A stratovolcano is a tall, conical volcano composed of one layer of hardened lava, tephra, and volcanic ash.

These volcanoes are characterized by a steep profile and periodic, explosive eruptions.

The lava that flows from them is highly viscous, and cools and hardens before spreading very far.

The source magma of this rock is classified as acidic, or high in silica to intermediate (rhyolite, dacite, or andesite.

or basalt).

This is in contrast to less viscous basic magma that forms shield volcanoes (such as Mauna Loa in Hawaii), which have a wide base and more gently sloping profile.

Many stratovolcanoes exceed a height of 2500 m..

For more information about the topic Stratovolcano, read the full article at Wikipedia.org, or see the following related articles:

Shield volcano — A shield volcano is a wide volcano with shallowly-sloping sides. Shield volcanoes are formed by lava flows of low viscosity - lava that flows easily. ...  > read more

Volcanic rock — Volcanic rock is an igneous rock of volcanic origin. Volcanic rocks are usually fine-grained or aphanitic to glassy in texture. They often contain ...  > read more

Volcanic ash — Volcanic ash consists of very fine rock and mineral particles less than 2 mm in diameter that are ejected from a volcanic vent. Ash is created when ...  > read more

Pyroclastic flow from volcanoes — Pyroclastic flows are a common and devastating result of some volcanic eruptions. They are fast-moving fluidized bodies of hot gas, ash and rock ...  > read more

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