Types of Volcanic Mountains

The shape of a volcano tells you about the type of magma that built it:

• Shield volcanoes — broad, gently sloping mountains built by fluid basaltic lava that flows long distances; Hawaii's Mauna Loa is the world's largest active shield volcano, rising over 9 km from its ocean floor base
• Stratovolcanoes — steep, symmetrical cones built by alternating layers of thick lava and ash; these are the classic postcard volcanoes like Fuji and Vesuvius
• Cinder cones — small, steep hills built from ejected lava fragments; they are the simplest and most common volcanic landform.