A new view is presented of the Bakony-Balaton Highland Volcanic Field (BBHVF), Hungary,
active in late Miocene and built up of ca. 100 mostly alkaline basaltic eruptive centers,
scoria cones, tuff rings, maar volcanic complexes and shield volcanoes. A detailed
map shows the physical volcanology of the monogenetic volcanic field. In areas where
thick Pannonian Sandstone beds build up the pre-volcanic strata normal maar volcanic
centers have formed with usually thick late magmatic infill in the maar basins. In
areas, where relatively thin Pannonian Sandstone beds resting on thick Mesozoic or
Paleozoic fracture-controlled, karsrwater-bearing aquifer, large unusual maar volcanic
sequences appear (Tihany type maar volcanoes). In the northern pare of the field large
former scoria cones and shield volcanoes give evidence for a smaller impact of the
ground and surface water causing phreatomagmatic explosive activity. The Tihany type
maar volcanic centers are usually filled by thick maar lake deposits, building up
Gilbert type gravelly, scoria rich deltas in the northern side of the maar basins,
suggesting a mostly north to south fluvial system in the pre-volcanic surface. Calculating
paleosurface elevation for the eruptive centers, two paleo-geomorphology maps are
drawn for a younger (4-2.8 Ma) and an older (7.54-4 Ma) scenario. The erosion rate
of the volcanic field is estimated to vary between 96 m/Ma and 18 m/Ma. In the western
site of BBHVF the erosion rate is higher (more than 60 m/Ma, Tapolca Basin), and an
average 50 m/Ma in the center and eastern side.
