Peperite : Processes and Products of Magma-Sediment Mingling

This book is a collection of papers concerned with the processes and products of magma-sediment mingling and the origin of peperite.

Three papers are concerned with physical modelling of magma-wet sediment interaction, whereas the majority of the papers describe a wide variety of peperite compositional and textural types, and discuss controls on their formation.

The first paper reviews the current understanding of peperite generation, and serves as an extended introduction to the volume. Peperite is a common rock type generated in many volcanic and sub-volcanic environments.

Its study is important for several reasons. Correct identification of peperite is critical in palaeoenvironmental reconstruction and relative chronology, as its presence can demonstrate contemporaneity of volcanism and sedimentation.

Peperite may also record a snapshot of the processes that occur prior to hydromagmatic explosions, and which are otherwise not preserved in the resulting deposit.

Its study can therefore provide information on the factors and mechanisms that influence the likelihood of such hazardous explosions.

Peperite also indicates the presence of syn-volcanic sills that may be important sources of heat and/or fluids for co-eval hydrothermal systems.