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United States · Caldera

Crater Lake

Type
Caldera
Elevation
2487m
Last eruption
-2850
Crater Lake
Photo: Judy Gallagher · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Type
Caldera
Country
United States
Region
North America / High Cascades Volcanic Arc
Elevation
2487m
Coordinates
42.942, -122.107
Last eruption
-2850
Tectonic setting
Subduction zone / Continental crust (> 25 km)
Landform
Caldera
Major rock type
Dacite

Geological summary

The spectacular 8 x 10 km Crater Lake caldera in the southern Cascades of Oregon formed about 7,700 years ago as a result of the collapse of a complex of overlapping shield and stratovolcanoes known as Mount Mazama.

Excerpt from the Global Volcanism Program, Smithsonian Institution · Read the full summary on GVP →

From Wikipedia

Crater Lake is a volcanic crater lake in south-central Oregon in the Western United States. It is the main feature of Crater Lake National Park and is a tourist attraction known for its deep blue color and water clarity. The lake partly fills a 2,148-foot-deep (655 m) caldera that was formed around 7,700 years ago by the collapse of the volcano Mount Mazama. No rivers flow into or out of the lake; the evaporation is compensated for by rain and snowfall at a rate such that the total amount of water is replaced every 150 years. With a depth of 1,949 feet (594 m), the lake is the deepest in the United States. In the world, it ranks tenth for maximum depth, as well as fifth for mean depth.

Wikipedia · CC BY-SA · Read full article →

Eruption history

5 recordedGlossary

Record summary

Confirmed eruptions
5
Uncertain eruptions
0
Span of confirmed record
5900 BCE (±50 yrs) – 2850 BCE
Largest confirmed eruption
VEI 7 (5680 BCE)
Confirmed eruptions since 1900
0
Summary (VEI over time)
Click a bar to see individual eruptions · Use arrow keys to move between bars, Enter to open
5900 BCE~5709 BCE · 1 eruptions · max VEI 65709 BCE~5519 BCE · 2 eruptions · max VEI 75328 BCE~5137 BCE · 1 eruptions · max VEI ?3041 BCE~2850 BCE · 1 eruptions · max VEI ?5900 BCE5137 BCE4375 BCE3803 BCE3041 BCE

Detailed timeline

  1. 2850 BCEVEI ?Geological estimate
    2850 BCE – end unknown
    Lava dome ENE of Wizard Island
  2. 5250 BCEVEI ?Geological estimate
    5250 BCE – end unknown
    Wizard Island and Merriam Cone
  3. 5550 BCEVEI 0Geological estimate
    5550 BCE – end unknown
    Central Platform
  4. 5680 BCE (±150 yrs)VEI 7Geological estimate
    5680 BCE – end unknown
    Mt. Mazama summit and flank vents
  5. 5900 BCE (±50 yrs)VEI 6Geological estimate
    5900 BCE – end unknown
    North flank (Llao Rock)

Nearby volcanoes

External links

⚠ For reference only. Not for emergency response.