Abstract Combined geological, geochronological and geophysical data demonstrate that the evolution of the Wudalianchi volcanic field is closely linked to the most recent tectonic movements affecting the Songliao Basin, driven by dynamics associated with the subducting slab of the Pacific Plate. Intense volcanic activity has occurred in the Wudalianchi since the middle Pleistocene, including historical eruptions in 1720, 1721 and 1776. Together with radiometric age data, variations in the geomorphology of the volcanic cones reflect the effects of multiple eruptions at the same locations but during different periods. Geophysical data – including seismic images, tomography and magneto-telluric profiles – suggest the existence of subsurface low-resistivity bodies beneath some of the volcanoes, posing the potential that these could reactivate and erupt again in the future. To better characterize and elucidate the magmatic and volcanic processes operative in the Wudalianchi volcanic field over geological time, it is essential to conduct systematic geochemical and isotopic studies of many more samples of eruptive product, especially those from the older, single volcanoes.