Abstract:

It had been accepted that the Emeishan large igneous province was generated by the mantle plume, yet the plume formation is still hotly debated Radiometric datings showed that the main phase of the Emeishan basalts is ~260 Ma, corresponding to the endGuadalupian mass extinction Recent numerical modeling suggested that the mantle plume activity was closely linked to both superchron and the mass extinction Therefore, probing into the age and duration of Emeishan basalts is of significance to the understanding of  the relationships among Emeishan mantle plume activity, the endGuadalupian mass extinction and the genesis of the Kiaman reverse superchron (KRS) Important progresses on these topics are reviewed in this paper Besides, on the basis of new paleomagnetic work, the relationships between the Emeishan basalts and the endGuadulupian mass extinction were discussed, as well as their geodynamic significance  

Key words: Emeishan basalts; mantle plume; effusion age and duration; mass extinction；paleomagnetism