Yellowstone Caldera

volcanoes · geology · Yellowstone National Park · hotspots

Massive volcanic crater. The Yellowstone Caldera is a huge bowl-shaped depression created by ancient volcanic eruptions so powerful they collapsed the ground beneath them. It spans across parts of Wyoming, Idaho, and Montana and is larger than many mountains are tall.

Four calderas stacked. The caldera isn't just one crater but four overlapping volcanic bowls that formed at different times, each one created by massive eruptions thousands of years apart. This made the landscape incredibly complex and layered.

Hotspot power source. A Yellowstone hotspot, which is an extra hot area deep in Earth's mantle, keeps driving volcanic activity in this region. This same hotspot has been slowly moving across the continent for millions of years, creating a trail of extinct volcanoes.

Nearly 17,000 square kilometers. The entire Yellowstone Plateau Volcanic Field originally covered about 17,000 square kilometers, making it one of the largest volcanic features on Earth. Most of it is now protected as Yellowstone National Park.

Two types of lava. The volcanic rocks here formed from two very different types of lava: basalt (dark and runny) and rhyolite (thick and explosive). The variety of rocks tells scientists that Yellowstone had different kinds of eruptions over time.