The term “volcano” refers to an opening in the Earth’s surface from which lava,

gases, ash and rock fragments erupt. The structure of a volcano grows with every
eruption. Below the surface, lava is called magma and builds up in underground
reservoirs. Magma and other volcanic materials are channeled to the surface
where they are expelled through a crack or hole. The main parts of a volcano
include the magma chamber, conduits, vents, craters and slopes. There are three
types of volcanoes: cinder cones, stratovolcanoes and shield volcanoes.

Parts of a Volcano
The magma chamber is a hollow within the volcano where magma and gases
accumulate. During an eruption, these volcanic materials move from the magma
chamber toward the surface via a pipe-like passageway called a conduit. Some
volcanoes have a single conduit, while others have a primary conduit with one or
more additional conduits that branch off it.

A vent is an opening on the surface of a volcano that emits lava, gases, ash or
other volcanic materials. Some volcanoes have multiple vents, but there is only one
main vent, or central vent. An operational definition of main vent is the opening
where volcanic materials emerge from the primary conduit.

At the top of the volcano, the central vent may be surrounded by a bowl-shaped
depression called a crater. Craters form when explosive eruptions occur. Eruptions
are more explosive when magma contains a lot of gases and the volcano forcefully
expels a large quantity of ash, rock fragments along with those gases.

The slopes are the sides or flanks of a volcano that radiate from the main or central
vent. Slopes vary in gradient depending on the intensity of the volcano’s eruptions
and the materials that are expelled. Explosive eruptions of gas, ash and solid rock
create steep slopes. Slow-flowing molten lava creates gradual slopes
. MAGMA VS LAVA

Cinder Cones: Short and Steep

Cinder cones have a simple structure with a single opening. They are composed
mainly of ash and dark volcanic rock called scoria. A single conduit leads from the
magma chamber to a central vent. Magma that erupts from a cinder cone has a
high viscosity. Because of its thick consistency, the gas in the lava causes it to
erupt forcefully, and the cinder cone vent emits a powerful blast of gas-filled lava
along with pieces of rock blasted. The emissions harden quickly and break into
small particles called cinders. The resulting structure is a volcano with steep sides
rising no more than 1,000 feet above the ground. Cinder cones have a flat top with
a wide circular crater and are made of layers that form from each eruption. The
individual layers vary in slope depending on the intensity of the eruptions that
formed them. Cinder cone volcanoes are found throughout the western U.S., with
dozens located in Craters of the Moon National Park in Idaho.

Stratovolcanoes: Tall and Majestic

Stratovolcanoes are also called composite volcanoes and are built of layers of
volcanic debris that rise thousands of feet above their bases. Eruptions from
stratovolcanoes vary in the materials they expel. Layers may be composed of
cooled liquid lava, ash or solid debris, which produces volcanoes with steep sides
and a conical shape. Some of the most picturesque mountains in the world – Mt.
Fuji, Mt. Ranier and Mt. Shasta – are stratovolcanoes. These volcanoes have a
central vent surrounded by a crater, and some may have multiple vents.

Shield Volcanoes: Low and Slow

Shield volcanoes are named for their shape. The flattened dome has gentle slopes
that resemble the shape of a curved shield. In addition to a central vent, these
volcanoes sometimes have multiple vents around the top of the dome and the
upper portion of the slopes. As magma rises from the magma chamber, the conduit
branches into secondary passages. These passages lead to vents on the flanks –
areas of the slopes that are adjacent to the crater. Shield volcano eruptions are
primarily lava flows, which contribute to their gradual slopes. The lava cools slowly
and spreads out over a wide area, producing slopes of only 5 to 10 degrees. The
Hawaiian Islands are made up of shield volcanoes, including the largest active
shield volcano in the world.

•••
Updated April 24, 2017
By Daniella Lauren

Understanding how volcanoes work will improve your overall comprehension of

your science project. To create the best project possible it is important to know
about the characteristics of volcanoes, where volcanoes are most likely to form and
what makes them erupt.
Types of Volcanoes

•••

Volcanologists categorize volcanoes into five types: composite, shield, cinder cone,
complex and splatter. Most are characterized by their shape or the way they erupt.

