A large, circular depression formed when a volcano collapses into its empty magma chamber after a major eruption. Much larger than a typical volcanic crater.
From Spanish 'caldera' meaning 'cauldron' or 'kettle,' referring to the bowl-like shape. The term was first used by geologists studying volcanic features in the Canary Islands.
Yellowstone sits on top of a massive caldera 30 miles wide – the entire park is basically inside a collapsed supervolcano! When it last erupted 640,000 years ago, it ejected 1,000 times more material than Mount St. Helens.
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