The

Newsletter of the Commission on Large-Volume Basaltic Provinces
International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth's Interior

Number 3May 1994

IA VCEI

Exciting new results from Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) work on the North
Atlantic Tertiary flood basalts are described in this issue. Also, terrestrial andextraterrestrial LIPs (large igneous provinces) are compared, and major meetings
are summarized. Interest in LIPs is growing, and this is paralleled by an increase inCommission membership-we now number 192 members. A Steering Committee
has been formed to guide the Commission's activities; please feel free to contact
any of the members listed below for suggestions, contributions, comments, etc. Yetagain, we welcome your ideas, your input to The LIP Reader, and your recruiting of
more scientists to join the Commission.

Commission News
Steering Committee
Members of the Steering Committee to date include:
LeaderMike Coffin
Institute for Geophysics
The University of Texas at Austin
8701 North Mopac Expressway
Austin, TX 78759-8397, USA.
Tel: 1.512.471.0429
fax: 1.512.411.8844
internet:mikec@coffin.ig.utexas.edu
Secretaryjohn Mahoney
Department ofGeology and Geophysics
School of Ocean and Earth Scienceand Technology
University of Hawaii
2525 Correa Rd.
Honolulu, HI 96822, USA.
Tel: 1.808.956.8705
fax: 1.808.956.2538
internet:
jmahoney@soest.hawaii.edu
Newsletter Production
judith Haller and Toni Lee Mitchell

Hans Barsczus (University of Montpellier, France)-barsczus@sajou.dstu.univmontp2.fr
Mike Coffin (University of Texas, USA)-mikec@coffin.ig.utexas.edu
Geoff Davies (Australian National University, Australia)-geoff@rses.anu.edu.au
Chris Harris (University of Cape Town, South Africa)-kv@geology.uct.ac.za
Jim Head (Brown University, USA)-head@ggipl.geo.brown.edu
Jan Hertogen (University of Leuven, Belgium)- fgeea03@ccl.kuleuven.ac.beJohn Mahoney (University of Hawaii, USA)-jmahoney@soest.hawaii.edu
Sverre Planke.(University of Oslo, Norway)-sverre.planke@geologi.uio.no
Jakob Skogseid (University of Oslo, Norway)-jakob.skogseid@geologi.uio.no
Kensaku Tamaki (University of Tokyo, Japan)-tamaki@ori.u-tokyo.ac.jp
Dominique Weis (Free University of Brussels, Belgium)-dweis@resulb.ulb.ac.be
Dave Williams (Arizona State University, USA)-williams@asuip2.dnet.nasa.gov
Full addresses and contact numbers for the above are available over theinternet, on diskette, or as hard copy (see below) from Mike Coffin.
Volume on Large Igneous Provinces
Planning continues for a volume or volumes, similar to the 1988 Continental
Flood Basalts, edited by Doug Macdougall, which would provide review papers on
all major LIPs, and on theoretical and modeling efforts. Please contact John
Mahoney or Mike Coffin if you are interested in contributing a paper. A tentativetable of contents will be published in the next issue of The LIP Reader.
Workshops/Short Courses/Special Meetings
The 1995 IUGG XXI General Assembly in Boulder, Colorado (see "MeetingsSchedule" below), is a good target for the Commission's first short course or

-workshop. If you are interested in organizing one on
the topic of your choice, please contact any member of
the Steering Committee. Special meetings on LIPs,
such as GSAmerica's Penrose and AGU's Chapman, orNATO's Advanced Study Institutes, are also possibili-ties. These usually require a lead time of> 1 year for
funding applications and planning. Once again,
please contact one of us if you would like to run orhelp organize a special meeting re levant to LIPs.

