North Atlantic Igneous Province

Studies have suggested that the modern day Iceland hotspot corresponds to the earlier 'North Atlantic mantle plume' that would have created the NAIP.

[14] Through both geochemical observations and reconstructions of paleogeography, it is speculated that the present day Iceland hotspot originated as a mantle plume on the Alpha Ridge (Arctic Ocean) c. 130–120 Ma,[15] migrated down Ellesmere Island, through Baffin Island, onto the west coast of Greenland, and finally arrived on the east coast of Greenland by c. 60 Ma.

[18] As the Earth's crust was stretched above the mantle hotspot under stress from plate rifting,[19] fissures opened up along a line from Ireland to the Hebrides and plutonic complexes were formed.

Magma that did not make it to the surface as flows froze in conduits as dikes and volcanic plugs and large amounts spread laterally to form sills.

During intermittent periods of erosion and change in sea levels, heated waters circulated through the flows altering the basalts and deposited distinctive suites of zeolite minerals.

[6] Activity of the NAIP 55 million years ago may have caused the Paleocene–Eocene Thermal Maximum, where a large amount of carbon was released into the atmosphere and the Earth substantially warmed.

[31] Locations of major intrusion complexes within the British part of the NAIP include: Those occurrences within the Hebrides are sometimes referred to as the Hebridean Igneous Province.

The British Tertiary Volcanic Province (based on Emeleus & Gyopari 1992 [ 5 ] and Mussett et al . 1988 [ 6 ] ) with UK map shown in context of the world map
Satellite photo of Ardnamurchan – with clearly visible circular shape, which is the 'plumbings of an ancient volcano' [ 25 ]
An Sgurr , Eigg – largest exposed piece of pitchstone in the UK [ 26 ]
Basalt columns inside Fingal's Cave
Giant's Causeway – polygonal basalt pavement