GEOLOGY

Detailed explanation-1: -Most shield volcanoes are formed from fluid, basaltic lava flows. Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa are shield volcanoes. They are the world’s largest active volcanoes, rising over 9 km above the sea floor around the island of Hawai’i.

Detailed explanation-2: -Shield volcanoes, which get their name from their broad rounded shape, are the largest. Figure 11.22 shows the largest of all shield volcanoes-in fact, the largest of all volcanoes on Earth-Mauna Loa, which makes up a substantial part of the Island of Hawai’i and has a diameter of nearly 200 km.

Detailed explanation-3: -Shield volcanoes are much wider than they are tall. Mauna Loa’s base on the sea floor is about 100 miles (160 km) wide. Mount Rainier, the tallest composite volcano in the contiguous United States, is about 14, 000 feet (4, 270) tall, but only about 10 mi ( 16 km) wide.

Detailed explanation-4: -These results show that Pūhāhonu is the largest shield volcano on Earth. It is twice the size of Mauna Loa volcano (148 ± 29 vs. ), which was assumed to be not only the largest Hawaiian volcano but also the largest known shield volcano on Earth.

Detailed explanation-5: -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. Repeated eruptions result in the steady accumulation of broad sheets of lava, building up the shield volcano’s distinctive form.