Recent Research Summaries
Ocean Drilling Program Leg 152- North Atlantic
Tertiary Province
The primary objective of Leg 152, located a long atransect at 63°N, was to investigate the development
the SE Greenland volcanic rifted margin. Six sites(914-919) were drilled; three of these {915, 917, and918) drilled into the volcanic pile of the seawarddipping reflector sequences (SDRS). Only a few
meters of basalt were recovered at Site 915. Drilling atSite 917, however, located on the feather-edge of theSDRS only 50 km from the Greenland coast, achieved
remarkable penetration (779 m) through the SDRS,
and through a faulted contact into underlying sedimentary rock. The pre-SDRS sediment includes
quartzose (fluviatile?) sandstone, below which aresteeply inclined beds of siltstone and sandstone. Site
918 was located on the main subcrop of the SDRS, on
the continenta l rise; 18 units of MORB-like tholeiite
were cored for 122 mete rs. The majority of the lavas atboth sites was erupted subaerially; all record reversed
magnetic p olarity.
The lava pile at Site 917 comprises at least 91
flow units, which h ave been grouped into Lower,Middle and Upper Series. Most of the lavas from theLower and Middle Series, the oldest lavas recovered,
are basalts; some, especially those of the Upper Series,
are magnesian basalts and picrites. The Middle Series
lavas are more evolved; some a re dacites.
The samples recovered during Leg 152 show
tha t there is a profound change in magma composition
rela ted to the evolution of the margin. The oldestlavas (Lower and Middle Series) at Site 917 show
evidence of contamination by continental lithosphere.
The picrites found in the Upper Series at Site 917 sh ow
no evidence of such contamination, despite their likely
high eruption temperatures, suggesting that they
represent rapid expulsion of the primitive magmas
from the mantle to the surface. This may have been
facilitated by continental separation. MORB-likebasalts recovered at Site 918, the youngest part of theSDRS drilled during Leg 152, reflect the establishmentof a steady-state oceanic magma system .

-contributed by Andy Saunders and theODP Leg 152 Scientific Party
Summaries of recent research programs areinvited-please send your contribution to Mike Coffinor John Mahoney.

Previous Meetings
The International Workshop on Intraplate
Volcanism: The Polynesian Plume Province,
Universite Fran~aise du Pacfiqueffahiti (FrenchPolynesia), 2-7 August 1993.
Organized with support from CNRS (CentreNationale de Ia Recherche Scientifique), CEA (Commissariat a l'Energie Atomique), ORSTOM (InstitutFran ..ais de Recherche Scientifique pour leDeveloppement en Cooperation), CNES (CentreNational d'Etudes Spatiales), and CLS/ ARGOS, thisworkshop was attended by -80 scientists, mainly fromFrance and the US, but also from Japan, Canada,Australia, Germany, Netherlands, Belgium, UK, andItaly. Topical sessions included Plume Dynamics,Mantle Sources, Rare Gases, Volcanic Structure andVolcanic Processes, Lithospheric Structure andDynamics, Low Temperature Processes, and Sea Level
Changes- Natural Hazards. An introductory talk wasgiven by C.J. Allegre (Geochimio-Dynamics), andinvited talks were given by H. Staudigel (Seafloor
Alteration-Induced Compositional Heterogeneity o f
the Altered Oceanic Crust), Y. Caristan (A Review ofthe Structure of Mururoa and Fangataufa Atolls), C.
Chauvel (Isotopic Constraints on the Sources ofPolynesian Basalts), J.-G. Schilling (Plume-Ridge
Interactions and Dynamics), E. Bard (Sea Level
Changes in the Past 20,000 Years), R.I. Tilling (Geologic Hazards on Basaltic Volcanic Islands), M.K.
McNutt (Lithosphe ric Dynamics o f the Polynesian
Plume Province), and E.A. Okal (Seismological Studiesof the Structure of the Polynesian Province: AReview). A special volume is planned to be publishedby the end of 1994 containing extended abstracts ofworkshop papers (contact: barsczus@dstu.univmontp2.fr).

-contributed by Hans Barsczus
Lunar and Planetary Science 25th Annual
Conference, Lunar and Planetary Institute, Houston,Texas, USA, 14-18 March 1994.
An abstract from this meeting, entitled " Large
Igneous Provinces: A Planetary Perspective," byJames W. Head III of Brown University, contrasts andJ.

