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Why are shield volcanoes so big?

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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. Here are 4 of the volcanoes that comprise the big island of Hawai'i. read more

These volcanoes require a much larger source of magma at depth so the erupted product is likely to be hotter and maybe a little less differentiated. So, the short answer to your question is this: shield volcanoes are big because they are formed by larger/more active/longer lived magma chambers than smaller basaltic volcanic features. read more

In fact, some of the largest volcanoes you will find on the planet are actually shield volcanoes, with Mauna Loa, located on Big Island in Hawaii, being the largest of this type. Formation A shield volcano is most likely to form during a lava flow of fluid basaltic material, usually those that flow down from either a flank fissure system or the summit itself. read more

So, the short answer to your question is this: shield volcanoes are big because they are formed by larger/more active/longer lived magma chambers than smaller basaltic volcanic features. Here are a couple of my own photos for comparison. read more

A shield volcano is a type of volcano usually composed almost entirely of fluid lava flows. It is named for its low profile, resembling a warrior's shield lying on the ground. This is caused by the highly fluid lava erupted, which travels farther than lava erupted from a stratovolcano, and results in the steady accumulation of broad sheets of lava, building up the shield volcano's distinctive form. read more

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