What type of volcano is Mt Shinmoedake?

Answer 1

Mt. Shinmoedake spews smoke, ash, cinder and acidic lava due to the melting of the oceanic Philippines crust to form acidic magma. The acidic magma rises through the pipe but cools and solidifies easily due to its low temperature (800-1000degreesC) and heavy weight. This blocks up the pipe and the huge pressure in the magma chamber forces the magma to find other channels to escape, creating side vents. Pyroclastic flow and acidic lava comes spewing out of the side vent but cools and solidifies immediately on the surface, blocking the gas and steam from the magma chamber from escaping due to its viscosity. This results in a very great pressure build up and the magma thus manages to force its way through the blocked/narrowed pipe and ash, cinder and acidic lava is ejected from the crater. This creates the alternating layers of ash & cinder and cooled & solidified lava on the Mt. Shinmoedake Volcano. After the eruption, the ash and cinder are small and light enough to be carried by the wind to the base of the mountain making the gentle slopes at the base of the volcano. The huge slabs of cooled and solidifies lava cannot be carried by the wind due to their weight and size, resulting in the steep slopes near the crater. This is a typical example of the highly common volcano that dots the Pacific Ring of Fire, a composite volcano.