This document discusses volcanoes and volcanic zones. It describes how volcanoes form from magma emerging from the Earth's crust. There are three main types of volcanoes - shield volcanoes, cinder cones, and composite volcanoes. Volcanic activity occurs along plate boundaries in zones of convergence, divergence, and at hotspots unrelated to plate tectonics. Examples of volcanic zones include the Ring of Fire in the Pacific and the rift zones in Africa. Flood basalts are large outpourings of lava that can cover vast areas.