1. Supervolcano: the end of the world?
To describe the features of supervolcanoes
To explain how they form
To understand their potential global effects
Supervolcano: the end of the world?
Key terms: caldera, magma chamber, Yellowstone USA

2. It’s the Daddy
YELLOWSTONE SUPERVOLCANO in Yellowstone National Park, USA, is the world’s biggest and most powerful volcano.
Watch this clip of the eruption of Yellowstone from 2012

3. Yellowstone USA
Location: YELLOWSTONE SUPERVOLCANO, YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, WYOMING, USA
This map shows the impact of the ash cloud from Mt St Helens in 1980.
It also shows the impact of the ash cloud that would erupt from Yellowstone. The ash would cover the whole of North America!

4. WHAT IS A SUPERVOLCANO?
A supervolcano is a huge volcano. Yellowstone measures 35 by 45 miles.
A supervolcano is not a normally shaped volcano. It is actually a giant circular valley called a caldera.
This is Yellowstone Caldera. You can see it from the air – it is a circular valley. It was created 640,000 years ago by a super-eruption!

5. Supervolcano from above
Beneath the caldera there is a giant pool of molten rock – called a magma chamber. This is what fuels the geysers, bubbling mud and hot springs above!

6. How do supervolcanoes form?

7. How do supervolcanoes form?

8. How do supervolcanoes form?

9. SUPERVOLCANO What does Yellowstone Park sit on top of?
2. What does geothermal mean?
3. What are the geothermal features at Yellowstone? What causes them?
4. Explain the differences in
a) crater size;
b) amount of erupted ash and lava;
c) and formation;
between Mount St Helens and the last major
eruption at Yellowstone.

10. SUPERVOLCANO The global effects Death New Ice Age
A fall in global temperatures
Vegetation cannot grow
Crops die
The sun blocked out
Billions of tonnes of ash released
Famine
Starvation
SUPERVOLCANO
The global effects
Death
Planes cannot fly
Recession
Inflation (the price of goods goes up)
Trade stops
Resources become scarce
Conflict and war