Mount Tambora is an active stratovolcano (also called a composite volcano), specifically of trachybasaltic–trachyandesitic composition, located on Sumbawa Island in Indonesia.

Quick Scoop

  • Mount Tambora is classified as a stratovolcano, built from many layers of lava, ash, and volcanic debris over time.
  • Its lava is mainly trachybasaltic to trachyandesitic, meaning it is relatively rich in potassium and contributes to highly explosive eruptions.
  • The volcano forms a massive cone with a central vent and a large summit caldera created by the colossal 1815 eruption.

What “type of volcano” means here

  • In simple terms, Tambora is a steep-sided, cone-shaped volcano made of alternating layers of hardened lava and ash, typical of stratovolcanoes.
  • Because it sits on the Sunda Arc subduction zone, it tends to produce powerful explosive eruptions rather than gentle lava flows.

Extra context for students and readers

  • Many school and kids’ references list its “mountain type” as a trachybasaltic–trachyandesitic stratovolcano, which is just a more detailed scientific way of naming its rock type and structure.
  • Some educational resources also describe it as a composite volcano, which is another common term for stratovolcanoes and means essentially the same thing in classroom contexts.

So if a textbook or exam asks “what type of volcano is Mount Tambora?”, the accurate short answer is: an active stratovolcano (composite volcano).

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.