What is a supervolcano? What is a supereruption?
The term "supervolcano" implies a volcanic center that has had an eruption of magnitude 8 on the Volcano Explosivity Index (VEI), meaning that at one point in time it erupted more than 1,000 cubic kilometers (240 cubic miles) of material. In the early 2000s, the term “supereruption” began being used as a catchy way to describe VEI 8 eruptions. Explosive events of this size erupt so much magma that a circular-shaped collapse feature, called a caldera, forms above the evacuated magma storage region.
The largest (super) eruption at Yellowstone (2.1 million years ago) had a volume of 2,450 cubic kilometers. Like many other caldera-forming volcanoes, most of Yellowstone’s many eruptions have been smaller than VEI 8 supereruptions, so it is confusing to categorize Yellowstone as a “supervolcano.”
Other caldera-forming volcanoes that have produced exceedingly large pyroclastic eruptions in the past 2 million years include Long Valley in eastern California, Valles Caldera in New Mexico, Toba in Indonesia, and Taupo in New Zealand. Taupo erupted 22,600 years ago and is the most recent supereruption on Earth (with a volume of about 1,130 cubic kilometers).
Additional volcanoes capable of producing supereruptions include the large caldera volcanoes of Japan, Indonesia, and South America.
Learn more:
- Caldera systems--a worldwide family that is more than just Yellowstone!
- A personal commentary: Why I dislike the tern "supervolcano" (and what we should be saying instead)
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Where is the largest active volcano in the world?
What was the most destructive volcanic eruption in the history of the United States?
What are some examples of supervolcanoes?
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Aerial View of Mt. Tambora Caldera
Aerial view of the caldera of Mt. Tambora, island of Sumbawa, Indonesia.
MIdway Geyser Basin at Sunset
Midway Geyser Basin at Sunset, Yellowstone National Park
Inside USGS, No. 6, Ken Pierce, Heavy Breathing of Yellowstone Caldera
Dr. Kenneth Pierce studied the geology and geomorphology of the greater Yellowstone area for nearly his entire career with the U.S. Geological Survey. From 1965 to present, Dr. Pierce has mapped glacial deposits, pioneered Quaternary dating techniques, conducted research on the Yellowstone Hot Spot, studied the geothermal areas, explored the geology of archaeological sites
Caldera Demonstration Model
A caldera is a large, usually circular volcanic depression formed when magma is withdrawn or erupted from a shallow underground magma reservoir. It is often difficult to visualize how calderas form. This simple experiment using flour, a balloon, tubing, and a bicycle pump, provides a helpful visualization for caldera formation.
Upper Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National Park
Aerial view of Upper Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National Park
Giant ash cloud from the eruption of Mount Pinatubo, 1991
Giant ash cloud from the eruption of Mount Pinatubo, 1991 towering above farms and agricultural lands in the Philippines.