In the last 15-20 years there have been many contributions to the understanding of pyroclastic deposits in various environments and geodynamic settings. Significant progress has been achieved, for instance, in tephrostratigraphy, tephrochronology, facies modeling of pyroclastic currents entering the seawater, identification of debris avalanches off volcanic islands, etc.
Volcaniclastic sediments and rocks are common in the geological record of many geodynamic settings. Therefore, the study and modelling of mixed siliciclastic-volcaniclastic environments could play a fundamental role in understanding basin evolution, in revealing the links between lithospheric and surface processes, and assessing natural hazards.
We believe there is a strong need today for a synthesis of comprehensive scientific debates on the various aspects and approaches to the study of sedimentary environments the nature of which lies somewhere in between the interest of sedimentologists/paleoclimatologists on the one hand and volcanologists on the other.
The subject of this session is to gather scientists involved in the study of both marine and subarerial mixed siliciclastic-volcaniclastic stratigraphic successions, with the aim of creating a common background for the overall comprehension of the evolution of sedimentary basins, from the source to the depositional environment. Welcome contributions include modern examples, as well as case histories from the geological record, where the occurrence of subtle diagenesis may hamper the interpretation of primary textures thus obscuring the link between volcaniclastic products and processes.
The session is co-sponsored by the IAVCEI Commission on Volcanogenic Sediments and the IAS.