What
is a Cinder Cone?
These are the classic, cone-shaped
peaks we commonly associate with a lava-spewing eruption. Eruptions
from cinder cones are pretty small potatoes, as far as volcanic eruptions
go. They tend to be small, hill-sized volcanoes that range in height
from tens to hundreds of meters high and they can build up over short
periods of a few months to a few years. Cinder cones are characterized
by their steeply angled sides and conical shapes. In fact, these mini-volcanoes
are most often found on the flanks of larger, mountain-sized volcanic
peaks.
In a cinder cone, lava erupts from
a small vent in the crust and 'sprays' melted rock fragments into the
air where they then fall back to earth in a pile. These rock fragments
are glassy, gas-filled chunks of lava called cinders or scoria
that cool rapidly as they sail through the air and land next to the
vent opening, slowly accumulating in the geometric shape of a cone.
Some of the most dramatic volcanic eruptions are these displays of lava
fountains shooting sparkling, glowing glass-like rock fragments into
the air from cinder cones. ...
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