I guess I took the label ‘super’ as a descriptor of something
large, very big, etc. What does the expression, real or not,
‘super volcano’ mean?
The more proper term i have been told is “a volcano that has had a hyper eruption event in its history.”
I live on the very edge of such a historical geological event.
The Silver Creek event over 18 million years ago. They figure that eruption was a ONE DAY event and it ejected some 640 qubic KM of material...all in one day.
I started my interest in earnest in this when i got interested in the mid contental rift that happened millions of years ago. The volcanism associated with that when on for ages...yet that isnt considered a “super Volcano” at the least.
My correction happened when talking to the USGS technicians at the Long Valley Caldera. I mentioned the term super volcano and they corrected me.
I had asked if they knew of the study on the mid contental rift. They all heard of it but never really studied it. Why? Because there are so many volcanos worldwide it is impossible for any individual to know all of them. So they focus on a few and study those.
Paleogeology is a very vast feild. Volcanic activity is but one part.
Who, what, when, where, why and how.