tephra
noun
teph·ra
| \ ˈte-frə
\
\
Definition of tephra
: solid material ejected into the air during a volcanic eruption
especially
: ash entry 2 sense 2b
Examples of tephra in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Some 630,000 years ago, the supervolcano beneath Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming recorded its last catastrophic eruption, forming a caldera that nearly spans the park’s width and belching a thick layer of ash, or tephra, across North America. — Paul Voosen, Science | AAAS, "Yellowstone’s massive volcano could erupt more frequently than scientists thought," 25 Oct. 2017 Understanding tephra is usually harder than finding it. — Erin Mckittrick, Alaska Dispatch News, "Digging up Alaska’s volcanic secrets," 29 July 2017 That volcano last erupted in 1985 producing lava flows with minor tephra. — Erik Klemetti, WIRED, "Expanded evacuations as the Kirishima eruption continues," 31 Jan. 2011These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'tephra.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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