What is a composite cone volcano?

A composite cone volcano, or a stratovolcano, is built by multiple eruptions from surrounding volcanoes. They are formed over hundreds of thousands of years and have their entire structure build by magma flowing from geographically close volcanoes.

Composite volcanoes are most often made from andesite magma. This type of magma is composed mostly of fragmented debris and can build up the framework of a composite volcano by knitting together volcanic rubble. Andesite magma can also form cones of magma that are then knit together to form large structural pieces of an entire composite volcano. Well-known composite volcanoes include Mount Fuji, Mount Rainier and Mayon Volcano.