Volcanoes
First before I get into the details I should probably tell you exactly what a volcano is.
A volcano is a type of land that is like a mountain except molten rocks erupt through the vent or vents. A volcano is an opening in the crust. Some volcanoes will turn extinct or dormant over time.
When a volcano is dormant it is asleep, resting for a couple hundred years. It is still active, just not erupting. When a volcano is extinct the volcano is not active and will no longer erupt ever again. Volcanoes are almost always formed at plate boundaries. The majority are located mainly around the Pacific Plate. This grouping of volcanoes is called the "Ring of Fire". Sometimes they are formed by hot spots which you will learn about in the next paragraph.
A volcano is a type of land that is like a mountain except molten rocks erupt through the vent or vents. A volcano is an opening in the crust. Some volcanoes will turn extinct or dormant over time.
When a volcano is dormant it is asleep, resting for a couple hundred years. It is still active, just not erupting. When a volcano is extinct the volcano is not active and will no longer erupt ever again. Volcanoes are almost always formed at plate boundaries. The majority are located mainly around the Pacific Plate. This grouping of volcanoes is called the "Ring of Fire". Sometimes they are formed by hot spots which you will learn about in the next paragraph.
Shield Volcanoes
A shield volcano is more flat than other volcanoes and this volcano is completely made of hardened magma. The magma easily exits the vents of this volcano. When the shield volcano erupts there isn't a big explosion, and the magma oozes down the sides of the volcano. This certain kind of volcano is mainly found at divergent hotspots.
The most famous shield volcanoes are the Hawaiian islands. Most volcanoes are found at convergent boundaries but the Hawaiian islands are located in the middle of a plate. These volcanoes did not get there from a volcano they got there from hotspots.
The most famous shield volcanoes are the Hawaiian islands. Most volcanoes are found at convergent boundaries but the Hawaiian islands are located in the middle of a plate. These volcanoes did not get there from a volcano they got there from hotspots.
Composite Volcanoes
Composite volcanoes are the largest volcanoes or mountains, they also are the most common. These volcanoes are made by multiple eruptions and are constructed of magma, ash, and cinders. Composite volcanoes are very symmetrical. If you cut it in half you would have to sides that look exactly the same. Composite volcanoes have multiple vents and very steep sides. This volcano can have either very violent eruptions or gentle eruptions. The more violent eruptions have ash and cinders and magma, where as the more " gentle" eruptions have all magma. One of the famous composite volcanoes is Mt. Saint Helens.
Cinder Cone Volcanoes
Cinder Cone volcanoes are made up of hardened magma. This type of volcano usually is never taller than 1000 ft. These volcanoes can only erupt out of one vent. When this volcano erupts there is an explosion, the cinder cone volcano erupts ash. The cinder cone is the simplest type of volcano. Cinder Cone volcanoes are commonly located near other mountains\volcanoes.