Cinder cone

Cinder cone is a type of volcano characterized by a conical hill formed by the accumulation of volcanic debris ejected from a single vent. The debris, often referred to as cinders or scoria, are glassy and contain numerous gas bubbles "frozen" into place as magma exploded into the air and then cooled quickly.

Formation

Cinder cones form when magma rises to the surface and pressure decreases, causing gases in the magma to bubble out and explode. This explosion throws molten rock and gases into the air. As the molten rock falls back to the ground, it cools and solidifies into cinders or scoria, which accumulate around the vent to form a cone.

Characteristics

Cinder cones are the simplest type of volcano. They are typically circular or oval in shape, with a bowl-shaped crater at the top and steep sides made up of loose cinder and scoria. Cinder cones rarely reach heights of more than a thousand feet, and the diameter of the base can be up to a mile. The eruptions from cinder cones are relatively small and usually only pose a danger in the immediate vicinity of the volcano.

Examples

Some well-known examples of cinder cones include the Sunset Crater in Arizona, the Paricutin in Mexico, and the Mount Etna on the island of Sicily. Each of these examples illustrates the typical characteristics of a cinder cone volcano.

See also

• Volcano
• Magma
• Scoria
• Sunset Crater
• Paricutin
• Mount Etna