Towards the end of the Mesozoic era, intensive volcanic activity flooded vast areas of Maharashtra and other parts of the Deccan with lava, known as the Deccan Traps. The volcanic rocks contain some thin fossiliferous sedimentary layers between the solidified lava flows which indicate that the lava flows were not continuous. The Deccan Traps are characterized by black soil, indicating the presence of igneous rocks. When the rocks were denuded over time, black soil formed. The volcanic activity resulted in two major events. The first one is the breakup of Gondwanaland and the second one is the uplift of the Himalayas out of Tethys Sea.

Deccan Traps offers insights into Earth’s history. The release of volcanic gases, especially sulfur dioxide, during the formation of the traps, likely played a significant role in contributing to climate change. An average drop in temperature of about 2°C (3.6°F) was recorded during this period. According to the scientists, the gases released during the formation of the Deccan Traps played a major role in the Cretaceous-Paleogene (K-Pg) extinction event which is also known as the Cretaceous-Tertiary or K-T extinction. The Cretaceous-Paleogene (K-Pg) extinction event is a sudden mass extinction of three-quarters of the plant and animal species on Earth and occurred approximately 66 million years ago. The event led to the extinction of all non-avian dinosaurs. The sudden cooling due to sulfurous volcanic gases released by the formation of the traps and toxic gas emissions may have contributed significantly to the K-g mass extinction.