Abstract Subaerial volcaniclastic deposits are produced principally by volcanic debris avalanches, pyroclastic density currents, lahars, and tephra falls. Those deposits have widely ranging geomorphic and sedimentologic characteristics; they can mantle, modify, or create new topography, and their emplacement and subsequent reworking can have an outsized impact on the geomorphic and sedimentologic responses of watersheds surrounding, and channels draining, volcanoes. Volcaniclastic deposits provide a wealth of information about eruptive histories, volcanic processes, and landscape responses to eruptions. The volcanic processes that produce these deposits, and consequently the character and sedimentary structures of the deposits themselves, are influenced by initiation mechanism. Deposit preservation is affected by deposit magnitude, texture, and composition, depositional environment, and climate regime. Innovative analyses of deposits from several modern eruptions and advancements in physical and numerical modelling have vastly improved our understanding of volcanic processes, interpretations of eruptive histories, and recognition of the hazards posed by volcanic eruptions. This contribution highlights and summarizes major advances that have occurred in the past few decades in understanding of volcaniclastic deposits and linkages with volcanic processes.

Abstract The Longgang volcanic field (LVF) is a monogenetic volcanic field in China that erupted in the Quaternary, forming more than 100 scoria cones and maars in an area of over 1500 km 2 . The most recent eruption occurred c. 1500–1700 years ago. By summarizing the results of previous and recent research, this paper reviews the geological background, volcano distribution, eruption history, typical volcanoes and geochemical characteristics of the LVF. The volcanic activities in the LVF were structurally controlled by near-EW-, NW- and NE-trending faults. An analysis of typical volcanic edifices reveals that at least two eruptive episodes occurred in the Holocene, and most of the maars in the LVF have characteristics of multiple eruptive styles. It is concluded that the eruption types included effusive eruptions, magma explosive eruptions and phreatomagmatic eruptions. The results of geochemical studies of LVF eruptive products show that most of the rock is trachybasalt and that the magma rarely interacts with crustal rocks. Compared with the previous results for the neighbouring Changbaishan polygenetic volcanic field, the probable origins of their differences in volcanism are discussed.

Abstract The Halaha River–Chaoer River (HC) volcanic field in the Greater Hinggan Mountain Range (NE China) consists of at least 41 monogenetic basaltic volcanoes. Strombolian, violent Strombolian and phreatomagmatic eruptions, as well as the transitional eruptions, generated simple volcanic cones (single vent) and composite volcanic cones (multiple vents). The simple elongated cone is the most abundant geomorphology type. By analysing the elongated crater and coalescent aligned circular crater, cone breaching and depression, and aligned vents, we identified a number of magma-feeding fissures. The majority of these fissures strike NE–ENE. Accordingly, we infer that the regional stress field affected volcanism in the HC field. The lavas in this field are alkali basalts that are enriched in light rare earth elements (La/Yb N = 7.9–24.5). Their ocean island basalt-like rare earth element and spider-diagram patterns, high Nb/U ratios and high TiO 2 contents (>2 wt%) indicate that the basalts were derived from the asthenosphere mantle. Both the asthenosphere upwelling and the tectonic forces are the key controlling factors of the volcanism in the HC field.

Abstract In the West Kunlun Mountains, four volcanic fields (Kangxiwa, Dahongliutan, Qitaidaban and Quanshuigou) are distributed along the Dahongliutan fault, which is c. 180 km long. Based on field investigations, chronological measurements and geochemical analysis of some volcanic fields, the results of geological, geochemical and geophysical research in previous studies in the corresponding study areas are summarized. The volcanic activities in these areas were mainly effusive eruptions, explosive eruptions and phreatomagmatic eruptions. In this study, we discovered the Qitaiyanhu volcanic field for the first time and determined that the 14 C age of the lacustrine strata underlying the Qitaiyanhu lava flows is 13.110 ± 0.04 ka BP, indicating that there may still have been volcanic activities in the late Pleistocene and even the Holocene in the Dahongliutan fault area. Base surge deposits, which are the products of the interaction between magma and water, were found in the Kangxiwa volcanic field. The four shoshonitic rock fields of Kangxiwa, Dahongliutan, Qitaidaban and Quanshuigou are likely to be products of different evolution stages from the same magma source area. The magmatic origin of these volcanic fields may be related to the upwelling of the asthenosphere, triggered by the collision between the Indian and Tarim plates.

Abstract Preserved rocks in the Jurassic Ferrar Large Igneous Province consist mainly of intrusions, and extrusive rocks, the topic of this chapter, comprise the remaining small component. They crop out in a limited number of areas in the Transantarctic Mountains and southeastern Australia. They consist of thick sequences of lavas and sporadic occurrences of volcaniclastic rocks. The latter occur mainly beneath the lavas and represent the initial eruptive activity, but also are present within the lava sequence. The majority are basaltic phreatomagmatic deposits and in at least two locations form immense phreatocauldrons filled with structureless tuff breccias and lapilli tuffs with thicknesses of as much as 400 m. Stratified sequences of tuff breccias, lapilli tuffs and tuffs are up to 200 m thick. Thin tuff beds are sparsely distributed in the lava sequences. Lava successions are mainly 400–500 m thick, and comprise individual lavas ranging from 1 to 230 m thick, although most are in the range of 10–100 m. Well-defined colonnade and entablature are seldom displayed. Lava sequences were confined topographically and locally ponded. Water played a prominent role in eruptive activity, as exhibited by phreatomagmatism, hyaloclastites, pillow lava and quenching of lavas. Vents for lavas have yet to be identified.