Marine carbonate sedimentation in volcanic settings

Carbonate sediments have been produced and deposited in areas of active volcanism since at least the Paleoarchean. Despite early recognition of a significant relationship between volcanism and marine carbonate systems, research in this field has been largely neglected. With increasing recognition of the accelerating effects and significance of anthropogenically driven climate change on the ocean–atmosphere system, the time is ripe for studying volcanism-influenced carbonates as a natural analogue for future environmental scenarios. We undertake a detailed assessment of the state-of-the-science in our understanding of these systems. We identify significant bilateral division in approaches, with the geological and biological communities rarely interacting. The study of ancient volcanic-carbonate systems, in particular, appears to have ‘fallen between two stools’ with both the volcanic and sedimentological communities shying away from studying these cross-disciplinary systems. Observations of recent volcanic–carbonate interactions are challenging; long periods of volcanic quiescence are punctuated by brief episodes of activity. Recent developments in robust remotely deployable instrumentation offer an opportunity to safely undertake sustained monitoring of these systems before, during and after eruptions. Informed assessment of the likely responses of carbonate ecosystems to future climatic challenges requires the initiation of an integrated, collaborative, cross-disciplinary approach to studying the complex interactions within these challenging mixed depositional systems.