Stratovolcano Stratovolcano A stratovolcano, also known as a composite volcano, is a conical volcano built up by many layers (strata) of hardened lava, tephra, pumice and ash. Unlike shield volcanoes, stratovolcanoes are characterized by a steep profile with a summit crater and periodic intervals of explosive eruptions and effusive eruptions, although some have collapsed summit craters called calderas. The lava flowing from stratovolcanoes typically cools and hardens before spreading far due to high viscosity. The magma forming this lava is often felsic, having high-to-intermediate levels of silica (as in rhyolite, dacite, or andesite), with lesser amounts of less-viscous mafic magma. Extensive
Archean felsic volcanic rocks is an ancient stable continental block. Also, a craton has survived from plate tectonics that pull apart, collide or tear continents. On average, the felsic volcanic rocks only contribute to ~15-20% in volcanic rocks of greenstone belts. "See Figure 2 and Table 1 for Examples of Archean felsic volcanic rocks occurrence." All Archean felsic volcanic rocks are distributed in greenstone belts. In Archean cratons, greenstone belts represent supracrustal rocks formed at the Earth's surface and the belts are dominated by volcano-sedimentary sequences. Some volcanic sequences can be several kilometers thick, such as the Warrawoona Group of Eastern Pibara Craton. However,