Which volcanic eruption was the largest in the last 10,000 years?
Quick Answer
The 74,000-year-old Toba supereruption in Indonesia is the largest known volcanic eruption in the last 2.6 million years and one of the biggest ever identified.
The Full Story
The Toba supereruption, which occurred on Sumatra about 74,000 years ago, produced an enormous caldera lake that is still visible today. It is often classified as a VEI-8 event, the highest level on the volcanic explosivity index. Estimates suggest it erupted thousands of cubic kilometers of material, making it vastly larger than historic eruptions such as Tambora or Pinatubo. The eruption dispersed ash over a huge area and likely had major climatic effects, though the exact impact on human populations is still debated. Toba is central to discussions of supervolcanoes and long-term climate disruption.
Key Facts
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"The supereruption that may have changed human history"