Volcaniclastic Sedimentation in Lacustrine Settings

Book excerpt: This volume presents a unique compendium of papers assessing theeffects of volcanism on lakes, as recorded by the volcaniclasticsediments deposited within them. The unifying theme is that theeffects of volcanism on lacustrine sedimentation are diverse anddistinctive, and that volcaniclastic lacustrine sediments hold thekey to understanding a range of processes and events that cannot bereadily addressed by the study of any non-volcanic lakes. Thirteen papers, with authors from nine countries, examine bothmodern and ancient eruption-affected lacustrine deposits. Volcaniceruptions affect lakes and their deposits in many ways, and thesepapers evaluate processes and products of volcanic eruptions withinlakes, of tectonically impounded lakes strongly influenced byvolcanism, of eruption-impounded lakes and of general factorscontrolling sedimentation of vitric ash and pumice.Tephrastratigraphic studies also take advantage of the exceptionalpreservation of thin laminae in quiet lakes to precisely dateepisodes in the evolution of long-lived lakes and their catchmentareas, and to understand how volcanism affects normal lacustrineprocesses. The volume as a whole is an unparalleled source of informationon all aspects of the physical sedimentary results of volcanism inlacustrine settings, and serves as a complement to other studiesconcerned primarily with thermal and geochemical characteristics oflakes within volcanic craters. If you are a member of the International Association ofSedimentologists, for purchasing details, please see:http://www.iasnet.org/publications/details.asp?code=SP30