Unlike the shield volcanoes which are flat and broad, composite volcanoes are
tall, symmetrically shaped, with steep sides
, sometimes rising 10,000 feet high. They are built of alternating layers of lava flows, volcanic ash, cinders, blocks, and bombs.
What do composite volcanoes look like and how do they erupt?
Composite volcanoes are
tall, steep cones that produce explosive eruptions
. Shield volcanoes form very large, gently sloped mounds from effusive eruptions. Cinder cones are the smallest volcanoes and result from accumulation of many small fragments of ejected material.
How does a composite volcano look?
Composite volcanoes. … They are typically
steep-sided, symmetrical cones of large dimension built of alternating layers of lava flows, volcanic ash, cinders, blocks, and bombs
and may rise as much as 8,000 feet above their bases.
What is the typical shape of a composite volcano?
Unlike shield volcanoes, composite volcanoes have a
distinctly conical shape, with sides that steepen toward the summit
. Cinder cones are the smallest, and almost too small to see next to a volcano like Mauna Loa. Eve Cone is a cinder cone on the flanks of Mt.
What is an example of a composite volcano?
Examples of composite volcanoes include
Mount St. Helens, Mount Rainer, Mount Shasta, Mount Hood, and Mount Pinatubo
. Sometimes composite volcanoes and other violent volcanoes can erupt so violently that they sometimes collapse in on themselves or actually blow themselves up to produce calderas.
How long does it take for a composite volcano to erupt?
Mauna Loa Facts for Kids
The most complex and well-known of the three different volcano types, the stratovolcano or composite cone volcano, often goes centuries between eruptions. Composite volcanoes take
hundreds of years
to build up their steep sides through periods of eruptions and sleep.
What causes a composite volcano to erupt?
Composite cone volcanoes are also called stratovolcanoes. They form when different types of eruptions deposit different materials around the sides of a volcano.
Alternating eruptions of volcanic ash and lava cause layers to
form. Over time these layers build up.
What makes a stratovolcano a composite one?
Stratovolcanoes, also called composite volcanoes, are typically steep-sided,
symmetrical cones built of alternating layers of lava flows, volcanic ash, and other eruptive products
(see animation courtesy of Exploring the Environment). … These volcanoes are located in the Pacific Ring of Fire.
Where are you most likely to find a composite volcano?
Composite volcanoes, also known as stratovolcanoes, are found on
convergent plate boundaries
, where the oceanic crust subducts beneath the continental crust.
What materials do composite volcanoes eject?
Composition. Composite volcanoes—also called stratovolcanoes—are named for their composition. These volcanoes are built from layers, or strata, of
pyroclastic material, including lava, pumice, volcanic ash, and tephra
. The layers stack on each other with each eruption.
What are the 3 characteristics of a composite volcano?
- Acidic lava, which is very viscous (sticky).
- Steep sides as the lava doesn't flow very far before it solidifies.
- Alternate layers of ash and lava. For this reason, they're also known as stratovolcanoes . …
- Violent eruptions.
- Longer periods between eruptions.
What is the most destructive volcano?
| Eruption Year Casualties | Mount St. Helens , Washington 1980 57 3 | Kilauea, Hawaii 1924 1 1 | Lassen Peak, California 1915 0 4 | Mount Vesuvius, Italy 79 A.D. 3,360 2 |
|---|
What are the 11 types of volcanoes?
- Cinder Cone Volcanoes: These are the simplest type of volcano. …
- Composite Volcanoes: Composite volcanoes, or stratovolcanoes make up some of the world's most memorable mountains: Mount Rainier, Mount Fuji, and Mount Cotopaxi, for example. …
- Shield Volcanoes: …
- Lava Domes:
What is the difference between a stratovolcano and a composite volcano?
Size Differences
Cinder cone volcanoes are relatively small, rarely exceeding 1,000 feet tall. Composite volcanoes, also known as stratovolcanoes, are towering structures, often rising more than 10,000 feet. Shield volcanoes are broad, typically
20 times wider
than they are high. These volcanoes can be massive.
What best describes a composite volcano?
A stratovolcano, also known as a composite volcano, is
a conical volcano built up by many layers (strata) of hardened lava and tephra
. … The lava flowing from stratovolcanoes typically cools and hardens before spreading far, due to high viscosity.
What type of magma makes a composite volcano?
Composite volcanoes are built by multiple eruptions, sometimes recurring over hundreds of thousands of years, sometimes over a few hundred.
Andesite magma
, the most common but not the only magma type, tends to form composite cones.
