- The lava that erupted from the shield volcanoes is basaltic lava. ...
- Before the lava hardens it flows through long distances, because of the runny nature of the lava. ...
- The lava bursts out from the shield volcanoes is runny and non-acidic in nature.
- The period between the two eruptions is shorter compared to the other volcanoes.
What kind of eruption does a shield volcano have?
The shield volcano comes out one type of eruption at a time: spilling and flowing volcanically molten lava moving outward from its origin. The shield volcano possesses the smallest violent presence and can generally avoid volcanic earthquakes.
What is an example of a shield volcano?
Shield volcanoes are the common product of hotspot volcanism but they can also be found along subduction-related volcanic arcs or all by themselves. Examples of shield volcanoes are Kilauea and Mauna Loa (and their Hawaiian friends), Fernandina (and its Galápagos friends), Karthala, Erta Ale, Tolbachik, Masaya, and many others.
What are the features of a shield volcano?
Things to Remember
- A shield volcano is the largest volcano in terms of area, volume, and diameter. ...
- The lava that erupts from the shield volcano is the basaltic lava. ...
- There three main types of volcanoes which are – Cinder cone volcanoes, Shield volcanoes, and Composite or Stratovolcano. ...
- Caldera, vents, magma are the main components of the shield volcano. ...
What are some interesting facts about shield volcanoes?
Where is a shield volcano most likely to form?
- On divergent plate borders, when two plates move away from one another, shield volcanoes can be found.
- Shield volcanoes can be found everywhere that flowing low-silica lava can reach the Earth’s surface.
- Divergent borders are where the majority of shield volcanoes are found.
What are shield volcanoes?
Shield volcanoes are the largest volcanoes on Earth that actually look like volcanoes (i.e. not counting flood basalt flows). The Hawaiian shield volcanoes are the most famous examples. Shield volcanoes are almost exclusively basalt, a type of lava that is very fluid when erupted. For this reason these volcanoes are not steep (you can't pile up ...
Is a shield volcano explosive?
Eruptions at shield volcanoes are only explosive if water somehow gets into the vent, otherwise they are characterized by low-explosivity fountaining that forms cinder cones and spatter cones at the vent, however, 90% of the volcano is lava rather than pyroclastic material.
What is Shield Volcano?
There are three types of volcanoes, amongst them, the shield volcano covers the largest area. Shield volcanoes are not so explosive; however, have the largest volume, diameter and they can cover an area from 10 kilometers up to 100 kilometers.
How Shield Volcanoes are formed?
The lava is what makes the shield volcano special and gives it a different shape other than the three types of volcanoes. Volcanoes are basically different patches on the earth that erupt lava from the underneath earth’s chambers. The lava that is erupted from the shield volcano is basaltic lava, which has a low viscosity.
Components of Shield Volcano
The main component of the Shield volcano is its shield itself. But there are also some other important parts of the shield volcano. The caldera is the topmost part of the volcano. The lava erupts from the caldera, but it is not the only place from where the lava emerges. The vents are present on the sides of the shields.
Features of Shield Volcano
Shield volcano possesses many different and special features. Some of them are as follows: -
Types of Volcanoes
Based on the size, shape, and area of eruption volcanoes are classified into the three main types: Shield Volcano, Cinder Cone Volcano, and Composite Volcano.
Things to Remember
A shield volcano is the largest volcano in terms of area, volume, and diameter. It is quiet and immense in nature.
Sample Questions
Question: What is known as Shield Volcano? Write the examples of a shield volcano.
What type of volcano is the largest?
Shield volcanoes are the largest volcanoes on Earth that actually look like volcanoes (i.e. not counting flood basalt flows). The Hawaiian shield volcanoes are the most famous examples. Shield volcanoes are almost exclusively basalt, a type of lava that is very fluid when erupted.
Is a shield volcano explosive?
Eruptions at shield volcanoes are only explosive if water somehow gets into the vent, otherwise they are characterized by low-explosivity fountaining that forms cinder cones and spatter cones at the vent, however, 90% of the volcano is lava rather than pyroclastic material.
What is the bowl-shaped feature on top of a volcano that the magma from the vent erupt?
Crater – The crater or caldera is the bowl-shaped feature on top of the volcano that the magma from the vent erupts from.
What causes a volcano to explode?
Sometimes, when the lava becomes very viscous it plugs the vent causing pressure to build up as it expands. This pressure can cause a volcano to explode leaving only the outer shell of the original volcanic structure (crater). This is what caused the lateral explosion of Mount St. Helens. In this case, the collapse of one flank produced a lateral explosion and destroyed the original volcanic structure.
How long is a pahoehoe lava tube?
Once cooled and drained of molten lava, lava tubes can be many kilometers long and up to 20 meters in height .
How is the shape of a volcano controlled?
The shape of a volcano is strongly controlled by the type of eruption. In turn, the type of eruption is mostly dictated by the viscosity of the lava extruded from a volcano Runny lava with a low viscosity can flow for long distances away from the vent, forming gently sloping volcanoes.
What is a low viscosity volcano?
Lavas low in silica (SiO2 basaltic, or mafic lavas) have a low viscosity and have the capacity to flow long distances away from the vent. Over time they develop into gently sloping volcanoes called shield volcanoes.
What is the study of volcanic eruptions?
Volcanic eruptions can vary wildly from ‘calm’ lava and gas emissions to highly explosive mixtures of volcanic rocks, ash, and gases. The study of volcanoes and their associated phenomena is known as Volcanology. This includes studying the origin, the structure, and the kind of material that lies within, or is ejected from, a volcano.
Where are lava tubes found?
Australia has several good examples of lava tubes—at the Undara National Park in northeast Queensland and the Byaduk Lava Caves in western Victoria.
