Volcanoes that have produced exceedingly voluminous pyroclastic eruptions and formed large calderas in the past 2 million years include Yellowstone in northwest Wyoming, Long Valley in eastern California, Toba in Indonesia, and Taupo in New Zealand. Other 'supervolcanoes' would likely include the large caldera volcanoes of Japan, Indonesia, Alaska (e.g. Aniakchak, Emmons, Fisher), and other areas.
Learn more:
- A personal commentary: Why I dislike the term “supervolcano” (and what we should be saying instead)
- Caldera systems—a worldwide family that is more than just Yellowstone!
Related Content
What are some benefits of volcanic eruptions?
Over geologic time, volcanic eruptions and related processes have directly and indirectly benefited mankind:Volcanic materials ultimately break down and weather to form some of the most fertile soils on Earth, cultivation of which has produced abundant food and fostered civilizations.The internal heat associated with young volcanic systems has been harnessed to produce geothermal energy.Most of...
How many active volcanoes are there on Earth?
There are about 1,350 potentially active volcanoes worldwide, aside from the continuous belts of volcanoes on the ocean floor at spreading centers like the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. About 500 of those 1,350 volcanoes have erupted in historical time. Many of those are located along the Pacific Rim in what is known as the "Ring of Fire." In the United States, volcanoes in the Cascade Range and Alaska...
What was the most destructive volcanic eruption in the history of the United States?
The May 18, 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens (Washington) was the most destructive in the history of the United States. Novarupta (Katmai) Volcano in Alaska erupted considerably more material in 1912, but owing to the isolation and sparse population of the region, there were no human deaths and little property damage. In contrast, the eruption of Mount St. Helens caused loss of lives and...
How far would ash travel if Yellowstone had a large explosive eruption?
Knowledge about past eruptions of Yellowstone combined with mathematical models of volcanic ash dispersion help scientists determine where and how much ashfall will occur in possible future eruptions. During the three caldera-forming eruptions that occurred between 2.1 million and 640,000 years ago, tiny particles of volcanic ash covered much of the western half of North America. That ash was...
What was the largest volcanic eruption in the 20th century?
The world's largest eruption of the 20th century occurred in 1912 at Novarupta on the Alaska Peninsula in what is now Katmai National Park and Preserve. An estimated 15 cubic kilometers of magma was explosively erupted during 60 hours beginning on June 6th. This volume is equivalent to 230 years of eruption at Kilauea (Hawaii) or about 30 times the volume erupted by Mount St. Helens (Washington)...
Where is the largest active volcano in the world?
Rising gradually to more than 4 km (2.5 mi) above sea level, Hawaii’s Mauna Loa is the largest active volcano on our planet. Its submarine flanks descend to the sea floor an additional 5 km (3 mi), and the sea floor in turn is depressed by Mauna Loa's great mass another 8 km (5 mi). This makes the volcano's summit about 17 km (10.5 mi) above its base! Learn more: USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory
Which volcanic eruptions were the deadliest?
Deadliest Volcanic Eruptions Since 1500 A.D. Eruption Year Casualties Major Cause Nevado del Ruiz, Colombia 1985 25,0001,3 Mudflows3 Mont Pelée, Martinique 1902 30,0001 (29,025)2 Pyroclastic flows2 Krakatau, Indonesia 1883 36,0001 (36,417)2 Tsunami2 Tambora, Indonesia 1815 92,0001,2 Starvation2 Unzendake, Japan 1792 15,0001 (14,030)2 Volcano collapse, Tsunami2 Lakagigar (Laki), Iceland 1783 9,0001...
What is the "Ring of Fire"?
Most earthquakes and volcanic eruptions do not strike randomly but occur in specific areas, such as along plate boundaries. One such area is the circum-Pacific Ring of Fire, where the Pacific Plate meets many surrounding tectonic plates. The Ring of Fire is the most seismically and volcanically active zone in the world. Learn more: USGS Volcano Hazards Program
Which volcanoes in the conterminous United States have erupted since the Nation was founded?
Excluding steam eruptions, these volcanoes have shown activity: Mount St. Helens, Washington - Eruptions and/or lava dome growth occurred in the late 1700s, 1800-1857, 1980-1986, and 2004-2008. Lassen Peak, California - A series of steam blasts began on May 30, 1914. An eruption occurred 12 months later on May 21, 1915. Minor activity continued through the middle of 1917. Mount Hood, Oregon -...
What type of eruption will Yellowstone have if it erupts again?
