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A landform comprises a geomorphological unit, and is largely defined by its surface form and location in the landscape, as part of the terrain, and as such, is typically an element of topography. Geomorphology (from Greek: γη ge, "earth" μορφή morfé, "form" and λόγος Logos, "knowledge" Terrain, or relief, is the third or vertical dimension of land surface. Topography ( topo-, "place" and graphia, "writing" is the study of Earth 's Surface features or those of Planets Landforms are categorised by features such as elevation, slope, orientation, stratification, rock exposure, and soil type. They include berms, mounds, hills, cliffs, valleys, rivers and numerous other elements. A berm is a level space shelf or raised barrier separating two areas In Geography and Geology, a cliff is a significant vertical or near vertical rock exposure In Geology, a valley (also called a vale, dale, glen or strath and near or in Appalachia, a draw) is "Riverine" redirects here For the use of that term in Maritime geography, see there

Oceans and continents exemplify the highest-order landforms. An ocean (from Greek, ''Okeanos'' (Oceanus) is a major body of saline water, and a principal component of the Hydrosphere. A continent is one of several large Landmasses on Earth. They are generally identified by Convention rather than any strict criteria with seven regions Landform elements are parts of a high-order landforms that can be further identified, such as hill-tops, shoulders and backslopes.

Some generic landform elements are: pits, peaks, channels, ridges, passes, pools, plains; these can be often extracted from a digital elevation model using some automated techniques[1] where the data (various kinds) has been gathered by modern satellites and stereoscopic aerial surveillance cameras. Stereoscopy, stereoscopic imaging or 3-D (three-dimensional imaging is any technique capable of recording three-dimensional visual Aerial photography is the taking of Photographs of the ground from an elevated position Until recently, compiling the data found in such data sets required time consuming and expensive techniques of "Boots on the ground" at many man-hours. Terrain (or relief) is the third or vertical dimension of land surface. Terrain, or relief, is the third or vertical dimension of land surface. When relief is described underwater, the term bathymetry is used. Underwater is a term describing the realm below the surface of Water where the water exists in a natural feature (called a body of water) such as an Ocean Bathymetry is the underwater equivalent to Hypsometry. The name comes from Greek βαθυς deep, and μετρον measure. Topography is a further synonym, and is often illustrated in the form of a contour map. Topography ( topo-, "place" and graphia, "writing" is the study of Earth 's Surface features or those of Planets This article deals with the general meaning of the term "synonym" A contour line (also Level set, isopleth, isoline, isogram or isarithm) of a function of two

Elementary landforms (segments, facets, relief units) are the smallest homogeneous divisions of the land surface, at the given scale/resolution. These are areas with relatively homogenous morphometric properties, bounded by lines of discontinuity. Morphometrics is a field concerned with studying variation and change in the form (size and shape of organisms Commonly the measurements taken are of little significance in terms of A plateau or a hill can be observed at various scales ranging from few hundred meters to hundreds of kilometers. Hence, the spatial distribution of landforms is often scale-dependent as is the case for soils and geological strata.

A number of factors, ranging from plate tectonics to erosion and deposition, can generate and affect landforms. Plate tectonics (from Greek τέκτων tektōn "builder" or "mason" describes the large scale motions of Earth 's Lithosphere Erosion is the carrying away or displacement of solids ( Sediment, Soil, rock and other particles usually by the agents of currents such as wind Deposition is the geological process by which material is added to a Landform or land mass Biological factors can also influence landforms— for example, note the role of vegetation in the development of dune systems and salt marshes, and the work of corals and algae in the formation of coral reefs. Foundations of modern biology There are five unifying principles Vegetation is a general term for the plant life of a region it refers to the Ground cover provided by plants In physical Geography, a dune is a Hill of Sand built by Aeolian processes. A salt marsh is a type of Marsh that is a transitional intertidal between land and salty or Brackish water (e Corals are Marine organisms from the class Anthozoa and exist as small Sea anemone –like Polyps typically in colonies of many Algae ( sing. alga are a large and diverse group of simple typically Autotrophic organisms ranging from Unicellular to Multicellular forms In nautical terminology a reef is a rock, sandbar, or other feature lying beneath the surface of the water (six fathoms or less at low water

Landforms do not include man-made features, such as canals, ports and many harbors; and geographic features, such as deserts, forests, grasslands, and impact craters. Canals are artificial channels for water There are two types of canals water conveyance canals which are used for the conveyance and delivery of water and Waterways ||-||-|-||-||-||-||-||-||-|} A port is a facility for receiving Ships and transferring cargo A harbor or harbour (see spelling differences) or haven, is a place where ships may shelter from the Weather or are stored A desert is a Landscape or region that receives very little precipitation. A forest is an area with a high density of Trees There are many definitions of a forest based on various criteria Grasslands (also called greenswards) are areas where the Vegetation is dominated by Grasses ( Poaceae) and other Herbaceous (non-woody In the broadest sense the term impact crater can be applied to any depression natural or manmade resulting from the high velocity impact of a projectile with larger body

