Over a period of 2 million years about 251 million years ago
The Siberian Traps are what remains of volcanic activity in northern Pangaea, present day northern Siberia, during which large volumes of basaltic lava covered the area. Today, it is covered by about 7 million km2 (3 million sq mi) of basaltic rock, with a volume of around 4 million km3 (1 million cu mi). The name given to the area refers to the step-like hills forming the landscape of the region. The event has been discussed as a possible cause of the mass extinction of living creatures at the end of the Permian period.
