Identification of mantle plumes in the Emeishan Large Igneous Province

Abstract

The plume hypothesis has been recently challenged largely because some fundamental aspects predicted by the modeling of plumes are found to be lacking in some classic hotspot regions. This review paper summarizes recent achievements made in the late Permian Emeishan continental flood basalt province in southwest China. Data from various disciplines are evaluated by comparing observation against prediction of the plume hypothesis. It is shown that 7 out of the 9 most convincing arguments in support of mantle plumes are found in the Emeishan large igneous province (LIP). In particular, sedimentological data show unequivocal evidence for a lithospheric doming event prior to the Emeishan volcanism. This observation, the presence of high-temperature magmas, emplacement of immense volume of magmas over a short time span and the spatial variation in basalt geochemistry are all consistent with predictions of plume modeling, thus providing strong support for the validity of the mantle plume hypothesis.