About Volcanoes

Sort and Classify Volcanoes

Instructions:

Use the space below to sort the volcanoes into categories of your choosing. Use the “Add Label” button to create labels for your categories.

When you have finished sorting the volcanoes, click “Print Sort” to print your work.

Press “Reset” if you would like to start over.

Classify the following volcanoes by type and status. When you are finished, click “Check” to see your results and revisit any that you missed.


Image Credit: filippo_jean, CC BY-SA 2.0
Image Credit: © A.Savin, Wikimedia Commons

Name: Erta Ale

Location: Afar Region, Ethiopia

Data:
  • The name means “smoking mountain” in the local Afar language.
  • It has almost continuously had a lava lake, which sometimes overflows on the south side of the volcano.
  • A major eruption in 2005 killed 250 head of livestock and caused many people to flee.
  • Another eruption occurred in 2017.
  • Fissure eruptions have occurred recently on the volcano’s flanks.
  • It has a very broad in shape—it is about 600 m tall and 50 km wide.
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Name: Stromboli

Location: Mediterranean Sea north of Sicily, Italy

Data:

  • It has been in almost continuous eruption for the past 2,000 years. The most recent eruption was in 2013–2014.
  • Explosive eruptions occur at the summit crater.
  • It forms an island 2 km wide. Its base begins over 1,000 m below sea level and rises over 900 m above sea level.
  • The name of the volcano comes from the term Strombolian eruptions, which are short, quick blasts of lava.
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Image Credit: NASA

Name: La Cumbre (Fernandina Island)

Location: Galápagos Islands, Ecuador

Data:

  • It has been erupting since 2009.
  • Effusive eruptions occur from the summit caldera area and from fissures along the flanks. Lava flows reach the ocean.
  • Explosive eruptions have also occurred, causing the caldera floor to collapse.
  • It forms an island 6.5 km wide and rises nearly 1,500 m from the ocean surface.
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Name: Lava Butte

Location: Oregon, United States

Data:

  • It has erupted only once, about 7,000 years ago.
  • The eruption spewed hot ash and cinder to form the cone shape.
  • It is part of the larger Newberry Volcano (a shield volcano).
  • It stands about 155 m tall, with a summit crater from 20 m to 50 m deep.
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Name: Ngauruhoe

Location: North Island, New Zealand

Data:

  • It is the highest peak in a group of volcanoes called the Tongariro volcanic complex.
  • It first erupted about 2,500 years ago.
  • Explosive eruptions and lava flows have occurred several dozen times since the 1800s. Most recent eruption was in 1977.
  • Fun fact: Was used to portray Mount Doom in the Lord of the Rings movies.
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Image Credit: U.S. Geological Survey

Name: Kīlauea

Location: Hawaiʻi, United States

Data:

  • It has had ongoing effusive eruptions since 1983.
  • Lava flows have covered hundreds of square kilometers and added new land to the coastline of Hawaiʻi.
  • It has a summit caldera contains a crater with a lava lake.
  • It has two rift zones (East Rift Zone and Southwest Rift Zone) between the summit and the ocean.
  • It is considered to be the home of the goddess Pele from Hawaiian legends.
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Name: Mount Edgecumbe

Location: Alaska, United States

Data:

  • It last erupted around 2200 BC.
  • A series of explosive eruptions occurred about 9,000 – 13,000 years ago.
  • Stands 970 m tall, with a well-defined crater.
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Name: Mount Shari

Location: Hokkaido, Japan

Data:

  • It was last active about 300,000 years ago.
  • It is formed of alternate layers of hardened lava and ash.
  • It stands 1,070 m tall.
  • It is one of Japan’s 100 most famous mountains.
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Name: Mauna Kea

Location: Hawaiʻi, United States

Data:

  • The last eruption was around 4,500 years ago.
  • Effusive eruptions from this and nearby volcanoes have built up the island of Hawaiʻi over many years.
  • It rises 4,207 m and spreads broadly at its base.
  • It may reawaken; its history shows long breaks in activity between past eruptions.
  • Scientists built an observatory at the summit.
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Name: Gunung Agung

Location: Bali, Indonesia

Data:

  • It erupted in 2017 and was still erupting as of August, 2018. Thousands of people fled the area and flights were suspended.
  • Explosive eruptions send up huge ash clouds.
  • It rises over 3,000 m high, and forms the tallest peak on the island of Bali.
  • It is the site of an important temple for the Balinese people.
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Name: Cerro Negro

Location: León, Nicaragua

Data:

  • It is one of the youngest volcanoes in Central America.
  • It first appeared in 1850.
  • Explosive eruptions of ash and volcanic debris have occurred every few years to every few decades.
  • Falling ash sometimes damages towns and crop fields nearby.
  • Frequent eruptions have changed the volcano’s shape and size.
Type:
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You have classified all the volcanoes correctly.
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