Shield volcano
"Shield volcanoes" redirects here.
Ashield volcanois a largevolcanowith shallowly-sloping sides. The name derives from a translation of "Skjaldbreiður",an Icelandic shield volcano whose name means" broad shield, "from its resemblance to a warrior'sshield.
Shield volcanoes are usually formed by lava that flows easily. Consequently, a volcanic mountain having a broad profile is built up over time by flow after flow of relatively fluid basaltic lava issuing from vents or fissures on the surface of the volcano. Many of the largest volcanoes on Earth are shield volcanoes.
The largest isMauna Loaon the Big Island ofHawaii.Shield volcanoes can be so large they are sometimes considered amountain range,such as theIlgachuz Rangeand theRainbow Range,both of which are inCanada.These shield volcanoes formed when the North American Plate moved over ahotspotsimilar to the one feeding the Hawaiian Islands, called the Anahim hotspot. There are also shield volcanoes, for example, in Washington,Oregon,and theGalapagos Islands.The Piton de la Fournaise, onRéunionIsland, is one of the more active shield volcanoes on earth, with one eruption per year on average.
Shield volcanoes are known to form on other planets. The largest known mountain in the solar system,Olympus MonsonMars,is a shield volcano. Shield volcanoes on Mars are higher and much more massive than those onEarth.
On Earth, because ofplate tectonics,hotspot volcanoes eventually move away from the source of their magma and the volcanoes are individually less massive than might otherwise be the case. Shield volcanoes usually occur along constructive boundaries or above hotspots. However, the many large shield volcanoes of theCascade Rangeof northernCaliforniaandOregonare over a more complex environment.
On other planets
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Shield volcanoes are not only found onEarth,they can also be found onMars,Venus,andIo,which is a moon ofJupiter.The volcanoes onMarsare bigger than those onEarth.
Related pages
[change|change source]References
[change|change source]- Douglas Harper (2010)."Shield volcano".Online Etymology Dictionary.Douglas Harper. Retrieved February 13, 2011.
- "How Volcanoes Work: Basaltic Lava".San Diego State University. Archived fromthe originalon 8 October 2018. Retrieved 2 August 2010.
Other websites
[change|change source]- Media related toShield volcanoesat Wikimedia Commons
- "Shield volcano"atOxford English Dictionary