Deccan Traps

The Deccan Traps are a large igneous province located on the Deccan Plateau of west-central India (between 17°–24°N, 73°–74°E) and one of the largest volcanic features on Earth. They consist of multiple layers of solidified flood basalt that together are more than 2,000 m (6,562 ft) thick and cover an area of 500,000 km (193,051 sq mi) and a volume of 512,000 km³ (123,000 cu mi). The term "trap", used in geology for such rock formations, is derived from the Dutch word for stairs^[1] and refers to the step-like hills forming the landscape of the region.

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deccan Traps