Volcano types

What are the six different types of volcano?

• shield

• fissure

• acid dome

• composite

• ash-cinder

• caldera

What are the characteristics of shield volcanoes?

• the largest volcanoes

• built of solidified lava flows

• gently sloping cone

What are some well-known examples of shield volcanoes?

• Mauna Loa, Hawaii

• Kilauea, Hawaii

What are the characteristics of fissure volcanoes?

• gentle slope of basaltic lava

• flat plane

• a gap in the crust

• hardly visible/evident

• linear volcanic vent

What are the characteristics of acid dome volcanoes?

• formed from very viscous lava

• steep-sided cone

What is an example of some well-known acid dome volcanoes?

the extinct Puy district volcanoes, central France

What are the characteristics of composite volcanoes?

• steep sided

• large

• symmetrical cones of alternating layers of lava flow and ash

• internal pipe system

• tephra may rise as much as 2,500m in height during an eruption

What are some examples of well-known composite volcanoes?

• Mount Etna, Sicily, Italy

• Mount Fuji, Japan

What are the characteristics of ash-cinder volcanoes?

• the most common type of volcano

• loose debris from explosions falls around the volcano

• conical shape

• steep slope

• small

What is an example of a well-known ash-cinder volcano?

the original form of the Paricutin volcano, Mexico (1942)

What are the characteristics of caldera volcanoes?

• a huge explosion may remove the cone summit

• underlying magma chamber is emptied

• supervolcanoes leave behind a caldera when they erupt

What is an example of a well-known caldera volcano?

Krakatoa, Indonesia