Volcanoes: Earth's Explosive Past

Volcanoes around the world sporadically emit dramatic lava fountains, high-velocity pyroclastic flows, choking ash clouds, or slow-moving lava that steadily engulfs everything in its path. Their eruptions point to the powerful forces at work under the planet's surface, and they've inspired fear and awe throughout history. But Earth bears testimony to an even more dynamic volcanic past. Supervolcanoes erupted with a force many times greater than today's eruptions, and their destructive power...