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 from 62 to 78 wt% in rock. In terms of mineralogy, the felsic volcanic rocks are rich in feldspar and quartz. A typical mineral assemblage is quartz + feldspar (albite/oligoclase) + amphibole (chlorite) + micas (biotite and/or muscovite). The mineralogy seems similar with modern rhyolites and dacites. The volcanics are aphanitic, whereas some exhibits porphyritic texture that certain larger minerals (phenocrysts) are visible by eyes. Felsic volcanic rocks also include felsic tuff that was formed when tephra was consolidated. Tuff is composed of volcanic ash, glass shards and lithic fragments. Reported eutaxitic tuff from Superior Province, Canada (Figure 3), contains