International Volcanology Field Workshop in Hungary
Hungary’s First Volcanology Field Workshop Concludes with Resounding Success. In early April, our research group and the IAVCEI (International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth's Interior) Commission on Volcanogenic Sedimentation held a successful five-days-long international field workshop in Northern Hungary. This was the first organized international field program in Hungary where experienced volcanologists, postdoctoral researchers, and PhD students could explore a broad range of volcanic sedimentation processes. Following introductory overview lectures, participants visited fifteen locations where they studied characteristics of primary and secondary volcanogenic sedimentary deposits generated from explosive eruptions of various magma types (basaltic, andesitic, and rhyolitic), redeposited by various processes and preserved in a globally unique diversity within a restricted area. They also discussed the processes associated with very large explosive volcanic eruptions and their far-reaching effects, which can extend several hundred kilometres.
The successful program demonstrated that the Pannonian Basin is an internationally outstanding natural laboratory for studying and better understanding various volcanic activities and related sedimentary processes. It also showed that the scientific results of Hungarian researchers have significantly contributed to the increase of knowledge on these events. These results have helped our understanding on the diverse nature of volcanic activity and the contemporaneous transport and deposition of volcanogenic materials, such as in the form of debris flows, lahars, and fluvial processes. This knowledge is particularly important in the 21st century, when revealing and managing volcanic hazards in densely populated areas is essential.
Participants came from eleven different countries (Brazil, Croatia, Italy, Mexico, New Zealand, Nigeria, Norway, Slovenia, South Korea, the United Kingdom and Hungary) to join the five-day field workshop. Hungarian and Italian field leaders, together with experienced experts in the field, provided a wide range of knowledge to the postdoctoral and doctoral students. At the same time, international participants were introduced how geological values meet cultural and historical heritage, as well as the concept of geoparks. In some localities members from the Novohrad–Nógrád Geopark, the Bükk Region Geopark, and the Bükk National Park provided a great summary about their activities.
The leaders and organizers of the field program were Réka Lukács, leader of the MTA–HUN-REN CSFK Lendület PannonVolcano Research Group; Péter Gál, a member of the research group; Profs Orsolya Sztanó and Szabolcs Harangi from the Eötvös Loránd University; and Italian researchers Andrea Di Capua (Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche) and Federica Barilaro (University of Calabria).
