Flexi Says: The three types of volcanoes are composite, shield, and cinder cones. Composite volcanoes have broad bases and steep sides. These volcanoes usually have a large crater at the top. Composite volcanoes are also called stratovolcanoes. This is because they are formed by alternating layers (strata) of magma and ash. The magma that creates composite volcanoes tends to be thick. The steep sides form because the lava cannot flow too far from the vent. The thick magma may also create explosive eruptions. A shield volcano has a very wide base. It is much flatter on the top than a composite volcano. The lava that creates shield volcanoes is relatively thin. The thin lava spreads out. This builds a large, flat volcano, layer by layer. The composition of lava at shield volcanoes is mafic. Shield volcanoes are very large. Cinder cones are the smallest and most common type of volcano. Cinder cones have steep sides like composite volcanoes. But they are much smaller, rarely reaching even 300 meters in height. Cinder cones usually have a crater at the summit. Cinder cones are composed of small fragments of rock, called cinders. The cinders are piled on top of one another. The cinders can be mafic, intermediate, or felsic in composition. These volcanoes usually do not produce streams of lava.
