Textural analysis and flow mechanism of the Donzurubo subaqueous pyroclastic flow deposits

The Donzurubo subaqueous pyroclastic flow deposits deposited in subaqueous environments maintaining high temperatures (about 500°C). Each flow unit of these pyroclastic flow deposits shows some characteristic size distributions in its stratigraphic column. The concentration of pumice at the top clearly defines the top facies of a flow unit. Median diameter (Md Ø) and the averages of the largest ten essential dense debris increase gradually starting from both the top and the bottom of the flow unit. The maximum points of Md Ø and the averages of the largest ten essential dense debris are usually found in the middle zone of each flow unit, but the Md Ø maximum points are generally in a lower position than the averages. Mechanical analyses show that the deposits consist of polymodal populations. They show, on the whole, an asymmetrical distribution, which is mainly due to the absence of the coarser fractions of the main population. The size distribution characteristics and the C-M pattern of the deposits suggest that these subaqueous pyroclastic flow deposits were not originated by homogeneously suspended turbulent flows but by incandescent turbulent flows with layered suspension.