| Caption: |
Large calderas, like the one illustrated here, generally form by explosion and subsequent collapse of the magma chamber below a composite volcano. The resulting depression may be 20 km. (12 mi.) or more in diameter. This process may occur once, like Crater Lake in Oregon, or multiple times, like the formation of resurgent calderas in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming. (Modified after Smith, G. A., and Pun, A. 2006. How does Earth work? Physical geology and the process of science. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall) |
