Cochise College Student Papers in Geology
Geology Home Page physical geology historical geology planetary gems
Roger Weller, geology instructor
wellerr@cochise.edu
Volcano Types
by Elizabeth Light
Physical Geology
Fall 2007
Composite, Cinder Cone,& Shield Volcanoes
Composite
Volcanoes
http://www.winona.edu/geology/MRW/Archean.htm
Composite volcanoes also known as stratovolcanoes make up some of the most know volcanoes that we have here on earth. A composite volcano is made up of many layers of harden lava and volcano ash of eruptions that have already taken place. That is usually why they can make such peaks that they have because of the constant overlapping that occurs. They really make beautiful mountains and draw people close to them and that usually isn’t good because when these volcanoes blow they are usually violent and have a higher number of casualties than other volcanoes.
Like said before composite volcanoes are made of an overlapping of
lava that comes out when there is an explosion. All the lava that comes out
during like miner explosions usually doesn’t get to far so what is left just
keeps getting piled and piled on top of each other. While the lava keeps piling
up this is what causes for the high steep tops of these volcanoes. Also during
these eruptions cinder bombs and blocks are thrown out and so when the next
eruption occurs the lava flows cement these all together also adding height to
the volcano.
www.geo.mtu.edu/.../pics/guatemala%20031.jpg
These volcanoes mostly always have a violent eruption. The eruption is caused by the viscous magma, when it rises to the top it usually clogs up the crater pipe and gases in the crater pipe get lock up. So the pressure will increase and the magnitude of the eruption. During these eruptions the volcanoes will throw out debris, have lots of lava flow they can also causes landslide, avalanches and even tsunamis. The eruptions of these volcanoes cause the most damage than any of the rest. Some of the most well know volcano eruptions are from composite volcanoes like Mt. St Helens, Mt.Fuji and Mt. Etna.
platetectonics.pwnet.org/img/pinatubo.jpg
Cinder Cone Volcanoes
Cinder cones are a very classic look that a volcano can have. They have a bowl shaped crater at the top of the summit. The rock fragments, cinders are glassy and contain gas bubbles frozen into place as the magma explodes and is thrown into the air and is cooled quickly. So basically they are made up of ash and not lava. These volcanoes grow rapidly and made there maximum size fairly quickly. Cinders cones can become fairly large. Cinders are commonly found on the flanks of shield and stratovolcanoes.
The eruptions of cinder volcanoes are usually not that harmful
to the human population. There eruptions can vary from being violent to
non-violent. There eruptions do have blogs of lava thrown out and there debris
but all that usually cools very soon as it hits and air and a lot of it goes to
the structure of the volcanoes, by again making it is what it is.
www.learner.org/.../images/show4-cindercone.jpg
This is a picture of one of the most famous cinder volcanoes in Mexico.
Shield Volcanoes
vulcan.wr.usgs.gov/Imgs/Jpg/Hawaii/Images/Mau...
Shield volcanoes are very large in size; the picture above shows an example of
one which is the largest volcano on earth Mauna Lau. There are formed by lava
flows of low-viscosity so over time and flow after flow is what makes the
mountain grow. They can get so big that they have been confused with mountain
ranges. Shield volcanoes are not only huge on earth but the largest mountain in
our solar system Olympus Mons is a shield volcanoes. They are pretty common
volcanoes.
Shield volcanic eruptions just like any other really depends on how it will
erupt, violent or non-violent. When the shields volcanoes erupt it does like the
rest it sends ash in the air and lava flows out. The lava flow on these
volcanoes can be very interesting because they can just flow. They really make
some pretty pictures. They usually don’t have huge explosions that injure people
but like all volcanoes they do damage to the environment.
images.forbestraveler.com/.../volcano-01-g.jpg
So as we can see all the different types of volcanoes are different but then again they alike in a lot of ways but the one thing that I learned is how there are different types of volcanoes and that they are not all the same.
References
www.agu.org/pubs/crossref/2004/2003GC000621.shtml
pubs.usgs.gov/gip/volc/text.html
volcano.und.edu/vwdocs/vwlessons/volcano_types/shield.htm
library.thinkquest.org/17457/volcanoes/types.composite.php
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volcano
www.solcomhouse.com/volcano.htm
