APOLAKI CALDERA (The World's Largest Caldera) Apolaki Caldera is a massive underwater volcanic feature located within the Philippine Rise (formerly known as Benham Rise), east of Luzon. It measures around 150 kilometers in diameter, making it the largest known caldera in the world. It was discovered in 2019 by a Filipino marine geophysicist, Jenny Anne Barretto, and her team during a study of the Philippine Rise's geological structure. The caldera was named “Apolaki” after the mythical Filipino

Apolaki Caldera: World’s Largest Volcanic Caldera Found in Philippine Sea In 2019, scientists confirmed the Apolaki Caldera beneath the Philippine Sea, now recognized as the largest volcanic caldera on Earth. Led by Filipino geophysicist Jenny Anne Barretto, the international team mapped the 150-kilometer-wide structure within Benham Rise. Named after the Filipino sun and war deity, Apolaki offers key insights into ancient volcanism, plate tectonics, and the largely unexplored geology beneath th