What is a shield volcano?
Q: What is a shield volcano?
A: A shield volcano is a large volcano with shallowly-sloping sides. The name derives from the Icelandic word "Skjaldbreiður" which means "broad shield," due to its resemblance to a warrior's shield.
Q: How are shield volcanoes formed?
A: Shield volcanoes are usually formed by lava that flows easily, so they are built up over time by successive flows of relatively fluid basaltic lava issuing from vents or fissures on the surface of the volcano.
Q: What is the largest known shield volcano on Earth?
A: The largest known shield volcano on Earth is Mauna Loa on the Big Island of Hawaii.
Q: Are there any other examples of shield volcanoes found in North America?
A: Yes, there are also examples of shield volcanoes in Washington, Oregon, and the Galapagos Islands. Additionally, two mountain ranges in Canada - Ilgachuz Range and Rainbow Range - were formed by hotspot activity similar to that feeding the Hawaiian Islands called Anahim hotspot.
Q: Is Piton de la Fournaise an active shield volcano?
A: Yes, Piton de la Fournaise located on Réunion Island is one of the more active shield volcanoes on earth with one eruption per year on average.
Q: Are there any other planets where we can find evidence for these types of volcanic formations?
A: Yes, there have been some discoveries made regarding this type of volcanic formation occurring outside our planet; for example Olympus Mons located on Mars which is considered to be the largest mountain in our solar system and it's believed to be a result from a massive ancient eruption from a Martian Shield Volcano.
Q: Why do some Earth-based shields appear less massive than others ?
A: This may be because due to plate tectonics, hotspot volcanoes eventually move away from their magma source and thus become individually less massive than might otherwise be expected if they remained at their original location near their magma source.
