Shields are another common type of volcanic landform. They have gentle slopes relative to stratovolcanoes. Construction of a model of a shield follows the same basic steps as the model for stratovolcanoes.

Step 1. The Base

The piece of cardboard will be the base of the volcano. Tape a film canister near the center. The vial will be the lava pond or magma conduit.

Step 2. The Interior

The interior of your volcano will be made of newspaper wrapped in tape. Make balls from the newspaper.


You will need balls of different sizes. Use the balls to shape your volcano.


Wrap the surface of the volcano with aluminum foil.


Tape the foil to the bottom of the cardboard. Gently cut the foil above the vial.

 


Take your model outside and paint it. Photo by Christopher Milford.

 


To make your model look more volcanic add a coat of spray glue and sprinkle sand over the volcano.

You can paint the sand black if you wish. You can add several layers. Photo by Christopher Milford.

 


This model is of a shield volcano. Shield volcanoes, like Kilauea and Mauna Loa in Hawaii, have gentle slopes.

They have gentle slopes because they erupt very fluid lava that travels far from the vent.