Plateau of Parana-Etendeca, Brazil

The large igneous province of the Paraná-Etendeka is located in Brazil. It formed about 132 million years ago. The eruption occurred during this period. Some researchers tend to consider it the largest in the history of the earth. The fact is that magma traps of the same period were also found on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean. They were found in the territory of modern Namibia and Angola. Researchers tend to believe that the eruption was very large-scale. They believe that it has spread even to the other side of the Atlantic Ocean.

It is estimated that more than 2.3 million cubic kilometers of magma were poured onto the earth's surface during the eruption. The Tristan hotspot is considered to be the main source of such a large-scale eruption. It is located near the southern tip of Africa. There are underwater mountain elevations in the Atlantic Ocean. The Rio Grande is considered the most significant of them. Their presence also proves the theory of a large-scale eruption.

The specifics of the trap and the features of its formation indicate that the eruption was explosive. The Parana-Etendeka plateau has the most complex structure compared to other large magma traps. It remains unknown to researchers even today what such structural features are associated with. The ongoing research is largely complicated by the huge scale of the plateau. Some scientists believe that the main secret of the eruption may be hidden in the depths of the waters of the Atlantic Ocean. But their research is also fraught with many difficulties. Next - Trapp Columbia River