Major Landforms of the earth

Landforms are natural features of the landscape, natural physical features of the earth's surface, for example, valleys, plateaus, mountains, plains, hills, loess, or glaciers

Valleys

A valley is a hollow or surface depression of the earth bounded by hills or mountains, a natural trough in the earth's surface, that slopes down to a stream, lake or the ocean, formed by water and/or ice erosion. Systems of valleys extend through plains, hills, and mountains. Rivers and streams flowing through valleys drain interior land regions to the ocean. At the bottom of many valleys is fertile soil, which makes excellent farmland. Most valleys on dry land are formed by running water of streams and rivers .The bottom of a valley is called its floor. Most floors slope downstream. Mountain valleys usually have narrow floors. The part of the floor along riverbanks is called flood plain. A valley's sides are called valley walls or valley slopes. A valley wall is the side slope of a stream or glacial valley. Rain, frost, wind and the atmosphere are loosening materials which fall into the stream and are carried away.

The form of a valley depends upon the rate at which deepening and widening goes on. V-shaped valleys are caused by forces such as erosion and rivers. Valleys are not at all formed by rivers. Valleys that are not V-shaped were formerly occupied by glaciers and are

characteristically U-shaped, formed by the huge bodies of ice that moved along; they carved the valleys as they passed, carrying away giant boulders and huge amounts of debris. Valleys are usually in a Ushaped form. Narrow deep valleys are sometimes called canyons. A valley has two characteristics, one is low land, another is being formed between hills or mountains. Valleys in low areas have an average slope; in the mountains, valleys are deep and narrow.
A plateau is a large highland area of fairly level land separated from surrounding land by steep slopes. Some plateaus, like the plateau of Tibet, lie between mountain

ranges. Othe

rs are higher than surround

plateau
a plateau, also called a high plain or tableland, is an area of highland, usually consisting of relatively flat terrain. A highly eroded plateau is called a dissected plateau. A volcanic plateau is a plateau produced by volcanic activity. Plateaus can be formed by a number of processes, including, upwelling of volcanic magma, extrusion of lava, and erosion by water and glaciers. Magma rises from the mantle causing the ground to swell upward, in this way large, flat areas of rock are uplifted. Plateaus can also be built up by lava spreading outwards from cracks and weak areas in the crust, an example of such a plateau is the Columbia Plateau in the northwestern United States of America. Plateaus can also be formed due to the erosional processes of glaciers on mountain ranges, in this case the plateaus are left sitting between the mountain ranges. Water can also erode mountains and other landforms down into plateaus.

landform Major plateaus of the world

The largest and highest plateau in the world is the Tibetan Plateau, called the "roof of the world", which is still being formed by the collisions of the IndoAustralian and Eurasian tectonic plates. In all the Tibetan plateau covers an area of some 2.5 million square kilometres which is approximately 5000 m above sea level. The height of this plateau is such that it is enough to reverse the Hadley cell convection cycles and to drive the monsoons of India towards the south.

Bogot, Colombia is located in a high plateau, over 8,600 ft (2,600 m) high

The second-largest current plateau in the world is the Antarctic Plateau, which covers most of the central part of Antarctica. In that region of Antarctica, there are no mountains that we know of, but rather, there are 3000 meters or more of ice - which very slowly spreads towards its coastline via enormous glaciers. This ice cap is so massive that echo location sound measurements of the thickness of the ice have shown that large parts of the "dry land" surface of Antarctica have been pressed below sea level. Thus, if the icecap were somehow removed, large areas of Antarctica would be flooded by the oceans. On the other hand - more realistically - if that icecap were to gradually melt away, the surface of the land beneath it would gradually rebound away from the center of the Earth, and that land would become land above sea level. The third-largest plateau in the world is probably the one in South America that lies in the middle of the Andes Mountains. This Andean Plateau covers most of Bolivia and large portions of southern Colombia, eastern Ecuador, central Peru, northern Chile and northern Argentina.

Mountains
A mountain is a large landform that stretches above the surrounding land in a limited area usually in the form of a peak. A mountain is generally steeper than a hill. The adjective montane is used to describe mountainous areas and things associated with them. The study of mountains is called Orography. Exogeology deals with planetary mountains, which in that branch of science are usually called montes (singularmons). The highest mountain on earth is the Mount Everest 8,848 m (29,029 ft). The highest known mountain in the Solar System is Olympus Mons on the planet Mars at 21,171 m (69,459 ft).

