Final answer:
The Big Island of Hawaii is home to active shield volcanoes, with Mount Kilauea being among the most active globally. The Hawaiian volcanoes are formed by a mantle hot spot that has created the long chain of islands over millions of years.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Big Island of Hawaii is an excellent example of an active shield volcano. Shield volcanoes like those in Hawaii are characterized by broad, gently sloping sides formed by the effusion of low-viscosity lava that travels further from the eruption site. The Hawaii hot spot beneath the island has created the Hawaiian Island chain and has been active for at least 100 million years. Among these, Mount Kilauea is one of the most active volcanoes globally, and Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea are also significant volcanic mountains on the Big Island with Mauna Kea being a premier site for astronomy. The Hawaii volcanoes exemplify the kind of volcanic activity that occurs above mantle hot spots far from tectonic plate boundaries.