Many of the terms are not restricted to refer to features of the planet Earth, and can be used to describe surface features of other planets and similar objects in the Universe. EARTH was a short-lived Japanese vocal trio which released 6 singles and 1 album between 2000 and 2001 The Universe is defined as everything that Physically Exists: the entirety of Space and Time, all forms of Matter, Energy

Contents

List of landforms

Landform element redirects here.

Coastal and oceanic landforms

Coastal and oceanic landforms.
Coastal and oceanic landforms.

Erosion landforms

Landforms produced by erosion and weathering usually occur in coastal or fluvial environments, and many appear under those headings. Abyssal plains are flat or very gently sloping areas of the deep Ocean basin floor An archipelago (ɑrkəˈpɛləgoʊ is a chain or cluster of Islands The word archipelago literally means "chief Sea " from Italian "Natural Bridges" redirects here for the US National Monument see Natural Bridges National Monument. An ayre is a body of water positioned very near to the ocean and divided from the sea by a narrow bar of land A shoal or sandbar (also called sandbank) is a somewhat Linear Landform within or extending into a body of Water, A shoal or sandbar (also called sandbank) is a somewhat Linear Landform within or extending into a body of Water, Hydrologically an oceanic basin may be anywhere on Earth that is covered by Seawater, but geologically ocean basins are large geologic basins Back-arc basins (or retro-arc basins are geologic features submarine basins associated with Island arcs and Subduction zones. Confluence, in Geography, describes the meeting of two or more Bodies of water. Headlands and bays are two related features of the coastal environment Definition A raised beach or a marine terrace is an emergent coastal Landform. A beach ridge is a wave -swept or wave-deposited Ridge running parallel to a shoreline In Geography, bight has two meanings A bight can be simply a bend or curve in any geographical feature&mdashusually a bend or curve in the line between land The boondocks is a remote usually brushy rural area or a term for a remote city or town that is considered unsophisticated Headlands and bays are two related features of the coastal environment A cave is a natural underground void large enough for a human to enter In Geography and Geology, a cliff is a significant vertical or near vertical rock exposure The coast is defined as the part of the land adjoining or near the Ocean. concordant coastline occurs where the bands of differing rock types run parallel to the Coast. Coral reefs are Aragonite structures produced by living organisms found in marine waters with little to no nutrients in the water A cove is a circular or Oval Coastal Inlet with a narrow entrance A delta is a Landform where the mouth of a River flows into an Ocean, Sea, Estuary, Lake or another river A discordant coastline occurs where bands of differing rock type run Perpendicular to the Coast. In physical Geography, a dune is a Hill of Sand built by Aeolian processes. An estuary is a semi-enclosed Coastal body of Water with one or more Rivers or Streams flowing into it and with a free connection to the open A forearc is a depression in the Sea floor located between a Subduction zone and an associated Volcanic arc. A geyser is a Hot spring characterized by intermittent discharge of water ejected turbulently and accomplished by a vapour phase A fjord or fiord (fjɔːd|fiːɔːd or fiːɔːd is a long narrow Inlet with steep sides created in a valley carved by glacial activity. Headlands and bays are two related features of the coastal environment A pyramidal peak, or sometimes in its most extreme form called a glacial horn, is a Mountaintop that has been modified by the action of Ice during An inlet is a narrow body of water between islands or leading inland from a larger body of water often leading to an enclosed body of water such as a sound, bay, An isthmus is a narrow strip of land connecting two larger land areas An island (ˈaɪlənd or isle (/ˈaɪl/ is any piece of land that is completely surrounded by water in two dimensions above high tide and isolated from other significant For human anatomy see Islets of Langerhans An islet is a small Island. A volcanic arc is a chain of volcanic islands or Mountains formed by Plate tectonics as an oceanic Tectonic plate subducts under An archipelago (ɑrkəˈpɛləgoʊ is a chain or cluster of Islands The word archipelago literally means "chief Sea " from Italian An atoll (pronounced /ˈætʌl/ is an island of Coral that encircles a Lagoon partially or completely A lagoon is a body of comparatively shallow salt or Brackish water separated from the deeper Sea by a shallow or exposed sandbank, coral This article is about a geographic landform For the TV series see Machair (TV series The Gaelic word machair or machar refers to a fertile An ocean (from Greek, ''Okeanos'' (Oceanus) is a major body of saline water, and a principal component of the Hydrosphere. A peninsula is a piece of land that is nearly surrounded by Water but connected to Mainland via an Isthmus. An oceanic plateau (also submarine plateau) is an undersea Large igneous province, the equivalent of continental Flood basalts such as the Deccan Traps A ria is a Landform, often referred to as a drowned river valley. A mid-ocean ridge or mid-oceanic ridge is an underwater Mountain range typically having a valley known as a Rift running along its axis formed by A salt marsh is a type of Marsh that is a transitional intertidal between land and salty or Brackish water (e In Geography a sound or seaway is a large sea or ocean Inlet larger than a bay, deeper than a bight, wider than a Fjord A spit is a deposition Landform found off Coasts. At one end spits connect to land while at the far end they exist in open water A stack is a geological Landform consisting of a steep and often vertical column or columns of rock in the sea near a coast The oceanic trenches are hemispheric-scale long but narrow topographic depressions of the sea floor A tombolo is a deposition Landform such as a spit or bar which is attached to the mainland by a narrow piece of land A wave-cut platform, or shore platform is the narrow flat area often seen at the base of a Sea cliff or along a large lake shore caused by the action of the Some other erosion landforms that do not fall into those categories include:

