PDCD-Dat: Pyroclastic Density Current Deposit Characteristics from 97 Eruptions

PDCD-Dat v.2026 is a database of pyroclastic density current deposit characteristics compiled by the British Geological Survey. It includes quantitative data like grain size and thickness alongside qualitative descriptors from 85 source publications. The database covers 214 depositional units from 55 globally distributed volcanoes, with eruptions ranging from VEI 1 to 8.

Use Cases

• Modeling flow dynamics and hazard zones based on deposit thickness and bedform dimensions.
• Classifying eruption types and intensities based on VEI and deposit characteristics.
• Analyzing sediment transport and deposition patterns based on grain size and density data.
• Comparing volcanic facies and sedimentary structures across different global volcanoes.

Strengths

• Compiled from 85 source publications, providing a substantial literature foundation.
• Covers 97 eruptions or eruptive phases and 214 individual depositional units.
• Includes data from 55 globally distributed volcanoes, offering broad geographic coverage.
• Contains both quantitative measurements and qualitative descriptors for multifaceted analysis.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.

Provenance

Source

British Geological Survey (BGS)

Collection Method

Compiled from a literature review of scientific publications.

Time Range

Covers eruptions of varying VEI, but specific years are not provided.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-04-09 08:35:01.981029; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Data from 55 globally distributed volcanoes.