There are two main types of volcano - composite and shield. The two types of volcano form in different places and have very different characteristics. Ash released from shield volcanoes often ...

The biggest shield volcano is Tamu Massif, and it sits on a seamount east of Japan, its summit 6,500 feet (1,980 m) below the ocean surface. One final type of volcanic system is the Large Igneous ...

From the gentle slopes of shield volcanoes to the towering stratovolcanoes, and the underwater peaks of submarine volcanoes, ...

Composite volcanoes are the most common type of volcano ... Mount Etna in Sicily, Italy, is an example of a composite volcano. Shield volcanoes do not have such violent eruptions.