dominantly or wholly andesitic: Large Andesitic Provinces (LAPs)	Dominantly or wholly mafic: Large Basaltic Provinces (LBPs)		Bimodal: Large Basaltic- Rhyolitic Provinces (LBRPs)	Dominantly or wholly felsic: Large Granitic Provinces (LGPs)	Dominantly or wholly mafic:
Continental only	Usually continental	Both continental & oceanic		Continental only	Continental only	Both continental & oceanic
“Silicic” LIPs: Whitsunday, Sierra Madre Occidental, Malani	Island arcs: Indonesia, Japan Active continental margins: Ecuadorian- Colombian Andes, Peruvian- Chilean Andes, Cascades, Mexico Continental collision zones: Iran-Turkey	Continental flood basalts: 大陸洪水玄武岩 Deccan, Rajmahal, Madagascar, Karoo, Ferrar, Siberia, Emeishan, Columbia River, Parana- Etendeka, Yemen- Ethiopia, North Atlantic Tertiary, Central Atlantic (CAMP) Diffuse provinces: Mongolia	The ocean floor Oceanic plateaus: Ontong Java, Iceland, Kerguelen, Shatsky Rise, Manihiki, Caribbean Oceanic island- seamount chains: Hawaii-Emperor, Ninety East Diffuse provinces: South Pacific Superswell	Snake River Plain-Oregon High Lava Plains, Dongargarh, Ethiopia (in part)	Orogenic/ Anorogenic granitic batholiths: Tibet- Himalaya, Patagonia, Peru-Chile Coastal Batholith, Coast Range Batholith NW USA Charnockite massifs: Southern India	Layered mafic intrusions: Bushveld Giant dyke swarms: Mackenzie, Red Sea, CAMP Anorthosite massifs (size permitting)	Deeper portions of oceanic plateaus