What is the Mackenzie Large Igneous Province (MLIP)?
Q: What is the Mackenzie Large Igneous Province (MLIP)?
A: The MLIP is a major Mesoproterozoic large igneous province of southwestern, western and northwestern Canada. It is a group of igneous rocks which were formed during a massive igneous event starting about 1,270 million years ago.
Q: How large is the MLIP?
A: The MLIP occupies an area of at least 2,700,000 square kilometres (1,000,000 square miles), making it larger than the Ontong Java Plateau in the southwestern Pacific Ocean or the U.S. state of Alaska.
Q: What type of rocks are found in the MLIP?
A: Igneous rocks of the Mackenzie Large Igneous Province are generally mafic in composition, including basalt and gabbro.
Q: How long did it take for this huge area to be created?
A: Geologically speaking, this huge area was spewed out in a short time.
Q: What size classification does an area need to meet to be considered a large igneous province?
A: The standard size classification for large igneous provinces is a minimum of 100,000 square kilometres (39,000 square miles).
Q: What processes caused the formation of the Mackenzie Large Igneous Province? A: The formation of the Mackenzie Large Igneous Province was caused by processes other than normal plate tectonics and seafloor spreading.
