Pyroclastic Rocks: Explosive

Volcanism

Mount St Helens
 Pyroclasts

By Type
Juvenile fragments samples of quenched glassy/devitrified magma,
Crystals phenocrysts from the magma
Lithic fragments clasts of pre-existing rock, from the walls of the conduit.

By Size
blocks or bombs (>64 mm),
lapilli (64-2mm)
ash (>2mm).
Juvenile Pyroclasts

Breadcrust bomb
 Juvenile Pyroclasts

Often rounded by abrasion in vent

Acid/intermediate/mixed - Pumice Basic/alkaline - Scoria

 Juvenile Pyroclasts

Achneliths and scoria can fuse when emplaced

Achneliths (glassy droplets) (Peles Tears) hot to form splatter. This forms cones and
ramparts.
 Juvenile Pyroclasts

Juvenile Shards In a vitric tuff/ash

 Juvenile Pyroclasts

Juvenile Shards
 Juvenile Pyroclasts

Kileaua lapilli layer

Accretionary lapilli
Phreatomagmatic water vapour causes grains to accrete into concentric layers.
Types of Pyroclastic Eruption
Eruption types are based on height of the column and the degree of fragmentation

Hydrovolcanic
 Hawaiian Activity
Dominated by basaltic lava fountains and flows. Typical of
shield volcanoes and fissures
Types of Pyroclastic Eruption
Eruption types are based on height of the column and the degree of fragmentation

Hydrovolcanic
 Strombolian Activity
Strombolian eruptions are characterized by the intermittent explosion or
fountaining of basaltic lava from a single vent or crater. Eruptions are
often rhythmic explosions.

Stromboli
Strombolian Activity

Explosions caused by
slugs of gas reaching the
surface.
 Scoria Cones
Sunset Crater, Arizona

Splatter layers with reconstituted flow

Cones can be monogenetic

or polygenetic
 Scoria Cones

Splatter layers with reconstituted flow

Cones can be monogenetic

or polygenetic
Types of Pyroclastic Eruption
Eruption types are based on height of the column and the degree of fragmentation

Hydrovolcanic
 Plinian Eruptions
Plinian (sub to ultra) eruptions result in the
formation of a sustained eruption column
which may exceed 50 km in height.

They are typical of intermediate and acidic

magmas.

Sakurajima, 1985
 Plinian Eruptions

Magma droplets
heat the
surrounding gas.
The gas + magma
mixture becomes
less dense than the
surrounding air and
rises.

Sakurajima, 1985
Pyroclastic Deposits
 Pyroclastic Deposits: Air Fall (Tephra)

Air Fall

Ballistic ejecta

Pyroclastic air fall deposits (tephra) are poorly sorted (except at large
distances i.e. distal deposits)
Pyroclastic Deposits: Air Fall (Tephra)

Air Fall

Ballistic ejecta

Thickness and grainsize of air fall

decrease away from vent.

Agglomerate close to vent, through

lapilli to ash.
Pyroclastic Deposits: Air Fall (Tephra)

Air Fall

Ballistic ejecta

Bomb sags in bedded ash/lapilli.

 Pyroclastic Deposits: Air Fall (Tephra)

Air Fall

Ballistic ejecta

Increase in lithics

Stratification due to pulsing of an eruption

observed closer to the vent

Reverse grading occurs due to increasing vent

diameter due to erosion
Pyroclastic Deposits: Air Fall (Tephra)

Airfall gets finer-grained away from the vent

 Pyroclastic Deposits: Air Fall (Tephra)

Velocity and Mass Flux increases

Vent gets larger due to erosion of the walls

 Pyroclastic Deposits: Air Fall (Tephra)

Velocity and Mass Flux increases

Vent gets larger due to erosion of the walls

 Pyroclastic Deposits: Air Fall (Tephra)

Finer-grained material settles out of plume

Walls collapse to block vent

Pyroclastic Deposits: Air Fall (Tephra)

Closer to vent lithic fragments are concentrated

Blockage is removed
Pyroclastic Deposits: Air Fall (Tephra)

In more distal
units layers may
represent
individual
discrete
eruptions.
Pyroclastic Deposits: Air Fall (Tephra)

Some air fall ashes can be emplaced hot and

become welded (these resemble ignimbrites)
 Pyroclastic Flows

Pyroclastic flows are gravity-driven surface flows of

debris which travel as a high particle density solid-
gas dispersion.
They can be thought of as a slurry with gas instead
of liquid water.
Pyroclastic Flows

Emplaced hot (not usually molten).

Restricted to topographic lows.
Pyroclastic Flows

pumice

lithics

Pumice flows = ignimbrites

Emplaced hot (not usually molten).

Restricted to topographic lows.
Pyroclastic Flows

ground surge
Pyroclastic Flows: Evidence for Heating

Carbonised wood Fossil fumarole

Welded Pyroclastic Flows

Dark fiamme make up the eutaxitic texture

Pyroclastic Flows
Pyroclastic Flows

Vent erosion causes

increase in mass of plume

Pyroclastic flows often found at the top of the

sequence prior to eruption of lavas
Pyroclastic Deposits: Air Fall (Tephra)

Density of plume = Density of atmosphere

Pyroclastic Deposits: Air Fall (Tephra)

Density of plume = Density of atmosphere

Density of plume increases with vent widening

Pyroclastic Deposits: Air Fall (Tephra)

Density of plume = Density of atmosphere

Density of part of plume becomes greater than atmosphere

Pyroclastic Deposits: Air Fall (Tephra)

Density of plume = Density of atmosphere

Dense plume fragment falls under gravity

Pyroclastic Deposits: Air Fall (Tephra)

Density of plume = Density of atmosphere

Fragment becomes pyroclastic flow

Pyroclastic Flows

Sudden release of pressure on magma causes

explosive loss of volatiles

Collapse of lava dome often produces welded

ignimbrites
 Pyroclastic Flows

Crater Lake, Oregon

Pyroclastic Flows
 Pyroclastic Flows

Caldera collapse associated with large volume pyroclastic flows.

Pyroclastic Flows
 Pyroclastic Flows

Caldera produced ignimbrites are extensive (e.g. Santorini 1470 BC, Taupo 186
AD)
Pyroclastic Surges
Low particle density particle/gas suspension flows

Base surge
 Pyroclastic Surges

Climbing dune forms

Base surge
 Pyroclastic Surges

Climbing dune forms

Cross bedding

Base surge
Epiclastic Deposits

Poorly consolidated volcaniclastic

deposits are rapidly reworked by
runoff to form epiclastics.

Flood plain
 Epiclastic Deposits

Volcaniclastic deposits are often reworked to become epiclastic sediments.

 Lahar Deposits

Mt St Helens, 2003
Lahar deposits caused by
melting of ice and snow in
1981 eruption.
Pyroclastic Rocks
Pyroclastic Rocks

Crystal
Fragments

Vitric shards