A broad, gently sloping volcanic mountain built up from many successive flows of highly fluid basaltic lava, producing a wide, low profile that resembles a warrior's shield laid on the ground. Hawaii's Mauna Loa, one of the largest volcanoes on Earth by volume, is the type example most often cited for this landform.
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Source Shield volcano (Wikipedia)
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Shield volcano (Wikipedia)
Shaped By: Effusive Eruption, Lead paragraphQuote, Shaped By: Effusive Eruption, Lead paragraph
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.
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