Characteristics

Mountain in Carbon County, Utah

High mountains, as well as those located close to the Earth's poles, reach into the colder layers of the atmosphere. They are consequently subject to glaciation, and erosion through frost action. Such processes produce the peak shape. Some of these mountains have glacial lakes, created by melting glaciers; for example, there are an estimated 3,000 glacial lakes in Bhutan. Mountains can be eroded and weathered, altering their characteristics over time.

Mount Olympus in Greece.

Alps mountain view in Switzerland

Tall mountains have different climatic conditions at the top than at the base, and will thus have different life zones at different altitudes. At the highest elevations, trees cannot grow, and whatever life may be present will be of the alpine type, resembling tundra.[6] Just below the tree line, one may find subalpine forests of needleleaf trees, which can withstand cold, dry conditions.[7] In regions with dry climates, the tendency of mountains to have higher precipitation as well as lower temperatures also provides for varying conditions, which in turn lead to differing flora and fauna.[6][8] Some plants and animals found in these zones tend to become isolated since the conditions above and below a particular zone will be inhospitable and thus constrain their movements or dispersal. On the other hand, birds, being capable of flight, may take advantage of montane habitats and migrate into a region that would otherwise not provide appropriate habitat.[9] These isolated ecological systems, or microclimates, are known as sky islands.[10] Mountains are generally less preferable for human habitation than lowlands; the weather is often harsher, and there is little level ground suitable for agriculture. At very high altitudes, there is less oxygen in the air and less protection against solar radiation (UV). Acute mountain sickness (caused by hypoxiaa lack of oxygen in the blood) affects over half of lowlanders who spend more than a few hours above 3,500 meters (11,483 ft). Many mountains and mountain ranges throughout the world have been left in their natural state, and are today primarily used for recreation, while others are used for logging, mining, grazing, or see little use. Some mountains offer spectacular views from their summits, while others are densely wooded. Summit accessibility is affected by height, steepness, latitude, terrain, weather. Roads, lifts, or tramways affect accessibility. Hiking, backpacking, mountaineering, rock climbing, ice climbing, downhill skiing, and snowboarding are recreational activities enjoyed on mountains. Mountains that support heavy recreational use (especially downhill skiing) are often the locations of mountain resorts. Mountains are made up of earth and rock materials. The outermost layer of the Earth or the Earth's crust is composed of six plates. When two plates move or collide each other, vast land areas are uplifted, resulting in the formation of mountains. Depending upon the geological process, as to how the mountains are formed and the mountain characteristics, there are five major types of mountains. Fold Mountains: Fold mountains are the most common type of mountains. Examples of fold mountains are the Himalayas (Asia), the Alps (Europe). They are formed due to collision of two plates, causing folding of the Earth's crust.

The fold that descends on both sides is called anticline; whereas, the fold that ascends from a common low point (on both sides) is called syncline.

Fault-Block Mountains: As the name suggests, fault mountains or fault-block mountains are formed when blocks of rock materials slide along faults in the Earth's crust. There are two types of block mountains, namely the lifted and tilted. In the former type, the mountain has two steep sides; whereas, the tilted type has one steep side and gentle sloping side. Example of fault-block mountain is the Sierra Nevada mountains (North America).

Volcanic Mountains: Volcanic mountains are formed due to volcanic eruptions, for e.g. Mount Fuji (Japan). They are formed when volcanic magma erupts and piles up on the surface of the Earth.

Dome Mountains: Dome mountains are formed when the hot magma rises from the mantle and uplifts the overlying sedimentary layer of the Earth's crust. In the process, the magma is not erupted, but it cools down and forms the core of the mountain. Example of dome mountain is the Navajo Mountain in Utah. They are called dome mountains due to their appearance that resembles dome shape.

Plateau Mountains: Plateau mountains are pseudo mountains that are formed because of erosion. An example of plateau mountain is the Catskill Mountains (New York). They usually occur near the fold mountain ranges.

There are also some mountains that are formed as a result of many forces of the Earth. Though the Rockies in North America is formed due to folding, there are mountains in the same range that are formed by faulting and doming. In nature, there is a continuous process of glaciation, soil erosion, and mechanical and chemical weathering, which altogether play a major role in altering the shape and characteristics of mountains.

