Cinder Cone
U.S. Geological Survey photo by Jack Lockwood, 1975. (fair use policy)
Pu'u ka Pele is a lovely cinder cone sitting on the flank of Mauna Kea volcano, Hawaii. Cinder cones are piles of volcanic ash that build up around explosive vents, usually on the side of larger volcanoes. They're so loose that lava doesn't build up inside to flow out of the top. Instead, lava flows break out the side.
Cinder cones are useful sources of landscaping material, like the lightweight frothy gravel used on running tracks or pathways. The industry calls it "lava rock" but geologists call it scoria.
See another cinder cone in the California desert photo tour, and see the insides of one in the Cascades Range/Columbia Plateau photo tour.
Fossils
Geologic Features and Processes
Glaciers and Ice
Landforms
Minerals
Rocks
Geology and Society
