More Volcanic Shapes: Cones, Composites, and Calderas
Ash and cinder cones are the textbook volcano shape - perfectly symmetrical with those classic slightly concave sides. They're built entirely from ash and cinder fragments that pile up layer by layer. Paricutin in Mexico is a brilliant example, and it actually formed in a farmer's field over just a few years!
Composite cones are the drama queens of the volcano world, formed by alternating gentle and violent eruptions. First comes acidic lava, then explosive ash eruptions, building up steep-sided monsters like Mt Etna. These often develop parasitic cones - smaller vents that branch off from the main event.
Calderas form after absolutely massive explosions that literally blow the top off the volcano. When the magma chamber empties out in one colossal eruption, the crater walls collapse inwards, creating enormous circular depressions. These often fill with water to become lakes, or lagoons if they're near the sea.
The key thing to remember is that volcanic landforms stick around long after eruptions stop, making them brilliant for understanding what happened millions of years ago. Shape beats eruption type every time when you're trying to classify volcanoes!
Exam Tip: Focus on learning the shapes rather than eruption types - the landforms are permanent features that geographers can always observe and classify.