Central Atlantic magmatic province Facts for Kids

The Central Atlantic Magmatic Province (CAMP) was a super-sized volcanic event that happened a very long time ago, at the end of the Triassic period. It was like Earth had a giant burp of lava!

This huge volcanic area is the biggest of its kind on a continent, covering about 11 million square kilometers. That's bigger than the entire United States! Most of the rock from this event is a dark, heavy volcanic rock called basalt. CAMP formed before the supercontinent Pangaea started to break apart, during the Mesozoic Era (the time when dinosaurs roamed the Earth). Scientists think this massive eruption might have caused the end-Triassic extinction event, a time when many plants and animals disappeared from Earth.

Later, when Pangaea finally split up, it created the Atlantic Ocean. The CAMP eruption left behind a lot of basalt rock, including long, wall-like formations called dikes, flat layers called sills, and hardened lava flows. You can still find these rocks spread across a huge area around the central North Atlantic Ocean today.

What Was the Central Atlantic Magmatic Province?
Images for kids
See also

What Was the Central Atlantic Magmatic Province?

The Central Atlantic Magmatic Province, or CAMP for short, was one of the biggest volcanic events in Earth's history. Imagine volcanoes erupting not just in one spot, but across a huge part of a continent! This happened around 200 million years ago.

How Big Was This Volcanic Event?

CAMP was truly enormous. It covered an area of about 11 million square kilometers. To give you an idea, that's roughly the size of Canada and the United States combined! The eruptions produced vast amounts of molten rock, mostly a type called basalt, which is a common dark volcanic rock. This rock spread out over the land, forming thick layers.

When Did CAMP Happen?

This giant volcanic outburst started at the very end of the Triassic period. At that time, all the Earth's continents were joined together in one huge supercontinent called Pangaea. The eruptions happened just before Pangaea began to split apart.

What Happened After the Eruptions?

The massive eruptions of CAMP played a role in Earth's history. After the volcanoes quieted down, the supercontinent Pangaea started to break into separate pieces. This slow process eventually led to the formation of the Atlantic Ocean we know today. The volcanic rocks from CAMP, like dikes (which are like walls of hardened lava) and sills (flat layers of hardened lava), are still found across the land around the central North Atlantic Ocean. They are like clues left behind from this ancient, fiery event.

Why Is CAMP Important?

Scientists believe that the huge amount of gases and dust released during the CAMP eruptions might have caused big changes to Earth's climate. These changes could have led to the End–Triassic extinction event. This was a time when many different types of plants and animals died out, making way for new life forms to develop, including the rise of the dinosaurs in the following Jurassic period. Studying CAMP helps us understand how massive volcanic events can affect our planet's climate and life.