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Sometimes called Stratovolcanoes, Composite volcanoes form when runny lava escapes through a fissure and flows a long way. Composite volcanoes are tall cone-shaped mountains that are typically steeply-sided, symmetrical cones of large dimensions. The essential feature of a composite volcano is a conduit system through which magma from a reservoir deep in the earth's crust rises to the surface. The volcano is built up by the accumulation of material erupted through the conduit and increases in size as lava, cinders, ash etc. are added to its slopes.
Composite volcanoes erupt in different ways at different times. These volcanoes are built in layers 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. During some eruptions, cinders, bombs and blocks form a mountain or add height to one that earlier volcanic eruptions had built. During other eruptions, lava flows cement these rocks together. Most composite volcanoes have a crater at the summit which contains a central vent or a clustered group of vents. Lava either flow through breaks in the crater wall or from fissures on the flanks of the cone. Lava, solidified within the fissures, form dikes that act as ribs which help to strengthen the cone. They may rise as much as 8,000 feet above their bases. Depending on the type of volcanic material it is composed of, some can grow to such heights that their slopes become unstable and are susceptible to collapse from the pull of gravity.
When volcanic activity ceases, erosion begins to destroy the cone. After thousands of years, the cone is stripped away and the hardened magma filling the conduit (the volcanic plug) and fissures (the dikes) become exposed, and it too is slowly reduced by erosion. Finally, all that is left is the plug or "volcanic neck" and dike complex projecting above the land surface.
Some composite volcanoes occur in chains and are separated by several tens of kilometers. There are many composite volcano chains on earth, notably around the Pacific rim, known as the "Ring of Fire".
Other examples of composite volcanoes and their locations are:
Mount St. Helens - Washington state
Mount Rainier - Washington State
Mount Vesuvius - Italy
Mayon Volcano - Luzon Island, Philippines
Mount Fuji - Japan
Mount Cotopaxi - Ecuador
Mount Shasta - California
Mount Hood - Oregon
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JudyA composite volcano cone forms over time through repeated eruptions that release a combination of lava flows, ash, and volcanic rocks. These different types of volcanic material build up layer by layer, creating a steep-sided cone shape. The alternating layers of solidified lava and ash give composite volcanoes their characteristic structure.
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What does composite volcanoes look like?
a cinder cone volcanoe looks like a ant hill
Is a composite volcano bigger than a shield volcano and a cinder volcano?
Composite volcanoes are bigger than cinder cone volcanoes, but not shield volcanoes. With the possible exception of the Yellowstone Caldera, the largest volcanoe on earth is Mauna Loa, a shild volcano that makes up most of the island of Hawaii. The largest known volcano anywhere is Olympus Mons, a shield volcano on Mars.
What kind o volcanoe is a relatively small cone of volcanic material formed from tephra?
it is a cc cinder cone
Was Mount Tambora a composite cone or a cinder cone or a shield dome or a lava dome?
Tambora was a composite cone.
What is a steep-sided volcano formed entirely of ash and cinders?
A steep-sided volcano formed entirely of ash and cinders is called a cinder cone volcano. These volcanoes are typically smaller in size compared to other types of volcanoes and are formed from explosive eruptions that eject mostly fragmented volcanic material.
