Final answer:
The smallest and shortest-lived type of volcano is the cinder cone volcano, characterized by the accumulation of cinders that form a cone around the vent and is made up mainly of volcanic ash and lapilli.
Step-by-step explanation:
The smallest type of volcano, which is also the shortest-lived, is formed when thin or runny magma is ejected into the air during an eruption, then solidifies and falls back to Earth as fragments known as cinders. These cinders accumulate around the vent, creating a conical structure. The correct answer to the type of volcano that fits this description is the cinder cone volcano.
Cinder cone volcanoes are typically much smaller than other types of volcanoes, such as shield volcanoes or stratovolcanoes, and they have relatively steep sides. They are made up predominantly of volcanic ash, lapilli (tiny bits of solidified lava), and volcanic bombs which form a cone-shaped hill. While their lifetime is often short in comparison to other volcanic structures, they signify the very dynamic nature of Earth's crust, much like the sporadic activity of the Cleveland Volcano observed from the International Space Station.