The view of Jeff Davis Peak from the glacier-carved summit of Wheeler Peak, Nevada. Because Boundary Peak, Nevada is partially in California, and is actually a sub-peak of Montgomery Peak, the shorter Wheeler Peak can be considered the tallest mountain in Nevada.

Mount Damavand, Iran

Five Finger Mountain, Azerbaijan

plain
In geography, a plain is land with relatively low relief, that is flat or gently rolling. Prairies and steppes are types of plains, and the archetype for a plain is often thought of as a grassland, but plains in their natural state may also be covered in shrublands, woodland and forest, or vegetation may be absent in the case of sandy or stony plains in hot deserts. Types of flatlands for which the term is not generally used include those covered entirely and permanently by swamps, marshes, playas, or ice sheets.

Plains occur as lowlands and at the bottoms of valleys but also on plateaus at high elevations. In a valley, a plain is enclosed on two sides but in other cases a plain may be delineated by a complete or partial ring of hills, by mountains or cliffs. Where a geological region contains more than one plain, they may be connected by a pass (sometime termed a gap). Plains may have been formed from flowing lava, deposited by water, ice or wind, or formed by erosion by these agents from hills and mountains. Plains in many areas are important for agriculture, because where the soils were deposited as sediments they may be deep and fertile, and the flatness facilitates mechanization of crop production; or because they support grasslands which provide good grazing for livestock.

Hills
A hill is a landform that extends above the surrounding terrain. Hills often have a distinct summit, although in areas with scarp/dip topography a hill may refer to a particular section of flat terrain without a massive summit (e.g. Box Hill).

The panoramic view from Connors Hill, near Swifts Creek, Victoria

a hill is generally somewhat lower and less steep than a mountain. In the United Kingdom geographers historically regarded mountains as hills greater than 1,000 feet (300 m) above sea level, which formed the basis of the plot of the 1995 film The Englishman Who Went Up a Hill But Came Down a Mountain. In contrast, hillwalkers have tended to regard mountains as peaks 2,000 feet (610 m) above sea level. The Oxford English Dictionary also suggests a limit of 2,000 feet (610 m). This has led to Cavanal Hill in Poteau, Oklahoma, receive billing as the "World's Tallest Hill" due to its height of 1,999 feet (609 m). Mountains in Scotland are frequently referred to as "hills" no matter what their height, as reflected in names such as the Cuillin Hills and the Torridon Hills. In

Wales, the distinction is more a term of land use and appearance and has nothing to do with height. A hillock is a small hill. Other words include knoll and (in Scotland, Northern Ireland and northern England) its variant, knowe.[1] Artificial hills may be referred to by a variety of technical names, including mound and tumulus.

Hills of the Judean Desert.

Hills may form through a number of geomorphic phenomena: faulting, erosion of larger landforms, such as mountains and movement and deposition of sediment by glaciers (eg. moraines and drumlins, or by erosion exposing solid rock which then weathers down into a hill. The rounded peaks of hills results from the diffusive movement of soil and regolith covering the hill, a process known as downhill creep. Areas that would otherwise have hills do not because of glacier cover during the Ice Age. The hills that existed before the ice age were worn down by the ice (and the rocks they carry) and/or the surrounding valleys and hollows were filled in with glacial drift, therefore leaving a level topography. The contrast between the flat plains of northern Indiana, once covered by ice, and the rugged hills of southern Indiana, where the ice never reached, is a result of this. Another example is the Driftless Zone, an island of hilly country that the ice sheets missed, surrounded by glacial plains, also in the American Midwest.

Glacier
A glacier is a large persistent body of ice. Originating on land, a glacier flows slowly due to stresses induced by its weight. The crevasses and other distinguishing features of a glacier are due to its flow. Another consequence of glacier flow is the transport of rock and debris abraded from its substrate and resultant landforms like cirques and moraines. A glacier forms in a location where the accumulation of snow and sleet exceeds its ablation (melting and sublimation) over many years, often decades or centuries. A glacier is distinct from sea ice and lake ice that form on the surface of bodies of water. The word glacier comes from French. It is derived from the Vulgar Latin glacia and ultimately from Latin glacies meaning ice.[1] The processes and features caused by glaciers and related to them are referred to as glacial. The process of glacier establishment, growth and flow is called glaciation. The corresponding area of study is called glaciology. Glaciers are important components of the global cryosphere. On Earth, 99% glacial ice is contained within vast ice sheets in polar regions, but glaciers may be found in mountain ranges of every continent except Australia. In the tropics, glaciers occur only on high mountains.[2] Glacial ice is the largest reservoir of freshwater on Earth. Many glaciers store water during one season and release it later as meltwater, a water source that is especially important for plants, animals and human uses when other sources may be scant. Because glacial mass is affected by long-term climate changes, e.g., precipitation, mean temperature, and cloud cover, glacial mass changes are considered among the most sensitive indicators of climate change and are a major source of variations in sea level.

