Main types of Volcanic Landforms

Volcanoes are like players on a football team where the strong and confident quarterback are represented by tall and impressive composite volcanoes, beefy lineman of the team which is the broad and lower-to-the-ground shield volcano, and the quick-moving and compactly built running backs of the team that is the cinder cone volcanoes.

There are types of volcanoes based on their structure. The types of volcanic land forms are as follows:

Cinder Cone Volcano

➽ also called a scoria cone

➽ the simplest and the most common type of volcano

➽ they can develop as free-standing volcanoes, but can also grow around new vents on the slopes of existing shield volcanoes or stratovolcanoes

➽ a steep conical hill of loose pyroclastic fragments

➽ composed of volcanic cinders (scoria), or small, rough particles of hardened lava.

➽ the slope is 30 ° - 40 °

Mt. Paricutin, Mexico

Composite Volcano

➽ also called as stratovolcano

➽ a conical volcano built up by many layers (strata) of hardened lava, tephra, pumice, and volcanic ash.

➽ characterized by a steep profile and periodic explosive eruptions and effusive eruptions

➽ the lava flowing from stratovolcanoes typically cools and hardens before spreading far due to high viscosity.

➽ the shape is symmetrical

Mt. Mayon, Philippines

Mt. Fuji, Japan

Shield Volcano

➽ a type of volcano usually built almost entirely of fluid lava flows.

➽ named for their low profile, resembling a warrior's shield lying on the ground

➽ have low viscosity lava, described as being basaltic

➽ the travel of lava is the fastest

➽ the slope is usually more than 10° at its summit and 2° at its base

Mt. Kilauea, Hawaii

Mt. Mauna Loa, Hawaii