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Sizes of Conical Volcanoes

Nature volume 244, pages 22–23 (1973)Cite this article

Abstract

THE shield volcano Mauna Loa in Hawaii is the world's highest mountain, 9,144 m high1, if the portion below sea level is considered in addition to the exposed 4,170 m. Why, then, are the world's highest mountains not land volcanoes? We have investigated the heights and volumes of land volcanoes to try to establish what factors prevent their development to heights comparable with Mauna Loa. Data on these elementary parameters are scarce. Generally, only the height of a volcano's summit above sea level is quoted, not the height above geological base level. Volumes of individual volcanoes are rarely given.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Earth Sciences, The Open University, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire

    P. W. FRANCIS & B. M. ABBOTT

Authors
  1. P. W. FRANCIS
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  2. B. M. ABBOTT
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FRANCIS, P., ABBOTT, B. Sizes of Conical Volcanoes. Nature 244, 22–23 (1973). https://doi.org/10.1038/244022a0

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