Volcanoes form when molten rock and hot gases erupt from openings in the earth's crust. There are three main types of volcanoes defined by their shape: composite/stratovolcanoes which are tall mountains formed from layers of erupted material; cinder cones which are small, steep-sided hills formed from explosive eruptions of rock fragments and ash; and shield volcanoes which have broad dome shapes formed by low-viscosity lava. Volcanoes can be classified as active if they have erupted within the past 10,000 years, inactive if they have not erupted in that time frame, or potentially active if they show signs of activity but have not recently erupted.