What are shield volcanoes?

Shield volcanoes are big, gentle mountains made by lava flowing out slowly over a long time.

Imagine you're stacking plates on top of each other to build a tower, but instead of plates, you’re using lava. That’s what happens with shield volcanoes! They get their name because they look like shields, which are flat and wide, just like the shape of these mountains.

Shield volcanoes grow very slowly. Every time there's a volcanic eruption, lava flows out from the top or sides of the volcano. This lava is runny and spreads far, kind of like how honey flows when you pour it on toast. Over thousands of years, layer after layer of lava builds up, just like stacking plates one by one.

One famous shield volcano is Mauna Loa in Hawaii. It's so big that if you measured from its base under the ocean to its top, it would be taller than Mount Everest!

Shield volcanoes don’t blow up suddenly like some other volcanoes, they grow quietly and patiently, like a sleepy giant building itself up piece by piece.