Types of Volcanoes Shield volcano o Broad slightly dome shaped o Composed of basaltic lava o Generally covers large areas o Produced by mild eruptions of large volumes of lava o Most begin on ocean floor o Mauna Loa in Hawaii is a good example Cinder Cone o Built from ejected lava mainly cinder sized fragments mostly scoria o Steep slope angle o Rather small size o Frequently occur in groups Composite cone stratovolcano o Most are located adjacent to the Pacific Ocean o Large classic shaped volcano thousands of feet high and several miles wide at base Composite cones o Composed of interbedded lava flows and layers of pyroclastic debris o Most violent type of activity Mount Vesuvius o Often produce nuee ardentes pyroclastic flows Fiery pyroclastic flows made f hot gases infused with ash and other debris hour Move down the slopes of a volcano at speeds up to 200 km per May produce lahars volcanic mudflows