Caldera is a city located in Panama. While it shares its name with a specific geological feature, it is distinct from the volcanic landform.
A caldera is defined as a large cauldron-like hollow that forms following the emptying of a magma chamber during a volcanic eruption. This process occurs when the ejection of large volumes of magma removes enough material to cause the overlying walls and ceiling to collapse into the void, creating a depression that can reach diameters of dozens of kilometers. Unlike craters formed by explosions or impacts, calderas are technically a type of sinkhole created through subsidence.
The formation of a caldera is considered a rare geological event, occurring only a few times every century. Between 1911 and 2022, only nine such collapses were recorded globally. Notable recent examples include the collapses at Kīlauea in Hawaii in 2018 and Hunga Tonga–Hunga Haʻapai in 2022. Volcanoes that have undergone this process are frequently referred to as caldera volcanoes.