compares LIPs on the terrestrial planets: Large
igneous provinces are common on other terrestrial
planets and offer a potentially important perspective
for LIPs on Earth. Exposure and preservation areexcellent due primarily to fewer erosional agents,minimal erosional ra tes, and relatively stable lithospheres. Stable lithospheres also mean that longertime intervals are available for study; the majority ofthe surface of the Moon and Mars dates back to thefirst half of Solar System history. Terrestrial planetary
bodies offer multiple examples for study in different
places on one planet and between several planets.
The terrestrial planets provide an opportunity toassess how different crustal and thermal structure
might influence the formation of LIPs. The segmented, laterally moving, and constantly renewing
terrestrial lithosph ere both obscures the view of andinsulates many mantle convection processes. The
perspective offered by one-plate planets can reveal
the long-term influences of mantle plumes and theirvariations under different thermal conditions in spaceand time. The planetary record can also help toreveal their relation to tectonic structure. Venus hasrtens of thousands of kilometers of exposed rift zones
which display a wide variety of igneous centers, manyof which are LIPs. The planetary record can be
instructive in terms of the chronology and episodicityof large igneous events and provinces. The extended
historical record permits an assessment of changes inthe style of LIPs with time and the frequency at any
given time. Finally, the planetary record can offer acomplete perspective on many processes associatedwith LIPs; on Venus, the entire process of mantle
plume emplacement can be studied and compared toEarth. In summary, the planetary record, in concert
with the detailed examination of examples on Earth,can be of use in developing and testing models for theemplacement of LIPs, and in helping to distinguishplate tectonic influences from those linked to deeper
interior processes.

-contributed by Jim Head
Synopses of recent meetings are welcomedplease send your -200 word review to Mike Coffin orJohn Mahoney.

LIPs and ODP
LIPs are becoming a major focus within ODP, asattested to by the efforts on the East Greenland
volcanic margin described above. The four thematic
panels of JOIDES Goint Oceanographic Institutions
for Deep Earth Sampling)-Lithosphere, Tectonics,
Ocean History, and Sedimentary & Geochemical
Processe~ach meet twice yearly to review drilling
proposals. Part of the spring meetings is devoted toranking all active proposals globally. LIPs fall under
the Lithosphere Panel's mandate, and in that panel's
Spring 1994 global evaluation, the Caribbean floodbasalt province ranked #1 and giant LIPs (Ontong
Java Plateau or Kerguelen Plateau-Broken Ridge)
ranked #2. Such highly-ranked proposals are usually
drilled, and the strong showing of LIPs in ODP ismost encouraging.

The Ocean Drilling Program is proposal-driven,and anyone may submit a drilling proposal. Guidelines for writing and submitting proposals may beobtained until 30 September 1994 from: JOIDES
Planning Office, School of Oceanography, University ofWashington, WB-10, Seattle, WA 98195. Phone
1.206.543.2203. Facsimile 1.206.685.7652. Internet:
joides@ocean.washington.edu. Information on ODP's
long-range thematic plans can be obtained from thesame address. From 1 October 1994, the JOIDES
Planning Office will be located at: Dept. of Geology,
University of Wales, Cardiff, PO Box 914, Cathays Park,Cardiff CFl 3YE, UK. Phone 44.222.874.830. Facsimile
44.222.874.326. Internet: sglrbk@cardiff.ac.uk.

Commission Products and Services
LIPs on InternetLIPs has an internet presence, accessible via
standard Internet tools. The Commission's LIPbibliography, directory of members, and digital
database of LIP areas are available, as well as thecalendar of events and text versions of The LIP Reader.
The internet site is currently set up as a Gopher
server, which allows users to log in with anonymous
ftp or World Wide Web (WWW) tools, such as NCSA
Mosaic. As time allows, the site will be enhanced for
WWW users. Ideas on how the site could improved or
made more useful are most welcome. For a copies ofmaterials on Macintosh diskette, please send a blank
3.5 inch diskette to Mike.

Anonymous FTP
With ftp, open ftp.cc.utexas.edu, use the loginname anonymous and your email address as a password. Then change directory to /pub/lips.
GopherUsing your Gopher client software, opengopherhost.cc.utexas.utexas.edu. Navigate toUT
Computation Center / Departments and Projects/
Institute for Geophysics.

