What kind of volcano has a very wide base and is named because it looks like something a warrior would use?
arrow volcano
plate volcano
spear volcano
shield volcano
Shield volcanoes look like a huge ancient warrior’s shield laid down. Pictured above is Mauna Kea Volcano ( Figure above ) taken from Mauna Loa Volcano. Both volcanoes are part of the Big Island of Hawaii. A shield volcano has a very wide base. It is much flatter on the top than a composite volcano. The lava that creates shield volcanoes is relatively thin. The thin lava spreads out. This builds a large, flat volcano, layer by layer. The composition of lava at shield volcanoes is mafic. Shield volcanoes are very large. For example, the Mauna Loa Volcano has a diameter of more than 112 kilometers (70 miles). The volcano forms a significant part of the island of Hawaii. The top of nearby Mauna Kea Volcano is more than ten kilometers (6 miles) from its base on the seafloor.