Shield volcano
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A shield volcano is a type of volcano named for its low profile, resembling a shield lying on the ground. It is formed by the eruption of highly fluid lava, which travels farther and forms thinner flo
Mauna Loa, a shield volcano in Hawaii
An Ancient Greek warrior's shield—its circular shape and gently sloping surface, with a central raised area, is a shape shared by many shield volcanoes
ʻAʻa advances over solidified pāhoehoe on Kīlauea, Hawaiʻi
A pāhoehoe lava fountain on Kīlauea erupts
Kīlauea
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Kīlauea is an active shield volcano in the Hawaiian Islands. It is located along the southeastern shore of Hawaii Island. The volcano is between 210,000 and 280,000 years old and grew above sea level
Kīlauea erupting at Halemaʻumaʻu, a pit crater within its summit caldera, on January 16, 2025.
Simulated true-color Landsat mosaic
Kīlauea's summit caldera; volcanic gas can be seen rising out of Halemaʻumaʻu, within the caldera (January 2012)
Rainbow and volcanic ash with sulfur dioxide emissions from Halemaʻumaʻu (April 2008)