Stratovolcano (Composite Volcano)

**Stratovolcanoes**, also known as composite volcanoes, are large, steeply sloped structures shaped like cones, built up from alternating layers of lava and ash. These volcanoes are some of Earth’s oldest mountain formations, often rising nearly 2500 meters above their base. Beneath the stratovolcano, magma is stored in a magma chamber, enclosed by a robust layer of solid rock. During an eruption, the pressurized magma ascends through the main vent and exits via the crater. This eruption often ejects volcanic bombs (twisted blocks of molten rock) and ash (small melted or solid particles containing rock and glass). Once it reaches the surface, magma becomes lava down the sides of the cone until it cools and solidifies, forming a new lava layer that adds to the volcano’s structure. Sometimes a secondary vent forms; however, its eruptions are much weaker than those of the main vent.