Which term describes a steep, cone-shaped hill formed by volcanic ash, cinders, and bombs piled around a volcano's opening?

• A. Composite volcanoes
• B. Cinder cone volcano
• C. Shield volcano
• D. Rift valley

Answer: (B)

A steep, cone-shaped hill around a volcano’s opening forms when eruptive fragments—ash, cinders, and bombs—are blasted into the air and fall back around the vent, building up a mound of tephra. This creates a small, steep-sided cone with a crater at the top, classically known as a cinder cone volcano. It tends to be smaller and steeper than other types because it’s mainly made from fragmented volcanic material rather than flowing lava. By comparison, a composite volcano is a tall, layered structure built from alternating lava flows and ash; a shield volcano has a broad, gently sloping profile from low-viscosity lava flows; a rift valley is a tectonic depression, not a volcano. So the described feature fits a cinder cone volcano.