caldera

noun

cal·​de·​ra kal-ˈder-ə 

kȯl-,

-ˈdir- 

: a volcanic crater that has a diameter many times that of the vent and is formed by collapse of the central part of a volcano or by explosions of extraordinary violence

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A large, bowl-shaped volcanic depression, a caldera forms when the top of a volcanic cone collapses into the space left after magma is ejected during a violent volcanic eruption. Its diameter is many times that of the original vent. The term is Spanish for "caldron." Subsequent minor eruptions may build small cones on the floor of the caldera, and the caldera may still later fill up with water; an example of this is Crater Lake in Oregon.

Examples of caldera in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Road To The Top This route starts in the village of Tejeda and ascends from there to the top of the peak known as the caldera de Tejeda, where hikers can learn of the legacy of volcanic activity of Gran Canaria. —Rebecca Ann Hughes, Forbes, 14 Oct. 2024

Much of the area around the caldera is covered by basaltic andesite lava flows related to the magmatic system at Newberry, erupting as fissures and cinder cones along faults that cross the area. —Erik Klemetti, Discover Magazine, 17 June 2024

Steam rises from the calm, gray waters surrounding Deception Island, a moody caldera in Bransfield Strait, part of the South Shetland Islands, which lie a half day's cruise from Antarctica. —Stefanie Waldek, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 Oct. 2024

Yet hazards remain around the Kilauea caldera from the instability of the Halemaʻumaʻu crater wall, the USGS said. —Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 18 Sep. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Spanish, literally, cauldron, from Late Latin caldaria — more at cauldron

First Known Use

1667, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

caldera

noun

cal·​de·​ra kal-ˈder-ə  kȯl- 

-ˈdir-

: a large crater formed by the collapse of a volcanic cone or by an explosion