This is an image of Mt. Cotopaxi in Ecuador.
Click on image for full size
Image from the U.S. Geological Survey
Composite Volcanoes
The most majestic of the volcanoes are composite volcanoes, also known as strato-volcanoes. Unlike the shield volcanoes which are flat and broad, composite volcanoes are tall, symmetrically shaped, with steep sides, sometimes rising 10,000 feet above their base. They are built of alternating layers of lava flows and pyroclastic material.
Famous composite volcanoes include Mount Fuji in Japan, Mount Cotopaxi in Ecuador, Mount Shasta and Lassen in California, Mount Hood in Oregon, Mount St. Helens and Mount Rainier in Washington, Mt Pinatubo in the Philipenes, and Mt. Etna in Italy.
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