What is a supervolcano?

A supervolcano is not a special kind of volcano shape, but a system capable of extremely large explosive eruptions. Scientists often use the threshold of 1,000 cubic kilometers of erupted material to define a supereruption. Famous examples include Yellowstone in the United States, Toba in Indonesia, and Taupō in New Zealand. Such eruptions can inject ash and sulfur gases high into the atmosphere, affecting sunlight and climate across the planet. Even though these events are rare, their scale makes them some of the most powerful natural hazards on Earth.