Shield Volcanoes

1. How to identify: They are not very steep but are far and wider. They extend to great height as well as distance.
2. They are the largest of all volcanoes in the world as the lava flows to a far distance. The Hawaiian volcanoes are the most famous examples.
3. Shield volcanoes have low slopes and consist almost entirely of frozen lavas.
4. If you were to fly over top of a shield volcano, it would resemble a warrior’s shield, hence the name.
5. These volcanoes are mostly made up of basalt (less viscous), a type of lava that is very fluid when erupted. For this reason, these volcanoes are not steep.
6. They are of low explosive in general, but if somehow water gets into the vent they may turn explosive.
7. The upcoming lava moves in the form of a fountain and throws out the cone at the top of the vent and develops into cinder cone