Parts of the Volcano

 •••

Volcanoes are made of four parts: vent, pipe, crater and cone. The vent is an
opening at the earth’s surface. Magma rises up the volcano through the pipe. The
crater is the depression at the top of the volcano where the eruption occurs. The
cone is the outer portion of the volcano where lava and ash collect.

Volcanic Terms
 •••

Magma refers to the molten rock inside the volcano that has not yet escaped.
Magma becomes lava when it leaves the volcano and hits the air or water. Volcanic
ash can be in solid or molten form when erupted, and is usually smaller than 2 mm.
How Volcanoes Form
Volcanoes commonly form where tectonic plates collide with each other. When the
plates collide, it causes friction that heats up the earth. A volcano erupts when the
plates open up and magma rises to the earth’s surface.

Where Volcanoes Form

Most volcanoes form around the Pacific Ocean in an area known as the Ring of
Fire. Other famous volcanoes are located in Iceland, Europe and on the bottom of
Atlantic Ocean floor.

Three Types of Volcanoes: Cinder Cone,

Shield and Composite

•••
Updated April 25, 2017
By Doug Bennett

There are three primary types of volcanoes, each with unique physical
characteristics and eruptive natures. Composite volcanoes are explosive, towering
giants. Shield volcanoes quietly produce broad, massive structures through lava
flows. Cinder cone volcanoes are the smallest and simplest, but still pack a
volcanic punch.

Composite Volcanoes
Composite volcanoes, also referred to as stratovolcanoes, represent the classic
shape most associated with a volcano. They tower over the landscape, rising to
elevations of more than 10,000 feet. They are also the most common type of
volcano on Earth, accounting for approximately 60 percent of the planet’s
volcanoes. They feature steep, upwardly concave sides and either a central vent or
a cluster of vents at their summit. Their gas-rich andesite lava makes their
eruptions explosive. As their name suggests, they are formed by alternating layers
of hardened lava and pyroclastic material. In addition to their explosivity, composite
eruptions typically plinian in nature, meaning they produce large eruptive columns
that inject gases and particles high into the atmosphere.

Shield Volcanoes
Shield volcanoes are constructed almost entirely out of lava flows. Unlike
composite volcanoes, shield volcanoes produce eruptions of very fluid basaltic
lava. This lava flows out of vents in all directions, traveling long distances before
solidifying. They are characterized by broad, gently sloping cones, resembling a
soldier’s convex shield. They are commonly associated with a high magma supply
rate, fueling a continuous flow of lava on the surface. Lacking any real explosivity,
these ongoing eruptions take the form of lava fountains. Over time, shield
volcanoes can become extremely large, producing islands in the middle of the
ocean.

Cinder Cone Volcanoes

Cinder cone volcanoes are much smaller than either composite or shield
volcanoes, typically rising no higher than 1,000 feet. They feature straight sides,
with a steep slope of 30 to 40 degrees. They are typically circular, with a large
bowl-shaped cater at the summit. Like shield volcanoes, cinder cone volcanoes
eject basaltic lava. However, their lava is slightly thicker and contains more trapped
gases. This gas results in small explosions that break the lava into smaller blobs,
known as tephra. This tephra solidifies before it reaches the ground, producing
piles of lava rocks around the vent. These cinder-like materials are where the
volcanoes get their name. Because these volcanoes are constructed of loose
tephra, they often produce lava flows from their base.

