Caldera | BFOE Glossary

Go Deeper For parents & teachers

A large volcanic depression, typically several kilometres across, formed by the collapse of the ground surface into an emptied magma chamber. The word distinguishes this collapse-origin feature from ordinary eruption craters, which are much smaller and explosion-formed. Some calderas remain restless decades or millennia after forming — Yellowstone, the Phlegraean Fields near Naples, and Long Valley in California are all active caldera systems monitored closely for uplift, gas emissions, and seismicity.

Appears In

The Burning Mountain Chapter 11 — The Lake That Boiled

"It sat high above the village in a rocky caldera basin - a dark bowl of water trapped among black stone, fed by …"

The Burning Mountain Chapter 11 — The Lake That Boiled

"The floor of the caldera was not the same floor it had been yesterday. Two sections along the …"

The Burning Mountain Chapter 16 — The Echo Under the Ridge

"Then Lina placed one quiet paw on the survey board and said, "The caldera showed a fresh tremor signature this morning. Not here.""

Fun Fact

From the Spanish word for *cauldron* — a reasonable description if you've ever looked down into one.