Yellowstone Supervolcano

Yellowstone Caldera is one of the largest and most active caldera in the world. A caldera is a large, basinlike depression resulting from the explosion or collapse of the center of a volcano. The spectacular geysers, boiling hot spots, and mud spots that have made Yellowstone famous and even the strikingly beautiful Grand Canyon of Yellowstone through which the Yellowstone River plunges owe their existence to the tremendous volcanic forces that have affected the region during the past 2 million years.Yellowstone eruptions occurred 2.1 million years ago, depositing the Huckleberry Ridge ash bed. These eruptions left behind huge volcanic depressions called calderas and spread volcanic ash over large parts of North America. If another large caldera-forming eruption were to occur at Yellowstone, its effects would be worldwide. Thick ash deposits would bury vast areas of the United States, and injection of huge volumes of volcanic gases into the atmosphere could drastically affect global climate.