supereruption

A supereruption is an explosive volcanic event that ejects more than 1,000 cubic kilometers of volcanic material. This is a much larger volume than typical volcanic eruptions. Such events are extremely rare, occurring on geological timescales. The most recent supereruption occurred at Toba in Indonesia about 74,000 years ago.

The geological feature left behind by a supereruption is a caldera, which is a large, basin-shaped volcanic depression. These calderas can be tens of kilometers in diameter. The eruption itself can have devastating global consequences. These include widespread ashfall that can disrupt climate for years, leading to significant cooling and impacting agriculture worldwide.

Supereruptions are associated with supervolcanoes, which are volcanoes capable of producing such massive eruptions. These are typically located over mantle plumes, areas where unusually hot rock from deep within the Earth rises to the surface. The sheer volume of magma required for a supereruption means that the magma chamber beneath a supervolcano must be immense. Monitoring these potential supervolcanoes is an ongoing area of scientific research due to their potential for catastrophic impact.