Largest phanerozoicprovinces of silicic volcanism: geodynamic environment and conditions of formation
This article briefly describes the largest Phanerozoic volcanic provinces of the Earth, which comprise the substantial volumes (over 105 km3) of silicic extrusive rocks. The provinces of this kind may represent a separate geodynamic class, which combines the volume of largest intraplate volcanic provinces with the subduction-related nature. Thermal energy, preserved in the crust after a previous major magmatic event, is considered to be an important factor which controls the crustal petrogenesis and the formation of large provinces of silicic volcanism.