🌋 #caldera – Earth’s Gigantic Volcanic Sinkhole

A caldera is a massive, bowl-shaped depression that forms when a volcano collapses after its magma chamber empties — typically from a major eruption .

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🔍 Main Characteristics

Huge size – Ranging from a few kilometers to over 100 km in diameter

Often filled with lakes, e.g., Oregon’s Crater Lake formed from Mount Mazama

Not a typical crater – calderas collapse inward, while craters result from explosions and are much smaller

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🧩 Types of Calderas

Explosive (Crater-lake) Calderas

Result from violent Plinian eruptions (VEI 6–8), e.g., Crater Lake and Yellowstone

Non-explosive (Shield volcano) Calderas

Form gradually from lava drainage—common in Hawaiian volcanoes like Kīlauea

Resurgent Calderas

Huge calderas that refill and uplift after collapse, such as Yellowstone, Long Valley, and Toba