Composite Volcanoes

The last type of volcano you can have is a Composite Volcano. They are by far the most recognizable and the most volatile. When you think of volcanoes they are the most likely to come to mind.



Inspiring Power

Think of Mt. St. Helens, Mt. Vesuvius, and Krakatoa. Their power is entirely awe inspiring and definitely can wipe out an entire civilization in moments (i.e. Pompeii).

Composite Volcanoes are also called Stratovolcanoes, and the word most commonly associated with them is catastrophic. They are build over hundreds of thousands of years from the lava blobs and are most commonly located along the subduction zones of a planet—where the plates come together and form tectonic boundaries.

Although Earth is unique in Her quality of having tectonic plates, in your universe anything can happen. You have to have a thin crust that “floats” on a bed of lava, and if you do, then you will likely have composite volcanoes.

[image error]Earth from Space

Their sides are steep, and they have a
distinct peak that is oftentimes snow capped due to the high elevation. They
usually have one vent sealed with a plug, and it takes an immense amount of
pressure to get them to blow their tops. The lava flows are not often dangerous
because they move slowly enough for people and animals to get out of the way.

Dangerous Flow

Pyroclastic flows are by far one of the most dangerous aspect about a composite volcano. A mixture of fine ash, fragmented lava, debris, and obscenely hot gases travel at speeds over 100 miles per hour and are impossible to outrun on foot. The best thing you can do is to take shelter, however, even then safety is not ensured. The heat often will kill you if suffocating on the ash does not.

Ash clouds can travel around the globe. The Mt
Pinatubo cloud affected Earth temperatures up to 1.3 degrees Fahrenheit. This
can change the climate enough to where animals can no longer survive in the
place they once lived. This can cause new ice to form, or old ice to melt. It
is critical for your planet to remain stable, and change can cause devastation.

[image error]Magma

Acid rain comes from the gasses released into
the atmosphere and usually falls not far from the volcano. You will also have a
large amount of ash. It looks like snow and though some of it is “fluffy”
chunks—a large amount of it is fine and will choke you. There are some things
you could do, however, it is unlikely there will be much of anything that will
live through the ash fall.

World Building Tip

When building your planet, you now can adeptly
incorporate volcanic activity. It will help add a danger that may not otherwise
be present. Will they have the proper equipment to survive the acid rain, or
have the respirators needed to filter out the fine ash? Will those respirators
be able to handle such a fine substance? Will the eruption change the planet’s
environment? Or will you have any volcanic activity at all?

[image error]Kilauea – Hawaii

Volcanoes are a wonderful wild card you can
throw in to help make your story that much more interesting to your readers!
Until next time!

C. Brady

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