Dueling dates for a huge eruption reignite the debate over dinosaurs’ death

Two teams come up with different timing for the bulk of the Deccan Traps volcanic outpourings

India’s Western Ghats mountain range

DECCAN DEBATE  The massive Deccan Traps volcanic eruptions — including these thick layers of ancient lava in India’s Western Ghats mountain range — lasted a million years and may have contributed to the end of the age of dinosaurs.

Courtney Sprain

Which came first: the impact or the eruptions? That question is at the heart of two new studies in the Feb.