Yellowstone National Park Is Home to a Supervolcano
Beneath Yellowstone National Park lies an
active "supervolcano" — a distinction bestowed upon volcanoes that have seen at least one explosion release more than 240 cubic miles of material (a bit more than twice the volume of Lake Erie, according to
National Geographic).
The Yellowstone volcano has actually experienced three very large eruptions, two of which qualified as "super" — though fortunately for park-goers, the most recent one was 640,000 years ago.
Today, the park's volcanic roots are evident in its hot springs, mud pots and world-famous geysers.