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The fundamental principles of tephrochronology were de veloped in Iceland through the classic research of Professor Sigurdur Thorarinsson in the 1940's and 1950's. By his studies on the volcanic ash layers (tephra) produced by the historic explosive eruptions of the volcano Hekla, he established that individual tephra layers could be correlated over large areas of Iceland. As the deposition of such layers was essentially instantaneous on a geological time-scale, the tephra layers provided a distinctive and widespread isochronous stratigraphic marker. Since Thorarinsson's pioneering work, the study of tephra has become a powerful and increasingly important research tool in many branches of the geological sciences and related disciplines. In response to the recent rapid growth and diversifica tion of tephra studies we decided to coordinate a NATO Advanced Studies Institute under the auspices of the INQUA Commission on Tephra. The ASI, entitled "Tephra Studies as a Tool in Quaternary Research," was held from June 18th to June 29th, 1980, at Laugarvatn in Iceland. This book represents the proceedings of that Institute and is the first book dedicated to tephra studies, its many uses and applications. The subject matter combines disciplines as diverse as Quaternary strati graphy, isotope geochronology, petrology, deep-sea geology, volcanology, volcanic hazards mapping, archaeology and ecology in one volume, and illustrates both present uses and future potential of tephra research.
List of contents
Opening Address.- Tephra Studies and Tephrochronology: An Historical Review with Special Reference to Iceland.- Dating of Tephra.- Geochronology of Quaternary Tephra Deposits.- Approximate Dating Of Tephra.- The Interrelationship between Magnetostratigraphy and Tephrochronology.- Correlation Techniques.- Correlation Techniques in Tephra Studies.- Tephrochronology by Microprobe Glass Analysis.- X-Ray Fluorescence Analysis as a Rapid Method of Identifying Tephras Discovered in Archaeological Sites.- Regional Studies.- The Application of Tephrochronology in Iceland.- Use of Tephrochronology in the Quaternary Geology of the United States.- Tephrochronology and Quaternary Studies in Japan.- Quaternary Tephra of Northern Central America.- A Textural Study of Basaltic Tephras from Lower Tertiary Diatomites in Northern Denmark.- Relations between Tectonics and Volcanism in the Roman Province, Italy.- Deep-Sea Tephra Studies.- Quaternary Tephrochronology in the Mediterranean Region.- Areal Distribution, Redeposition and Mixing of Tephra within Deep-Sea Sediments of the Eastern Mediterranean Sea.- Marine Tephrochronology and Quaternary Explosive Volcanism in the Lesser Antilles Arc.- Tephrochronology at DSDP Site 502 in the Western Caribbean.- Deep-Sea Record of Cenozoic Explosive Volcanism in the North Atlantic.- Studies on Individual Volcanoes or Tephra Layers.- New Zealand Case Histories of Pyroclastic Studies.- Tephra Layer "a".- Peralkaline Ignimbrite Sequences on Mayor Island, New Zealand.- The Thorsmörk Ignimbrite: A Review.- Archaeological and Ecological Applications.- Dating of New World Archaeological Sites by Means of Tephra Layers.- Tephra Layer in Franchthi Cave, Peleponnesos, Greece.- Tephrochronology and Palaeoecology: The Value of Isochrones.- VolcanologicalApplications and Volcanic Hazard Research.- Volcanological Applications of Pyroclastic Studies.- Some Effects of Tephra Falls on Buildings.- Pyroclastic Flows and Surges: Examples from the Lesser Antilles.- Base Surge Deposits in Japan.- Towards A Facies Model for Ignimbrite-Forming Eruptions.- Violence in Pyroclastic Flow Eruptions.- Glacier Peak Volcano: Tephrochronology, Eruption History and Volcanic Hazards.- A Terminology for Pyroclastic Deposits.- List of ASI Participants.
