火山碎屑岩是介于岩浆熔岩和沉积岩之间的过渡类型的岩石，其中50%以上的成分是由火山碎屑流喷出的物质组成，这些火山碎屑主要是火山上早期凝固的熔岩、信道周围在火山喷发时被炸裂的岩石形成的，碎屑包括岩屑、晶屑、玻璃质屑、浆屑、火山块（直径大于100毫米）、火山砾（直径大于2毫米）和火山灰（直径小于2毫米）。这些碎屑降落到地面或海底，经过固结形成岩石，由于火山也可以在海底爆发，所以火山碎屑岩有陆相沉积的也有海相沉积的。

火山碎屑岩多孔，所以是良好的油、气、水的储集层，有沸石、膨润土、高岭土、叶腊石的贮存，伴生的矿物有铜、铁、铅、锌、黄铁矿、明矾等。在中国的东北、西北、西南和东南沿海都有分布。

Pyroclastic rocks or pyroclastics (derived from the Greek:πῦρ, meaning fire; and κλαστός, meaning broken) are clastic rocks composed solely or primarily of volcanic materials. Where the volcanic material has been transported and reworked through mechanical action, such as by wind or water, these rocks are termed volcaniclastic. Commonly associated with unsieved volcanic activity—such as Plinian or krakatoan eruption styles, or phreatomagmatic eruptions—pyroclastic deposits are commonly formed from airborne ash, lapilli and bombs or blocks ejected from the volcano itself, mixed in with shattered country rock.