Kinds Of Volcanoes

Find out about different kinds of volcanoes.Volcanoes are always bring destruction. They erupt after a natural phenomenon occurring below the surface of earth. There are so many countries where volcanoes erupt several times a year. People living in such areas are habitual to volcanoes. There are three basic kinds of volcanoes such as dome, shield and composite or strato. Let’s know about them in the following paragraphs. 

Out of three kinds of volcanoes, Composite volcanoes have steep sided cones. These cones are formed from many layers of lava and ash flows. Unlike other kinds of volcanoes, composite volcano eruptions are a pyroclastic flow and not flow of lava. A mixture of dust, rock, steam and ash superheats to form a pyroclastic flow. This flow ravels down the volcano side with temperatures of more than 400 degrees Celsius and at a very high speed. These kinds of volcanoes rise more than 800 feet. Composite volcanoes pose a threat and are explosive. They affect properties and lives. These kinds of volcanoes are mostly found at some destructive margins. Composite volcanoes occur at Mount Pinatubo, Mount St Helens and Mount Fuji.

The second kind of volcanoes is Shield volcanoes. These kinds of volcanoes have gently sloping slides. These slides are formed from many layers of lava. These volcanoes have non-explosive eruptions. Lava, which is a fast flowing fluid, flows for many miles. Shield volcanoes have relatively gentle but frequent eruptions. So many properties get destroyed due to these kinds of volcanoes, also human deaths occur but rarely. These volcanoes are found at volcanic hotspots and at constructive boundaries. Some known examples of shield volcanoes are Maunaloa on Hawaii and Mount Kilauea.

The third basic kind of volcano is Dome volcanoes. These kinds of volcanoes erupt very thick lava resulting in acid lava cones. These volcanoes have steeper sides as compared to shield volcanoes. The lava released is very sticky and thick. This is the reason that lava of dome volcanoes do not flow at larger distances; it hardens and cools in some time.

Cinder Cone Volcano emerge from steep sided hills. These hills are made up of very tiny fragments of volcano eruption. The wind plays an important role in bringing down these cinder cones. Another unique kind of volcanoes is the mud volcanoes. These kinds of volcanoes are the smallest of all. They have a height of just 2-3 meters. These volcanoes are formed by mixture of sediments and hot water.

Last but not the least, Caldera volcanoes exist at the top of volcanoes. The top crashes down when the area below the top is empty. Caldera volcanoes are merely not craters. All kinds of volcanoes erupt lava; it is a fast flowing orange liquid usually. In the case of mud volcanoes, the lava is simply a mixture of mud and water. All kinds of volcanoes, when erupt release very hot lava that sometimes become a threat to human lives and properties. You can even search more about these volcanoes online.

Some of the countries that face volcanoes include USA and Japan. In specific areas of these countries, houses are built keeping volcano eruptions in mind. Since before the eruption, the mountain creates a lot of noise and then it erupts. People living in such areas know how to deal with such situations.