Foreword to the thematic set arising from the international conference "Basalt 2017"

Following the successful Basalt 2013 meeting held in Görlitz, Germany, the Basalt 2017 conference (http:// basalt2017.geocon.cz) was set in the historical town of Kadaň, Czech Republic, on September 18–22, 2017. The conference site was selected due to its historical and picturesque centre and also its location in the north-eastern foothills of the Doupovské Hory Volcanic Complex. Kadaň, surrounded by fabulous volcanic landscapes, provided a good starting point for preand post-conference field-trips as well as mid-conference guided walk. The meeting was attended by over 40 participants from ten countries, who presented the results of geochemical, petrological, volcanological, geophysical and paleontological studies of within-plate alkaline volcanic systems and The Basalt meetings are particularly, but not solely, focused on extensive Cenozoic magmatism and volcanism across Europe and beyond from a multi-faceted perspective of all relevant disciplines of geosciences. These include physical volcanology, mineralogy, petrology, geochemistry, geophysics, stratigraphy with palaeontology, geohazards and geoheritage. The main goals of these meetings include presentation of new discoveries and developments in the understanding of within-plate alkaline magmatism as well as bringing together to a small meeting scientists with distinctly diverse fields of expertise. This melting pot serves as stew for new, non-conformist ideas and becomes a topical platform for fostering a truly inter-disciplinary research.