Involcanology, apyroclastic shield orignimbrite shield is an uncommon type ofshield volcano. Unlike most shield volcanoes, pyroclastic shields are formed mostly ofpyroclastic and highlyexplosive eruptions rather than relatively fluidbasalticlava issuing from vents orfissures on the surface of the volcano.[1]They typically display low-angle flank slopes and often have a centralcaldera caused by large eruptions. Lava is commonly extruded after explosive activity has ended. The paucity of associatedPlinian fall deposits indicates that pyroclastic shields are characterized by low Plinian columns.
Pyroclastic shields are commonly known to form in theCentral Andes ofSouth America, as well as inMelanesia (the island ofBougainville alone has two). There are also pyroclastic shields inAfrica, such asEmi Koussi inChad.
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