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Pyroclastic Rocks and Tectonic Environment

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Pyroclastic Rocks

Abstract

The close proximity of continental borderlands, active and ancient tectonic regions, and modern and ancient volcanoes has long been known. Pre-plate tectonic ideas about this association culminated in Kay’s (1951) masterful synthesis showing the relationship between volcanic island arcs and ancient eugeosynclinal sedimentary basins containing abundant volcaniclastic rocks. This association is now considered to develop within convergent plate margins. Wide acceptance of plate tectonic processes began during the late-1960’s, and has resulted in a continuing and accelerating flood of literature concerned with reinterpreting a vast amount of descriptive geology in addition to new studies. Many formerly difficult geologic problems appear amenable to interpretation based on plate tectonic theory, but we add a note of caution: it is far from certain whether or not plate tectonic theory adequately explains tectonism and volcanism in Archean time which includes nearly three-quarters of earth history.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Geological Sciences, University of California, 93106, Santa Barbara, CA, USA

    Professor Richard V. Fisher

  2. Institut für Mineralogie, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, 4630, Bochum, Germany

    Professor Hans-Ulrich Schmincke

Authors
  1. Professor Richard V. Fisher
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  2. Professor Hans-Ulrich Schmincke
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© 1984 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Fisher, R.V., Schmincke, HU. (1984). Pyroclastic Rocks and Tectonic Environment. In: Pyroclastic Rocks. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-74864-6_14

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-74864-6_14

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-540-51341-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-74864-6

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