Types of Volcanoes

See why volcanoes do not all look like steep cones.

About Types of Volcanoes

Volcano shape depends on magma composition, eruption style, eruption frequency, vent geometry, erosion, and tectonic setting. Some volcanoes are broad and gently sloped, while others are steep layered cones or low fields of vents.

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Kilauea Lava — Kilauea LavaLava at Kilauea shows molten rock reaching Earth's surface.

Mount St. Helens — Mount St. HelensMount St. Helens is a famous Cascade volcano shaped by explosive eruptions.

Mauna Loa — Mauna LoaMauna Loa is one of the largest active volcanoes on Earth.

Volcanic Crater — Volcanic CraterVolcanic craters form around vents where material reaches the surface.

Shield Volcanoes

Shield volcanoes are broad with gentle slopes.

Stratovolcanoes

Stratovolcanoes are steep layered volcanoes.

Cinder Cones

Cinder cones are relatively small piles of loose volcanic fragments.

Lava Domes

Lava domes form from very viscous lava.

Fissure Eruptions

Some eruptions occur from long cracks rather than a central cone.

Calderas

Calderas are large volcanic depressions.

Complex Volcanoes

Some volcanic systems combine several forms.

Erosion

Old volcanoes can look very different from their original form.

Shield Volcanoes

Fluid basaltic lava can travel far before cooling, building wide volcanic mountains such as Mauna Loa.

Stratovolcanoes

They often alternate lava flows with ash, pumice, and other eruption deposits.

Cinder Cones

They can form rapidly around a vent during short-lived eruptions.

Lava Domes

Thick lava can pile up near a vent instead of flowing far.

Fissure Eruptions

Large fissure eruptions can cover broad areas with basalt.

Calderas

They can form when a magma reservoir empties enough for overlying rock to collapse.

Complex Volcanoes

Multiple vents, domes, cones, calderas, and lava flows can overlap.

Erosion

Glaciers, rivers, landslides, weathering, and later eruptions reshape volcanic landscapes.