Active Volcanoes of China

China is home to more than a dozen volcanoes that have erupted during the Holocene. Recent activity, such as the eruption of Ashikule in 1951 and unrest of Changbaishan during 2002–05, highlights the potential for future volcanic unrest and eruptions in the country. In 1999, a National Volcano Monitoring Network was established, inaugurating a programme of research and surveillance to understand the history and activity of China's volcanoes. Much progress has been made since, advancing understanding in the areas of geology, geochemistry and geophysics, and supporting hazard mitigation planning. This Special Publication reports the wide-ranging outcomes of this work for the first time to the international community.
Wudalianchi volcanic field, NE China: tectonic setting, eruptive history, and geophysical insights
Correspondence: zq_chen@ies.ac.cn
-
Published:October 11, 2021
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.
- Asia
- Cenozoic
- chemical composition
- China
- cones
- eruptions
- Far East
- geophysical methods
- geophysical profiles
- geophysical surveys
- lava flows
- magmas
- magmatism
- magnetotelluric methods
- middle Pleistocene
- Pleistocene
- Quaternary
- resistivity
- seismic methods
- seismic profiles
- Songliao Basin
- surveys
- tectonics
- tomography
- volcanic features
- volcanic fields
- volcanism
- volcanoes
- Wudalianchi volcanic field