Types Of Volcanoes For Children

When it comes to explaining volcanoes to children there are different types of volcanoes for children to understand and get an idea of how some volcanoes work or function. It wouldn’t make sense to teach children scientific or geological jargon and so, one needs to use simpler words and lingo to explain different types of volcanoes for children and to the kids as well. This would help children understand, comprehend and absorb things better and they would be able to keep certain concepts in mind and on their fingertips for tests and examinations and otherwise too.

There are four main types of volcanoes for children and the first of these is, what is referred to as, cinder cones. Formed from blobs and particles of lava, these cones are formed when lava is blown into air due to the pressure of the gas and they form circular or oval cones. They do not rise more than 1000 feet or so and you will come across quite a few cinder cones in North America and other countries/places where volcanoes are found or formed. These types of volcanoes are not difficult to spot. They are small and have craters that are shaped like bowls at the summit.

Another one of the various types of volcanoes for children are composite volcanoes. One would usually expect volcanoes to be bizarre, huge and scary because of the fact that they have caused so much death in the past and continue to do so but composite volcanoes are actually quite beautiful and attractive. In fact in some countries these volcanoes are tourist hotspots. Examples include Mount Fuji in Japan and Mount Sashta in California. Once these volcanoes become dormant then erosion of the cones starts to take place. The massive explosions of these many years ago weakened the volcano by empting it of its lava contents because of which these are now inactive.

Of the 4 types of volcanoes for children, shield volcanoes are liquid-y and are made of fluid lava that flows. These types of volcanoes are huge and go up till 2000 feet. In some instances, rather than getting all blown up, balsaltic lava flows out from the fissure and what happens is that the lava that seeps out forms layers on top of one another which then solidify to become plateaus. You can find these in Iceland, Washington, and Idaho. They are actually quite spectacular.

Finally, of the four types of volcanoes for children there are lava domes which are formed because the lava piles on top of one another in the form of cones around the vent. The outer surface solidifies to form domes which later gets shattered and loose fragments go down its sides.

These types of volcanoes for children are just some of the many types of volcanoes that geologists have found. Some of these active while others are not and it is believed that composite volcanoes are no longer active because of the enormous blows that took place some 6 millennia ago.