World Wide Web
The Universal Resource Locator (URL) isgopher: I I gopherhost.cc.u texas.edu:3003 I 11 I pub I lips

3'";"-·

Upcoming Meetings
1994
Eighth International Conference onGeochronology, Cosmochronology andIsotope Geology, Berkeley, California,USA.
Information: Paul Renne, Geochronology Center, Institute of
Human Origins, 2453 Ridge Rd., Berkeley, California 94709, USA.
Telephone: 1.510.644.1350. Facsimile: 1.510.845.9453.

5-11 June:

The Icelandic Plume and its Influenceon the Evolution of the NE Atlantic,
Arthur Holmes European Research
Conference, Reykjavik_ Iceland.
Information: Heidie Gould, The Conference Dept., The GeologicalSociety, Burlington Ho use, Piccadilly, London W1 V OJU, UK.
Telephone: 44.71.4349944. Facsimile: 44.71.4398975.

4-8 July:

14-19 AugustInternational Symposium on thePhysics and Chemistry of the Upper
Mantle, Sao Paulo, Brazil.
Information: Prof. Wilson Teixeira, lnstituto de Geosci~ncias Universidade de sao Paulo, PO Box 20899, 01498-970 Sao Paulo,Brazil. Telephone: 55.11.8138777, extension 3987. Facsimile:
55.11.2104958. Internet: brenha@iag.usp.br
28 Aug-2 Sept: .

V.M. Goldschmidt Conference,Edinburgh, Scotland.
Information: Ben Harte or Peter Symms, V.M. Goldschmidt
Conference 1994, Dept. of Geology and Geophysics, University ofEdinburgh, Grant Institute, West Mains Road, Edinburgh EH93JW, Scotland, UK. Facsimile: 44.31.6508522.
12-16 September:International Volcanological Congress,
lA VCEI, Ankara, Turkey.
Information: Dr. Ayla Tankut, Organizing Secretary, International
Volcanological Congress, lA VCEI Ankara 1994, Dept. of GeologicalEngineering, Middle East Technical University, 06531 Ankara,Turkey. Telephone: 90.312.2101000, extension 2682-2679.
Facsimile: 90.312.2101263. Internet: atankut®trmetu.bitnetThe

LIP Reader
Institute for Geophysics
The University of Texas at Austin
8701 North Mopac Expressway
Austin, Texas 78759-8397 USA

24-27 October:

Geological Society of America
Annual Meeting, Seattle, WA, USA.
Abstract deadline: 6 July 1994. Information: GSA Meetings
Dept., P.O. Box 9140, Boulder, CO 80301, USA. Telephone
1.303.4472020. Facsimile: 1.303.4471133. A premeeting field trip,"Vents and Basalt Flows of the Columbia River Basalt Group," isscheduled for 21-23 October at a cost of $260. For further
information, contact trip leader Stephen P. Reidel, Geosciences,
Westinghouse Hanford Company, MSIN H6-06, PO Box 1970,Richland, WA 99352 USA. Telephone 1.509.3769932. Terry L.
Tolan and Melvin H. Beeson w ill co-lead the trip.
5-9 December:

American Geophysical Union Fall
Meeting, San Francisco, California,USA.
Abstract deadline: September 1994. Info rmation: AGU-Meetings
Dept., 2000 Florida Ave., N.W., Washington, D.C. 20009, USA.
Telephone: 1.202.4626900. Facsimile: 1.202.3280566. Internet:
sbell@kosmos.agu.org

1995
2-14 July 1995:

International Union of Geodesy andGeophysics XXI General Assembly,
Boulder, Colorado, USA.
Abstract deadline: 1 February 1995. Information: fUGG XXIGeneral Assembly, c/o American Geophysical Union, 2000
Florida Ave., NW, Washington, DC 20009, USA. Note lAVCEI
Symposium V1, "Origin of Large Igneous Provinces," convened
by M. Coffin, N. Arndt, and J. Ludden.
4-8 September 1995:

Third International Dyke Conference,
Jerusalem, Israel.
Paper deadline: 31 December 1994; abstract deadline: 31 May '1995. Information: Organizing Committee IDC-3 (Dr. A.
Heimann), Geological Survey of Israel, 30 Malkhe Yisrael St.,
Jerusalem 95501, Israel. Facsimile: 972.2.380688. Internet:
dikeconf@vms.gsi.gov.il