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Types of Volcano

The 2 main types of volcano are shield volcanoes and composite volcanoes.

Shield volcanoes

Shield volcanoes

  • Found at divergent tectonic plate margins or hotspots (like in the Pacific).
  • Not particularly explosive.
  • They release 'basaltic lava' when the volcano erupts. Basaltic lava is like a liquid that flows gradually, creating a volcano with a gentle gradient (rather than a steep slope).
  • Shield volcanoes do not produce any ash.
Composite volcanoes

Composite volcanoes

  • Found at convergent tectonic plate boundaries.
  • Erupt explosively.
  • Instead of basaltic lava, composite volcanoes erupt andesitic lava.
    • Andesitic lava is thicker than basaltic lava because it has more silica in it.
    • Because andesitic lava is thicker, it travels less far and composite volcanoes have steeper sides, forming a cone shape.
  • Mount Pinatubo, Mount Vesuvius in Italy and Mount Fuji in Japan are examples.
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