Types of Volcanoes

Types of Volcanoes

            There are volcanoes all around us Mt. Fuji, Mount St. Helens, Krakatoa, Mauna Loa and much more. But haven’t you always wondered “is there more than one type of volcano. I am here to explain to you the three types of volcanoes, The composite, the shield, and the cinder-cone volcano. Volcanoes form in many different types such as composite, shield and cinder-cone.

            The first volcano that can be formed is called the composite volcano. Some of the grandest volcanoes are composite (Mt. Fuji, Mount St. Helens, Mt. Etna in Italy, and much much more). These volcanoes are usually steep-sided, symmetrical cones built of alternating layers of lava flows, volcanic ash. Most of these volcanoes have a crater at the summit which composes of a central vent or clustered group of vents. The lava is also varying to all the volcanoes. The lava flowing from the composite volcano doesn’t usually make much distance due to high viscosity it stops quicker and hardens quicker. But this is only one of them the next one is the shield volcano.

            The next volcano is called the shield volcano. These are built up almost entirely of fluid lava flows. From an aerial view the volcano looks like a shield, hence the name “shield”. They are named for their low profile, which resembles a warrior’s shield lying on the floor. Due to their very very fluid lava, these volcanoes are ones that you do not want to be around when they erupt. These volcanoes build up slowly due to this many eruptions happen creating many layers. They are not very likely to explode catastrophically. The best known shield volcanoes are the Hawaii islands, i.e. Mauna Loa, Mauna Kea. Finally, the simplest volcano of all of them the cinder-cone.

            The final volcano is known as the simplest, but also as the most dangerous, the cinder-cone. When they erupt the lava is blown violently into the air and pieces rain down around the vent. Cinder-cones can grow up to 1000 FT. above their surroundings. In plane-view these volcanoes tend to be roughly circular. Cinder-cones are known as the most dangerous volcano due to it explodes when it erupts. The “cone” part of the volcano can grow up to 1,200 Ft.

            Volcanoes are mysterious land forms that can be formed in three types the composite the shield and the cinder-cone.