| Yellowstone Caldera | |
|---|---|
 The northeastern part of Yellowstone Caldera, with the Yellowstone River flowing through Hayden Valley and the caldera rim in the distance | |
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 9,203[1] ft (2,805 m) |
| Coordinates | 44°24′N 110°42′W / 44.400°N 110.700°W |
| Geography | |
 | |
| Location | Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, United States |
| Parent range | Rocky Mountains |
| Topo map | USGS Yellowstone National Park |
| Geology | |
| Rock age | 2,100,000–70,000 years[3] |
| Mountain type(s) | Caldera[2] and supervolcano |
| Volcanic field | Yellowstone Plateau |
| Last eruption | Approximately 640,000 years ago (caldera-forming); 70,000 years ago (in the caldera) |
| Climbing | |
| Easiest route | Hike/auto/bus |
The Yellowstone Caldera, sometimes referred to as the Yellowstone Supervolcano, is a volcanic caldera and supervolcano in Yellowstone National Park in the Western United States. The caldera and most of the park are located in the northwest corner of the state of Wyoming. The caldera measures 43 by 28 miles (70 by 45 kilometers), and postcaldera lavas spill out a significant distance beyond the caldera proper.[4]
The caldera formed during the last of three supereruptions over the past 2.1 million years: the Huckleberry Ridge eruption 2.1 million years ago (which created the Island Park Caldera and the Huckleberry Ridge Tuff), the Mesa Falls eruption 1.3 million years ago (which created the Henry's Fork Caldera and the Mesa Falls Tuff), and the Lava Creek eruption approximately 640,000 years ago (which created the Yellowstone Caldera and the Lava Creek Tuff).[5]
The caldera was the largest known until the discovery of Apolaki Caldera in 2019, which is more than twice as wide.[6]
- ^ "Yellowstone Volcano Observatory". United States Geological Survey.
- ^ "Yellowstone". Global Volcanism Program. Smithsonian Institution. Retrieved December 31, 2008.
- ^ Lowenstern, Jacob B.; Christiansen, Robert L.; Smith, Robert B.; Morgan, Lisa A.; Heasler, Henry (May 10, 2005). Steam Explosions, Earthquakes, and Volcanic Eruptions—What's in Yellowstone's Future? (Report). United States Geological Survey. Fact Sheet 2005–3024.
- ^ Christiansen, Robert J.; Blank, H. Richard Jr. (1972). "Volcanic Stratigraphy of the Quaternary Rhyolite Plateau in Yellowstone National Park" (PDF). U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper. 729-B: B2.
- ^ Matthews, Naomi E.; Vazquez, Jorge A.; Calvert, Andrew T. (2015). "Age of the Lava Creek supereruption and magma chamber assembly at Yellowstone based on 40Ar/39Ar and U-Pb dating of sanidine and zircon crystals". Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems. 16 (8): 2508–2528. Bibcode:2015GGG....16.2508M. doi:10.1002/2015GC005881. S2CID 131340369.
- ^ Malewar, Amit (October 23, 2019). "Philippines has the earth's largest known caldera". Tech Explorist. Retrieved July 25, 2023.