Ranking welding intensity in pyroclastic deposits

Welding of pyroclastic deposits involves flattening of glassy pyroclasts under a compactional load at temperatures above the glass transition temperature. Progressive welding is recorded by changes in the petrographic (e.g., fabric) and physical (e.g., density) properties of the deposits. Mapping the intensity of welding can be integral to studies of pyroclastic deposits, but making systematic comparisons between deposits can be problematical. Here we develop a scheme for ranking welding intensity in pyroclastic deposits on the basis of petrographic textural observations (e.g., oblateness of pumice lapilli and micro-fabric orientation) and measurements of physical properties, including density, porosity, point load strength and uniaxial compressive strength. Our dataset comprises measurements on 100 samples collected from a single cooling unit of the Bandelier Tuff and parallel measurements on 8 samples of more densely welded deposits. The proposed classification comprises six ranks of welding intensity ranging from unconsolidated (Rank I) to obsidian-like vitrophyre (Rank VI) and should allow for reproducible mapping of subtle variations in welding intensity between different deposits. The application of the ranking scheme is demonstrated by using published physical property data on welded pyroclastic deposits to map the total accumulated strain and to reconstruct their pre-welding thicknesses.