Types of Volcanoes Quiz: Cone vs Shield Shapes

Study Notes

Composite volcanoes form through the eruption of various materials on a slope, leading to layering and the creation of a volcano over thousands of years.
Conduit system taps into a reservoir of magma deep within the Earth, which rises towards several vents at the surface, building pressure and eventually erupting.
Eruptions consist of lava, ash, and pyroclastic flows, with viscous felsic lava being typical.
Rhyolite and andesite are two types of lava, with different silica content, found in composite volcanoes.
Examples of composite volcanoes include Mount Saint Helens, Mount Vesuvius, and Mount Rainier.
Mount Saint Helens, a dormant volcano in Washington State, last erupted in 1980 and is known for its pyroclastic flows and ash.
Mount Vesuvius, near Pompeii, Italy, is famous for its catastrophic 79 A.D. eruption that covered the city in ash.
Shield cone volcanoes, with gentle slopes and large diameters, are made almost entirely of fluid lava.
Lava exits the vents at the shield volcanoes' center or along rift zones, creating low-viscosity lava flows that spread across great distances.
Mauna Loa and Mount Kilauea in Hawaii are examples of shield volcanoes, which have frequent eruptions and are known for their low-viscosity mafic lavas.
Cinder cones are simple volcanoes made from lava exiting a single vent and are known for their steep-sided cones and bowl-shaped craters.
Cinder cones can be monogenetic, experiencing only one major eruption, and typically have weak eruptions.
Paricutin in Mexico is the most recently developed cinder cone volcano, forming in 1943 and reaching over 360 m in height.
Lava dome volcanoes, also called volcanic domes, are created by viscous lavas that are unable to flow far from the vent.
Lava domes come in various shapes and sizes and commonly occur near the craters of large composite volcanoes.
Shield volcanoes and composite volcanoes are two primary types of volcanoes, each with distinct features and eruption characteristics.

Description

Test your knowledge on the different types of volcanoes and why some are cone shaped while others are shield shaped. Learn about the unique characteristics and features of volcanoes, and how they are differentiated based on size, composition, and eruption style.