How do flood basalts form when enormous volumes of lava erupt?

Flood basalt provinces are created by prolonged volcanic activity that pours out low-viscosity lava across the landscape. Instead of building a single steep cone, the lava flows far and accumulates in thick sheets. Famous examples include the Deccan Traps in India and the Columbia River Basalt Group in the United States. These eruptions occurred over geologic time and produced enormous volumes of basaltic rock. Flood basalts are important because they can reshape continents and, in some cases, are linked to major environmental change.