The importance and difficulties of identifying mantle plumes in orogenic belts: An example based on the fragmented large igneous province (LIP) record in the Ural fold belt

Mantle plumes can be recognized by their magmatic expression as large igneous provinces (LIPs). However, identification of plumes in old, structurally complicated fold belts is particularly difficult due to deformation, which obscures the LIP record. On the other hand, fold belt regions are particularly important in the search for LIPs for at least three reasons: 1) they can represent prior plate margins associated with plume-generated...