What type of volcanoes are found on Venus?

What type of volcanoes are found on Venus?

• A. Cinder cone volcanoes
• B. Stratovolcanoes
• C. Shield volcanoes
• D. Fissure volcanoes

Answer: (C)

Venus is primarily characterized by shield volcanoes, which are broad, gently sloping landforms built up by the eruption of low-viscosity basaltic lava that can flow over large areas. These types of volcanoes form when lava is fluid enough to travel long distances from the vent, creating a wide, broad shape as the lava accumulates. The volcanic landscape of Venus shows evidence of extensive volcanic activity and features numerous large shield volcanoes that dominate its surface, indicating that basaltic lava, typical of shield volcanoes, has played a significant role in shaping the planet's geology. The relatively smooth and flat nature of much of Venus’s surface further supports the idea of past extensive lava flows, characteristic of shield volcanoes, unlike the steeper profiles associated with cinder cone or stratovolcanoes. In contrast, cinder cone volcanoes and stratovolcanoes have steeper slopes and a more complex eruptive history, which is not the main characteristic of Venusian volcanism. Fissure volcanoes produce eruptions that occur along fractures, which may happen on Venus but do not define the primary volcanic structures observed. The predominant feature of Venus’s volcanic landscape is thus linked to the activity of shield volcanoes.

Venus is primarily characterized by shield volcanoes, which are broad, gently sloping landforms built up by the eruption of low-viscosity basaltic lava that can flow over large areas. These types of volcanoes form when lava is fluid enough to travel long distances from the vent, creating a wide, broad shape as the lava accumulates.

The volcanic landscape of Venus shows evidence of extensive volcanic activity and features numerous large shield volcanoes that dominate its surface, indicating that basaltic lava, typical of shield volcanoes, has played a significant role in shaping the planet's geology. The relatively smooth and flat nature of much of Venus’s surface further supports the idea of past extensive lava flows, characteristic of shield volcanoes, unlike the steeper profiles associated with cinder cone or stratovolcanoes.

In contrast, cinder cone volcanoes and stratovolcanoes have steeper slopes and a more complex eruptive history, which is not the main characteristic of Venusian volcanism. Fissure volcanoes produce eruptions that occur along fractures, which may happen on Venus but do not define the primary volcanic structures observed. The predominant feature of Venus’s volcanic landscape is thus linked to the activity of shield volcanoes.