Figure 14.12
Quilotoa Caldera, Ecuador. (A) A caldera forms as a magma chamber empties and collapses. (B) A lake fills the caldera of Quilotoa in Ecuador. The caldera was formed about 8,000 years ago when a major volcanic eruption caused the collapse of the volcano’s magma chamber. The caldera gradually filled with rainwater to form this caldera lake. The lake’s greenish color is due to dissolved minerals in the water.(B. © Hemis.fr/SuperStock)