What is La Garita Caldera?
{{Infobox mountain | name = La Garita Caldera | photo = WheelerGACO.jpg | photo_caption = [[Volcanic ash]] formations of La Garita Caldera, looking northeast (Wheeler Geologic Monument). | elevation_ft = | elevation_ref = | prominence_ft = | prominence_ref= | listing = | location = [[Mineral County, Colorado|Mineral County]], [[Colorado|Colorado, US]], near [[Creede, Colorado|Creede]] | range = [[San Juan Mountains]] | map = USA Colorado | range_coordinates = | map_caption = Position of La Garita Caldera in Colorado | coordinates = {{coord|37|45|23|N|106|56|03|W|type:mountain_region:US-CO_scale:100000|format=dms|display=inline,title}} | coordinates_ref = | type = [[Caldera]] | last_eruption = 26.3 mya (Fish Canyon Tuff 27.8 mya) }} '''La Garita Caldera''' is a large [[supervolcano|supervolcanic]] [[caldera]] in the [[San Juan Mountains]]. It is near the town of [[Creede, Colorado|Creede]] in southwestern [[Colorado]], [[United States]].<ref name=thomas_lipman> {{Cite journal | last1=Steven|first1=Thomas A.|first2=Peter W.|last2=Lipman | title=Calderas of the San Juan Volcanic Field, Southwestern Colorado|journal=U.S. Geological Survey Professional Papers | volume=958|pages=1–35|publisher=U.S. Government Printing Office|location=Washington, DC|year=1976 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KLtUAAAAYAAJ&pg=RA1-PA93 | access-date=2012-05-16}}</ref> The [[volcanic eruption]] is one of the largest known in Earth's history and one of the most powerful known [[supervolcano|supervolcanic]] events. This eruption had a [[Volcanic Explosivity Index]] (VEI) of 8, the highest on the [[:wikt:scale|scale]].<ref name=livescience> {{cite web | url=http://www.livescience.com/11113-biggest-volcanic-eruption.html|title=What's the Biggest Volcanic Eruption Ever? | publisher=livescience.com | date=November 10, 2010 | access-date=2014-02-01}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|title = The 36–18 Ma Indian Peak–Caliente ignimbrite field and calderas, southeastern Great Basin, USA: Multicyclic super-eruptions|last = Best|fir