the last time yellowstone caldera erupted was approximately 630,000 years ago.
the last time yellowstone caldera erupted was approximately 630,000 years ago.
when was the last time yellowstone caldera erupted?
approximately 630,000 years ago
the loosely defined term "supervolcano" has been used to describe volcanic fields that produce exceptionally large volcanic eruptions. thus defined, the yellowstone supervolcano is the volcanic field which produced the latest three supereruptions from the yellowstone hotspot; it also produced one additional smaller eruption, thereby creating the west thumb of yellowstone lake 174,000 years ago. the three supereruptions occurred 2.1 million, 1.3 million, and approximately 630,000 years ago, forming the island park caldera, the henry's fork caldera, and yellowstone calderas, respectively. the island park caldera supereruption (2.1 million years ago), which produced the huckleberry ridge tuff, was the largest, and produced 2,500 times as much ash as the 1980 mount st. helens eruption. the next biggest supereruption formed the yellowstone caldera (~ 630,000 years ago) and produced the lava creek tuff. the henry's fork caldera (1.2 million years ago) produced the smaller mesa falls tuff, but is the only caldera from the snake river plain-yellowstone hotspot that is plainly visible today.
yellowstone caldera
the island park caldera is older and much larger than the henry's fork caldera with approximate dimensions of 58 miles (93 km) by 40 miles (64 km). it is the source of the huckleberry ridge tuff that is found from southern california to the mississippi river near st. louis. this supereruption occurred 2.1 million years bp and produced 2500 km of ash. the island park caldera is sometimes referred to as the first phase yellowstone caldera or the huckleberry ridge caldera. the youngest of the hotspot calderas, the yellowstone caldera, formed 640,000 years ago and is about 34 miles (55 km) by 45 miles (72 km) wide. non-explosive eruptions of lava and less-violent explosive eruptions have occurred in and near the yellowstone caldera since the last super eruption. the most recent lava flow occurred about 70,000 years ago, while the largest violent eruption excavated the west thumb of lake yellowstone around 150,000 years ago. smaller steam explosions occur as well – an explosion 13,800 years ago left a 5 kilometer diameter crater at mary bay on the edge of yellowstone lake.
yellowstone hotspot