Structure and Composition of the Nadayansky Lava Flow: an Example of the Homogeneity of Lava Flows of the Siberian Trap Province

Researchers have demonstrated the remarkable homogeneity of the Nadayansky Lava Flow, a key marker in the Siberian Trap Province, covering approximately 48,000 km² with an average thickness of 30 to 50 meters. This study reveals that both major and trace elements in the flow exhibit minimal variation, with concentrations such as SiO₂ (48.31%), TiO₂ (1.26%), and others remaining consistent within analytical uncertainties across hundreds of kilometers. The Nadayansky Flow's distinct glomerophyric texture further aids its identification from underlying and overlying formations. By comparing it to adjacent geological units like the Morongovsky and Mokulaevsky formations, the study highlights subtle but significant differences in TiO₂ concentrations (1.19% to 1.3%), crucial for stratigraphic correlation. These findings underscore the compositional uniformity of erupted magmas in continental flood basalt provinces, offering a geochemical framework for correlating distant volcanic sequences.

Krivolutskaya, N. A., & Kedrovskaya, T. B. (2020). Structure and Composition of the Nadayansky Lava Flow: an Example of the Homogeneity of Lava Flows of the Siberian Trap Province. Geochemistry International, 58(4), 363–376. https://doi.org/10.1134/s0016702920040047