Which volcano type is a combination of cinder cones and shield volcanoes, forming layers from alternating eruption styles?

Which volcano type is a combination of cinder cones and shield volcanoes, forming layers from alternating eruption styles?

• A. Shield Volcanoes
• B. Lava Domes
• C. Composite Volcanoes
• D. Cinder Cones

Answer: (C)

A layered buildup from alternating eruption styles is a hallmark of composite volcanoes. These volcanoes form from cycles of explosive eruptions that eject ash, pumice, and cinders (tephra) and effusive lava flows that spread out and solidify. The magma is typically intermediate in viscosity, so it can produce both explosive, ash-rich eruptions and lava flows that blanket the landscape. Over time, these alternating layers of tephra and solidified lava accumulate, creating a tall, steep-sided volcano known as a stratovolcano. By contrast, shield volcanoes grow mainly from wide, gentle lava flows; cinder cones are built from a single or limited set of explosive tephra eruptions; and lava domes form from viscous lava that piles up near the vent without broad layering. So the described combination with layered deposits from different eruption styles fits composite (stratovolcano) volcanoes.

A layered buildup from alternating eruption styles is a hallmark of composite volcanoes. These volcanoes form from cycles of explosive eruptions that eject ash, pumice, and cinders (tephra) and effusive lava flows that spread out and solidify. The magma is typically intermediate in viscosity, so it can produce both explosive, ash-rich eruptions and lava flows that blanket the landscape. Over time, these alternating layers of tephra and solidified lava accumulate, creating a tall, steep-sided volcano known as a stratovolcano. By contrast, shield volcanoes grow mainly from wide, gentle lava flows; cinder cones are built from a single or limited set of explosive tephra eruptions; and lava domes form from viscous lava that piles up near the vent without broad layering. So the described combination with layered deposits from different eruption styles fits composite (stratovolcano) volcanoes.