Three Main Types Of VolcanoesThe Three
Three Main Types of Volcanoes
The three main types of volcanoes differ in shape, size, and make-up; the differences partly result from the different types of eruptions.
Volcano Type
Volcano Shape
Volcano Size Volcano Materials
Eruption Type
UTAH example
Cinder Cone
Steep conical hill with straight sides
Small
less than 300m high cinders Explosive
Diamond Cinder Cone,
Washington County
Shield Volcano
Very gentle slopes; convex upward (shaped like a warrior’s shield)
Large
over 10s of kms across fluid lava flows (basalt)
Quiet
Cedar Hill,
Box Elder County
Strato Volcano
Gentle lower slopes, but steep upper slopes; concave upward
Large
1-10 km in diameter numerous layers of lava and pyroclastics
Explosive
Mount Belknap,
Tushar Mountains, Paiute County
Active Volcanoes
A volcano will be classified as an active volcano if at the present time it is expected to erupt or is erupting already. One of the best examples of this classification of volcanoes would be Kilauea which has been erupting since 1983. There are a total of close to 1,500 of such volcanoes on the planet. Every year somewhere between 50 and 70 volcanoes will erupt.
Dormant Volcanoes
The classification of volcanoes which is called dormant would be a volcano that is not erupting or predicted to erupt in the near future. However, it has done so in recordable history. A dormant volcano is also expected to have an eruption sometime in the future. Sometimes the difference between a dormant volcano and an active volcano can be pretty small. That is because even though a volcano can be dormant for hundreds of years it is still expected to have an eruption in the future.
Extinct Volcanoes
An extinct volcano is a volcano that no one expects will ever have another eruption. One such volcano is also located on Hawaii’s Big Island and its name is Kohala. The last time that Kohala erupted was close to 60,000 years ago. As of now scientists do not believe that volcano will ever be active again.
The three main types of volcanoes differ in shape, size, and make-up; the differences partly result from the different types of eruptions.
Volcano Type
Volcano Shape
Volcano Size Volcano Materials
Eruption Type
UTAH example
Cinder Cone
Steep conical hill with straight sides
Small
less than 300m high cinders Explosive
Diamond Cinder Cone,
Washington County
Shield Volcano
Very gentle slopes; convex upward (shaped like a warrior’s shield)
Large
over 10s of kms across fluid lava flows (basalt)
Quiet
Cedar Hill,
Box Elder County
Strato Volcano
Gentle lower slopes, but steep upper slopes; concave upward
Large
1-10 km in diameter numerous layers of lava and pyroclastics
Explosive
Mount Belknap,
Tushar Mountains, Paiute County
Active Volcanoes
A volcano will be classified as an active volcano if at the present time it is expected to erupt or is erupting already. One of the best examples of this classification of volcanoes would be Kilauea which has been erupting since 1983. There are a total of close to 1,500 of such volcanoes on the planet. Every year somewhere between 50 and 70 volcanoes will erupt.
Dormant Volcanoes
The classification of volcanoes which is called dormant would be a volcano that is not erupting or predicted to erupt in the near future. However, it has done so in recordable history. A dormant volcano is also expected to have an eruption sometime in the future. Sometimes the difference between a dormant volcano and an active volcano can be pretty small. That is because even though a volcano can be dormant for hundreds of years it is still expected to have an eruption in the future.
Extinct Volcanoes
An extinct volcano is a volcano that no one expects will ever have another eruption. One such volcano is also located on Hawaii’s Big Island and its name is Kohala. The last time that Kohala erupted was close to 60,000 years ago. As of now scientists do not believe that volcano will ever be active again.