The Karoo and Ferrar large igneous provinces (LIPs), in Southern Africa and Antarctica respectively, collectively known as the Karoo-Ferrar, Gondwana, or Southeast African LIP, are associated with the initial break-up of the Gondwana supercontinent at c. 183 Ma.Its flood basalt mostly covers South Africa and Antarctica, but portions extend further into southern Africa and into South America, India, Australia and New Zealand.
Karoo-Ferrar formed just prior to the breakup of Gondwana in the Lower Jurassic epoch, about 183 million years ago; this timing corresponds to the early Toarcian anoxic event and the Pliensbachian-Toarcian extinction. It covered about 3 million km. The total original volume of the flow, which extends over a distance in excess of 6000 km (4000 km in Antarctica alone), was in excess of 2.5 million km (2.5 million cubic kilometres).
