shield volcano

noun

: a broad rounded volcano that is built up by successive outpourings of very fluid lava see volcano illustration

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web

This is unlike Kīlauea, a shield volcano at a hotspot, where lava flows are the dominant product. —Erik Klemetti, Discover Magazine, 3 June 2018

The shield volcano's base is roughly 19,700 feet underwater, USGS reports. —Jacob Livesay, USA TODAY, 21 Mar. 2023

The volcanic vent is part of the larger Maat Mons volcano system, a huge shield volcano that rises three miles above the surrounding plains. $100M Magic: Why Bruno Mars And Other Stars Are Ditching Their Managers TSMC Vs. —Jamie Carter, Forbes, 15 Mar. 2023

This tropical paradise consists of a massive shield volcano, which covers a great portion of the island of Maui, and also includes abundant waterfalls and rain forests. —Giovanna Caravetta, Travel + Leisure, 11 Mar. 2023

Such drones could one day provide access to terrain that is too remote or rugged for rovers to reach—like Mars’s Valles Marineris, the largest canyon in the solar system, or its Olympus Mons shield volcano, which is about 2.5 times the height of Mount Everest. —Robert Lee Hotz, WSJ, 19 Apr. 2021

Currently, a small submarine shield volcano named Loihi lurks off the southeastern coast of Hawai'i. —Erik Klemetti, Discover Magazine, 24 Aug. 2016

That’s roughly double the volume of Hawaii’s Mauna Loa, the previous record-holder for largest shield volcano on the planet. —Erik Klemetti, Discover Magazine, 15 Dec. 2021

Ethiopia's Erta Ale is a shield volcano whose profile is large and low. —Erik Klemetti, Discover Magazine, 12 July 2016

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Word History

First Known Use

1911, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

shield volcano

noun

: a broad rounded volcano that is built up from many layers of lava