Wiktionary
n. (context volcanology neologism English) A powerful volcano, often having an explosive or cataclysmic eruption
Wikipedia
A supervolcano is any volcano capable of producing a volcanic eruption with an ejecta mass greater than 10 kg (10 t). Supervolcanoes occur when magma in the mantle rises into the crust but is unable to break through the crust, and pressure builds in a large and growing magma pool until the crust is unable to contain the pressure. This can occur at hotspots (for example, Yellowstone Caldera) or at subduction zones (for example, Toba).
Another setting for the eruption of very large amounts of volcanic material is in large igneous provinces, which can cover huge areas with lava and volcanic ash, causing long-lasting climate change (such as the triggering of a small ice age or global warming), which can threaten species with extinction.
Supervolcano is a disaster television film that originally aired on 13 March 2005 on BBC One, and released by the BBC on 10 April 2005 on the Discovery Channel. It is centered on the speculated and potential eruption of the volcanic caldera of Yellowstone National Park. Its tagline is "Scientists know it as the deadliest volcano on Earth. You know it...as Yellowstone."
A supervolcano is a type of volcano.
Supervolcano may also refer to:
- Supervolcano (film), a 2005 television disaster film
- Supervolcano, a series of novels by Harry Turtledove
Usage examples of "supervolcano".
The last supervolcano eruption on Earth was at Toba, in northern Sumatra, seventy-four thousand years ago.
Where the other supervolcanoes tend to bubble away steadily and in a comparatively benign fashion, Yellowstone blows explosively.