66 million years ago, India unleashed a firestorm that changed life on Earth forever.
You know the story: an asteroid wiped out the dinosaurs. But what if that's only half the truth? The real drama started in India.
This isn't one volcano. It's a 'Large Igneous Province' – a massive volcanic field that bled lava for 30,000 years.
Imagine a crack in the Earth, gushing lava. Not for a day, but for millennia. It smothered a third of India, burying it under kilometres of molten rock.
The total volume of lava could cover the entire planet in a layer several meters thick. The longest individual flows ran for over 1,500 km.
The eruptions pumped colossal amounts of gas into the air. First, Sulphur Dioxide, which blocked the sun, creating a harsh 'volcanic winter'.
Then came the Carbon Dioxide. It trapped heat, leading to runaway global warming that lasted for thousands of years.
These gases also dissolved into the oceans, making them acidic. Marine ecosystems, the base of the food chain, began to collapse.
So, when the Chicxulub asteroid hit Mexico, life on Earth was already sick. The planet was poisoned, weakened, and struggling to survive.
The Deccan Traps set the stage. The asteroid was the final, brutal knockout blow. Together, they caused the 5th mass extinction.
But this destruction wasn't the end. It was a violent rebirth. The story of the Deccan Traps is written in the land itself.
The weathered volcanic rock, basalt, created 'regur'. One of the most fertile soils on earth, it's the foundation of agriculture in central and southern India.
The majestic caves of Ajanta and Ellora? They were painstakingly carved out of the very same basalt rock left behind by the eruptions.
The dramatic, sheer cliffs of Deccan basalt were perfect for defense. Many of Shivaji Maharaj's iconic forts are built upon these ancient lava flows.
Even the unique Lonar Lake, a crater from a much later meteorite impact, sits within this volcanic rock, creating a one-of-a-kind saline ecosystem.
The layered, step-like formation of the traps ('traps' means stairs in Swedish) creates the spectacular waterfalls of the Western Ghats during the monsoon.
The Deccan Traps are a stark reminder of Earth's power. They are a prehistoric case study on how rapidly climate can change with devastating consequences.
From an apocalypse came the canvas for our history, our food, and our art. The ground beneath our feet holds a story of unimaginable destruction and magnificent creation.
This is the epic, hidden history of India. Not of kings, but of the Earth itself. A history that shaped the world we live in today.