The Baltoro Glacier in the Karakoram Mountains, Pakistan. At 62 kilometres (39 mi) in length, it is one of the longest alpine glaciers on earth

Ice calving from the terminus of the Perito Moreno Glacier, in western Patagonia, Argentina

What are Landforms?

Landforms are features that make up the Earths surface. There are many kinds of landforms like deserts, mountains and valleys. How are Landforms Made?

Some landforms are created by the action of wind, water, and ice. This action physically changes the Earths surface by carving and eroding land surfaces, carrying and depositing soil, sand and other debris. Crustal movement and other tectonic activity inside Earth create landforms; mountains, faults, sinks, and volcanoes.

Landforms are defined as the natural physical features found on the surface of the earth. Landforms are created as a result of the various

forces of nature such as wind, water and ice and also by the movement of the earths tectonic plates. For example, due to these actions, the soil gets eroded and deposited somewhere far from the site of erosion, thus leads to the formation of different landforms. Some landforms are created in a matter of few hours; others take millions of years to appear. A group of landforms in a particular area is called its landscape. Types and Characteristic Features of Landforms There are many types of landforms on the earths surface. Each landform is characterized by its slope, elevation, soil and rock type, stratification and orientation. Following is the list of some of the common types of landforms and their characteristics: Mountains: Mountains are areas, which are higher than the surrounding areas and are characterized by a peak, e.g. The Himalayas. Surprisingly, they are more frequently present in the oceans than in land. A mountain is steeper than a hill. Mountains are formed due the tectonic movement such as an earthquake or a volcanic eruption. A few are resulted due to erosion of the surrounding areas by the action of wind, water or ice. Plateaus: Plateaus are large highland flat areas separated from the surrounding areas by a steep slope, e.g. The Tibetan plateau. Plateaus are formed due to various actions such as collision of the earths tectonic plates, uplift of the earths crust by the action of magma; some are resulted due to the lava flow from the volcanic eruption. Islands: Islands are areas that are completely surrounded by water, e.g. The Hawaiian Islands. Islands are formed either as a result of the volcanic eruption or due the presence of hot spots on the lithosphere. Plains: Plains are flat areas or low relief areas on the earths surface, e.g. prairies, steppes. Plains are formed due to the sedimentation of the eroded soil from the hills and mountains or due to the flowing lava deposited by the agents of wind, water and ice. Valleys: Valleys are flat areas of land between the hills or mountains, e.g. The California Central Valley. Mostly they are formed by the actions of rivers and glaciers. Depending upon the shape, valley forms are classified as U-shaped or V-shaped valley. V-shaped valleys are formed by flowing water or rivers, whereas U-shaped valleys are formed by glaciers.

Deserts: Deserts are very dry lands with little or no rainfall, for example, The Sahara desert. Mostly deserts are formed in rainshadow areas, which are leeward of a mountain range with respect to the wind direction. Thus, the mountains block the passage of wind resulting in little or sometimes no rain. Loess: Loess are deposits of silt and with a little amount of sand and clay. Many a times wind action is responsible for formation of loess; however sometimes glacial activity can also form loess. Rivers: Rivers are natural flowing stream of freshwater, e.g. The Nile. They mostly flow towards lakes or oceans but sometimes they dried up without reaching another water body. River water is collected from the surface water runoffs, groundwater water recharge and sometimes from the water reservoirs such as glaciers. Landforms definitely play an important role in the formation of rivers. Oceans: Oceans are the biggest form of water and are saline, such as The Pacific Ocean. Oceans of the world cover around 71% of the earths surface and control the weather and climate of the earths surface. Oceans are originated due the Continental Drift, i.e. the movement of the earths tectonic plates. Glaciers: Glaciers are huge slow moving body of ice. Glaciers are formed due to the compaction of snow layers and moves with respect to gravity and pressure. Mainly there are two types of glaciers - Alpine glaciers, which are formed in high mountains and Continental glaciers, which are formed in cold Polar Regions