Monitoring of Eruptive Products: Deposits Associated with Pyroclastic Fallout

“Pyroclastic fallout” is the process of fallout of the particles, which is one of the most common processes in volcanology and is generally associated with all types of explosive eruptions. This chapter shows how the study and monitoring of pyroclastic fallout products play a key role in volcanic risk assessment. The pyroclastic fallout process is, in its simplest formulation, the sedimentation of pyroclasts through the atmosphere and their deposition on the Earth's surface. For fallout deposits, the subdivision into proximal, medial or distal deposits depends on the size of the eruption considered. During eruptive crises a sampling of the eruptive products is generally carried out in the hours following the beginning of each eruption. Geochemical and petrographic analysis of pyroclasts can constrain the initial conditions from the magma chamber to the surface via the conduit. Total grain size distribution represents the theoretical eruptive mixture injected into the atmosphere during volcanic explosive eruptions.