Blasts From the Past
- By Peter Tyson
- Posted 09.26.06
- NOVA
The most recent one—Taupo, in New Zealand—occurred 26,500 years ago. One from 74,000 years ago—Toba, in Indonesia—left behind a caldera, or giant crater, about the size of Rhode Island. The biggest one yet identified—La Garita, in Colorado—coughed out 1,200 cubic miles of volcanic materials. On this map, sample a selection of the aptly named though thankfully extremely rare natural cataclysms known as "supereruptions."
This feature originally appeared on the site for the NOVA program Mystery of the Megavolcano.
Credits
Images
- (map and icons)
- © WGBH Educational Foundation
Related Links
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Surviving a Supereruption
What could we expect if one of these volcanic megablasts were to occur today?
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A Supersized Volcano
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Lessons From a Supervolcano
An epic volcanic eruption offers insights into today's world of air pollution, global warming, and climate change.
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Mt St Helens: Back From the Dead
Thirty years after the massive eruption, could it happen again?
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