ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

İlandağ

An i̇landağ is a special kind of mountain that is formed by a volcanic eruption. Imagine a big pot of soup on the stove. When it gets too hot, the liquid starts to bubble and boil. If the bubbles get bigger and bigger, they eventually explode and make a big mess all over the stove!

The same thing can happen with the Earth's crust. Sometimes, the hot magma (liquid rock) deep inside the Earth gets trapped and builds up pressure. When it gets too much, it explodes and shoots out of the ground, like a giant fountain of molten lava.

This is what happens during a volcanic eruption. The lava flows down the sides of the mountain, hardens, and builds up over time. As more eruptions happen, the mountain gets bigger and bigger until it becomes an i̇landağ.

But i̇landağs are not just any old mountain. They are special because they are formed by a specific kind of eruption called a shield volcano. This means that the lava flows out of the ground in a slow, steady stream that spreads out over a wide area.

Over time, the lava cools and hardens into layers of rock, creating a gentle slope on the sides of the mountain. This is why i̇landağs look like big, flat-topped hills rather than sharp, pointy peaks.

Some of the most famous i̇landağs in the world are in Hawaii, where they are called "mauna" (mountain) in the local language. Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa are two of the biggest and tallest i̇landağs in the world, with Mauna Loa measuring over 13,000 feet from the seafloor to its summit!