This study documents the volcanic evolution of the Miocene silicic Bükk Foreland Volcanic
Area (BFVA), Northern Hungary (Central Europe) at an event-scale. The BFVA is a deeply
eroded and dissected volcanic field dominated by multiple, several 10-m thick, valley-filling
silicic ignimbrite units, which are chemically and texturally very similar to each
other. Hence, establishing lateral correlation is a real challenge due to the sporadic
and small-scale outcrops and lack of stratotypes. Detailed field observations allowed
us to identify eleven lithological members including fourteen eruption events and
establish a nearly complete lithostratigraphic correlation between fifteen outcrops
across the BFVA. Primary pyroclastic material of each member was sampled, and volcanic
glass was analyzed for major and trace element composition. The geochemical results
confirm the field-based classification of the members and enable the correlation of
distinct outcrops. The major and trace element composition of the glassy pyroclasts
of each member of the BFVA served as basis to create a field-wide chemical reference
database for regional correlational studies. Here, a new lithostratigraphic classification
scheme consisting of one formation and eleven members is presented, which reflects
the challenges unraveling the stratigraphy of ancient volcanic terrains. The field-based
event-scale lithostratigraphy of the BFVA suggests a wet, partly sea-covered depositional
environment in the close vicinity of the eruption centers providing favorable conditions
to ‘fuel’ silicic explosive phreatomagmatism. On the contrary, paleosol horizons formed
after almost each major eruption event or sequence suggests an overall near-coast
terrestrial environment for the BFVA, where the emplacement of the pyroclastic material
occurred.