Volcanic Stratigraphy - State of the art

The volcanic stratigraphy is a fundament subject of field studies in volcanic areas because it can furnish basic and fundamental data for further and more detailed studies. Nowadays, the volcanologists are discussing the recent application of volcanic stratigraphy to map volcanoes, applying lithostratigraphy and other stratigraphic units, as synthemic units. This application represents a key point because the geological map should be the base for any detailed volcanological research and should represent the warehouse where to store in an objective way the past eruptions and the inter-eruptive phenomena. The volcanic stratigraphy and the stratigraphic mapping methodology provide significant data and constraints for volcanic hazard assessment, volcanological features, physical volcanology, petrographic, geochemical and petrological studies, and geophysical models.