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A shield volcano is a type of volcano named for its low profile, resembling a shield lying on the ground. It is formed by the eruption of highly fluid (low viscosity ) lava , which travels farther and forms thinner flows than the more viscous lava erupted from a stratovolcano .
This list of shield volcanoes includes active, dormant and extinct shield volcanoes. Shield volcanoes are one of the three types [ specify ] of volcanoes. They have a short cone shape, and have basaltic lava which means the lava has low viscosity (viscosity is a measure of the ability for a liquid to flow)
The Atlantic Shield. The Amazonian (Brazilian) Shield on the eastern bulge portion of South America. Bordering this is the Guiana Shield to the north, and the Platian Shield to the south. The Uruguayan Shield; The Baltic (Fennoscandian) Shield is located in eastern Norway, Finland and Sweden. The African (Ethiopian) Shield is located in Africa.
Since low-viscosity magma is typically low in silica, shield volcanoes are more common in oceanic than continental settings. The Hawaiian volcanic chain is a series of shield cones, and they are common in Iceland, as well. [25] Olympus Mons, an extinct martian shield volcano is the largest known volcano in the Solar System. [26]
East Rift Zone on Kīlauea, Hawaiʻi. A rift zone is a feature of some volcanoes, especially shield volcanoes, in which a set of linear cracks (or rifts) develops in a volcanic edifice, typically forming into two or three well-defined regions along the flanks of the vent. [1]
Cinder cones are also commonly found on the flanks of shield volcanoes, stratovolcanoes, and calderas. [3] For example, geologists have identified nearly 100 cinder cones on the flanks of Mauna Kea, a shield volcano located on the island of Hawaii. [3] Such cinder cones likely represent the final stages of activity of a mafic volcano. [11]
Mount Elgon is an extinct shield volcano on the border of Uganda and Kenya, [5] north of Kisumu and west of Kitale. The mountain's highest point, named "Wagagai", is located entirely within Uganda. The mountain's highest point, named "Wagagai", is located entirely within Uganda.
It was historically considered to be the largest volcano on Earth until the submarine mountain Tamu Massif was discovered to be larger. [4] Mauna Loa is a shield volcano with relatively gentle slopes, and a volume estimated at 18,000 cubic miles (75,000 km 3), [5] although its peak is about 125 feet (38 m) lower than that of its neighbor, Mauna ...