Volcano Examples
Mount St. Helens is an example of a composite volcano. During the highly
explosive 1980 eruption, the volcano experienced a large sector collapse that left a
horseshoe-shaped crater. Mauna Loa, in Hawaii, is an example of a shield volcano.
This volcano is the largest volcano on Earth, with a volume of 19,000 cubic miles
and an area that covers 2,035 square miles. The Paricutin volcano, in Mexico, is an
example of a cinder cone volcano. This volcano erupted out of a farmer's field in
1943, eventually covering 100 square miles in ash and 10 square miles in lava
flows over a nine-year
Volcanic eruptions, while awe-inspiring and dangerous to humans, serve a critical
role in enabling life to exist. Without them, the Earth would have no atmosphere or
oceans. Over the long term, volcanic eruptions continue to create many of the
rocks that comprise the planet’s surface, while in the short-term, eruptions
periodically re-sculpt that surface. Volcanoes are essentially openings in the crust
of the Earth, and they can expel lava, gases, ash and rocks. Eruptions can range
from a gentle gurgle to a violent, deadly burst.

Terminology and Definition

Eruptions occur when pressure inside the volcano increases, causing its molten
liquid rock to shift and release its energy. Technically speaking, “quiet” eruptions
are known as effusive eruptions. These relatively tame eruptions are characterized
by an outpouring of thin, liquid-like lava, as seen with many Hawaiian volcanoes.
Explosive eruptions, on the other hand, conjure up images of a Mount Saint
Helens-like blast, generally posing a far greater threat to human life and property.
Many eruptions don’t necessarily fall into one category or the other, but rather
occur along a continuum, mixing, to varying degrees, characteristics of effusive and
explosive eruptions.

Products and Effects

The consistency of lava expelled from effusive eruptions is similar to that of a raw
egg, while in an explosive eruption, the volcano expels lava is thicker -- more
similar to a soft-boiled, hard-boiled and scrambled egg -- or even the shell. Outside
of the kitchen, this means that the primary product of quiet eruptions is runny lava,
while the most explosive eruptions spew forth not only thicker lava, but also rock
fragments and noxious gases, which can pummel down the sides of the volcano at
speeds of nearly 100 kilometers per hour (about 60 miles per hour). Known as
pyroclastic flows, these fast-moving rivers of destruction are the most deadly
component of explosive eruptions. However, explosive eruptions have other lethal
features. Ash can blanket the Earth in a suffocating swath, and volcanic matter can
combine with streams or snow to form mudlows, burying entire towns. In contrast,
during effusive eruptions, lava flows more slowly, so it rarely claim lives, although it
may destroy buildings.

Contributing Factors
The two primary determinants of the type of volcanic eruption are the magma’s
viscosity -- degree of liquidity -- and gas content. Volcanoes that produce explosive
eruptions tend to have thicker, more viscous magma, and a greater volume of gas.
These stickier magmas prevent gas bubbles from expanding, resulting in the
pressure buildup that leads to explosive eruptions. In contrast, gases can easily
escape from thin, runny magma, so pressure buildup is minimal. Factors that
contribute to the viscosity of the magma include temperature and amount of silica
in the lava. Lavas that erupt at the lowest temperatures tend to be the most
explosive, while those erupting at hotter temperatures are less explosive. Magma
containing higher amounts of silica tends to be more viscous and hence more likely
to become trapped, eventually contributing to more explosive eruptions, while
magma with less silica flows with greater ease, ultimately resulting in more effusive
eruptions.

Types and Examples

Different types of volcanoes tend to produce different types of eruptions. Shield
volcanoes, those with broad, gentle slopes, produce the quietest eruptions. The
Hawaiian Islands are not only home to active shield volcanoes, but the chain is
actually built entirely by them. The two most common types of volcanoes known for
producing explosive eruptions are cinder cones and stratovolcanoes. Cinder cones,
numerous in western North America, consist of a simple circular or oval shape and
rarely rise more than 305 meters (1,000 feet) above the surrounding terrain.
Stratovolcanoes, also known as composite volcanoes, are significantly larger than
cinder cones and include some of the world’s most scenic mountains, such as
Japan’s Mount Fuji, Tanzania’s Mount Kilimanjaro and Washington State’s Mount
Rainier. A far rarer type of volcano produces the world’s most explosive eruptions:
rhyholite calderas. Rhyolite calderas erupt far less frequently than other types of
volcanoes, and they often don’t even visually resemble volcanoes in the traditional
sense. The United States’ Yellowstone and Indonesia’s Toba are examples of
rhyolite calderas.