The most likely explosive event to occur at Yellowstone is actually a hydrothermal explosion (a rock hurling geyser eruption) or a lava flow. Hydrothermal explosions are very small; they occur in Yellowstone National Park every few years and form a crater a few meters across. Every few thousand years, a hydrothermal explosion will form a crater as much as a few hundred meters across. Though the...
Related Content
- FAQ
What are some benefits of volcanic eruptions?
Over geologic time, volcanic eruptions and related processes have directly and indirectly benefited mankind:Volcanic materials ultimately break down and weather to form some of the most fertile soils on Earth, cultivation of which has produced abundant food and fostered civilizations.The internal heat associated with young volcanic systems has been harnessed to produce geothermal energy.Most of...
How many active volcanoes are there on Earth?
There are about 1,350 potentially active volcanoes worldwide, aside from the continuous belts of volcanoes on the ocean floor at spreading centers like the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. About 500 of those 1,350 volcanoes have erupted in historical time. Many of those are located along the Pacific Rim in what is known as the "Ring of Fire." In the United States, volcanoes in the Cascade Range and Alaska...
What was the most destructive volcanic eruption in the history of the United States?
The May 18, 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens (Washington) was the most destructive in the history of the United States. Novarupta (Katmai) Volcano in Alaska erupted considerably more material in 1912, but owing to the isolation and sparse population of the region, there were no human deaths and little property damage. In contrast, the eruption of Mount St. Helens caused loss of lives and...
How far would ash travel if Yellowstone had a large explosive eruption?
Knowledge about past eruptions of Yellowstone combined with mathematical models of volcanic ash dispersion help scientists determine where and how much ashfall will occur in possible future eruptions. During the three caldera-forming eruptions that occurred between 2.1 million and 640,000 years ago, tiny particles of volcanic ash covered much of the western half of North America. That ash was...
What was the largest volcanic eruption in the 20th century?
The world's largest eruption of the 20th century occurred in 1912 at Novarupta on the Alaska Peninsula in what is now Katmai National Park and Preserve. An estimated 15 cubic kilometers of magma was explosively erupted during 60 hours beginning on June 6th. This volume is equivalent to 230 years of eruption at Kilauea (Hawaii) or about 30 times the volume erupted by Mount St. Helens (Washington)...
Where is the largest active volcano in the world?
Rising gradually to more than 4 km (2.5 mi) above sea level, Hawaii’s Mauna Loa is the largest active volcano on our planet. Its submarine flanks descend to the sea floor an additional 5 km (3 mi), and the sea floor in turn is depressed by Mauna Loa's great mass another 8 km (5 mi). This makes the volcano's summit about 17 km (10.5 mi) above its base! Learn more: USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory
Which volcanic eruptions were the deadliest?
Deadliest Volcanic Eruptions Since 1500 A.D. Eruption Year Casualties Major Cause Nevado del Ruiz, Colombia 1985 25,0001,3 Mudflows3 Mont Pelée, Martinique 1902 30,0001 (29,025)2 Pyroclastic flows2 Krakatau, Indonesia 1883 36,0001 (36,417)2 Tsunami2 Tambora, Indonesia 1815 92,0001,2 Starvation2 Unzendake, Japan 1792 15,0001 (14,030)2 Volcano collapse, Tsunami2 Lakagigar (Laki), Iceland 1783 9,0001...
What is the "Ring of Fire"?
Most earthquakes and volcanic eruptions do not strike randomly but occur in specific areas, such as along plate boundaries. One such area is the circum-Pacific Ring of Fire, where the Pacific Plate meets many surrounding tectonic plates. The Ring of Fire is the most seismically and volcanically active zone in the world. Learn more: USGS Volcano Hazards Program
Which volcanoes in the conterminous United States have erupted since the Nation was founded?
Excluding steam eruptions, these volcanoes have shown activity: Mount St. Helens, Washington - Eruptions and/or lava dome growth occurred in the late 1700s, 1800-1857, 1980-1986, and 2004-2008. Lassen Peak, California - A series of steam blasts began on May 30, 1914. An eruption occurred 12 months later on May 21, 1915. Minor activity continued through the middle of 1917. Mount Hood, Oregon -...
What type of eruption will Yellowstone have if it erupts again?
The most likely explosive event to occur at Yellowstone is actually a hydrothermal explosion (a rock hurling geyser eruption) or a lava flow. Hydrothermal explosions are very small; they occur in Yellowstone National Park every few years and form a crater a few meters across. Every few thousand years, a hydrothermal explosion will form a crater as much as a few hundred meters across. Though the...
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