image: Thin section of pyroclastic flow showing fragments of basalt lava encased in cement. This comes from the lower part of the Emeishan flood basalts at Lugu Lake, Sichuan and demonstrates the unusually explosive nature of this volcanic province. This image relates to an article that appeared in the May 29, 2009, issue of Science, published by AAAS. The study, by Dr. Paul Wignall of the University of Leeds and colleagues was titled, "Volcanism, Mass Extinction, and Carbon Isotope Fluctuations in the Middle Permian of China." view more
Credit: Image © <i>Science</i>/AAAS