Patterns and Trends of Time-Space Evolution of Volcanism: From Local to Global

Volcanism is one of the most obvious Earth surface manifestations of the deep-seated geodynamic processes driving global tectonics and shaping our planet’s topographic surface. As so, it accompanied Earth’s evolution and history through millions to billions of years of its geological past. Thus, understanding the evolution of volcanism in space and time helps comprehension of geodynamic processes at all scales. For instance, revealing the time-space evolution pattern of volcanic activity over a given territory - either local (e.g., the East Carpathians in Romania or Burgenland in Austria), or regional (e.g., the Andes) or at a sub-continental (e.g., India) or continental area (e.g., Africa) or even global scale – may offer important clues for the reconstruction of past geodynamic/tectonic evolution of those areas. Similarly, time-dependent trends of migration of volcanic centers as well as trends of magma composition variations in time and space, along with other, quantizable volcanism-related parameters (such as, for instance, magma output volumes and rates through volcanic activity) may help a deeper insight into deep Earth processes.

Refinement and unprecedented accuracy of dating methodology of volcanic products acquired during the last few decades along with the concurrent accumulation of a big wealth of information on the timing and evolution of volcanic activity worldwide allows today to consider data synthesis and interpretation in terms of time-space evolution patterns and trends of volcanism at all possible scales, from local to global.

Frontiers of Earth Science intends to publish a Research Topic collecting papers addressing this topic and answering questions such as “How volcanic activity evolved in space and time within a given territory?”, “To what extent local patterns and trends of volcanic evolution fit within regional trends?” or just the opposite “How regional trends of volcanism is reflected in local ones?”, “How the geodynamic evolution of a territory is reflected in its volcanism?”, and viceversa “How volcanism eventually feeds back to local regional tectonic evolution?”, etc.

Researchers are encouraged to contribute with their findings related to patterns and trends of volcanic evolution in space and time at any scale (from local to global) and their relevance to geodynamic processes, as well as to any other related subject. This Frontiers in Earth Science Research Topic is under aegis of IAVCEI Volcano Geology commission.

Keywords: volcanism, volcanology, tectonics, geohazards, geology

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.