There are two main types of volcano - composite and shield. The two types of volcano form in different places and have very different characteristics. Ash released from shield volcanoes often ...

They're also called composite volcanoes. Mount Rainier in Washington is a famous stratovolcano. Shield volcanoes are big, broad volcanoes made up of oozy lava flows that erupt from multiple vents.

Four types of volcanoes—shield, composite, cinder cone, and plug dome—can be found in Lassen Volcanic National Park, where they literally bubble and steam.

When a volcano erupts there can be lava, ash, steam or gaseous emissions. Sometimes eruptions are explosive and lava is thrown out as volcanic bombs. Hotspots are places where the magma rises up ...