Fluvial landforms

Mountain and glacial landforms

Slope landforms

Volcanic landforms

Deposition landform

Landforms produced by deposition of load or sediment (usually coastal or fluvial). For the song see CANYONMID. For the band see Canyon (band. A canyon (rarely cañon) or gorge A cave is a natural underground void large enough for a human to enter In Structural geology and Geomorphology, a cuesta (from Spanish: "slope" is a Ridge formed by gently tilted Sedimentary rock In physical Geography, a dune is a Hill of Sand built by Aeolian processes. Aeolian (or Eolian or Æolian) processes pertain to the activity of the Winds and more specifically to the winds' ability to shape the surface of the An erg (also sand sea or dune sea) is a large relatively flat area of Desert covered with Wind -swept Sand with little to no vegetation Aeolian (or Eolian or Æolian) processes pertain to the activity of the Winds and more specifically to the winds' ability to shape the surface of the A gulch is a deep V-shaped valley formed by Erosion. It may contain a small stream or dry creek bed and is usually larger in size than a Gully. This article refers to the landform For other uses see Gully (disambiguation. Lavaka, the Malagasy word for "hole" is a type of erosional feature common in Madagascar. A limestone pavement is a natural Karst landform consisting of a flat incised surface of exposed Limestone that resembles an artificial pavement This is a List of rock formations meaning isolated scenic or spectacular surface rock outcrops Geologically speaking a tea table is a rock formation that is a remnant of newer strata that have eroded away An ait (or eyot) is a small Island found in the middle of a River or Lake. An anabranch is a section of a River or Stream that diverts from the main Watercourse channel (or mainstem) and rejoins the mainstem downstream An arroyo (literally brook in Spanish) also called a wash or draw, is a usually dry creek bed or Gulch that temporarily A shoal or sandbar (also called sandbank) is a somewhat Linear Landform within or extending into a body of Water, A bayou (pronounced oʊ or uː is a small slow-moving Stream or creek or a lake or pool ( bayou lake) that lies in an abandoned channel of a stream Not to be confused with the River Braid Ballymena, Northern Ireland. Carolina bays are elliptical depressions concentrated along the Atlantic seaboard within coastal Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, North Carolina A drainage basin is an extent of Land where Water from Rain or Snow melt drains downhill into a body of water such as a River, A cave is a natural underground void large enough for a human to enter In Geography and Geology, a cliff is a significant vertical or near vertical rock exposure An endorheic basin (from Greek endo ‘inside’ + rhein ‘to flow’ also terminal or closed basin) is a closed Drainage basin An exhumed river channel is a ridge of Sandstone that remains when the softer flood plain Mudstone is eroded away foreland basin is a depression that develops adjacent and parallel to a mountain belt An ice dam (or ice jam) occurs when water builds up behind a blockage of ice An island (ˈaɪlənd or isle (/ˈaɪl/ is any piece of land that is completely surrounded by water in two dimensions above high tide and isolated from other significant A Lacustrine plain is a Plain that originally formed in a Lacustrine environment that is as the bed of a Lake, but from which the water has disappeared A lake (from Latin lacus) is a Terrain feature (or Physical feature) a body of Liquid on the surface of a world that is localized to the Dike (constructionEmbankmentA levee, levée, dike (or dyke) embankment, floodbank or stopbank is a natural or artificial In Geography, a marsh, or morass, is a type of Wetland which is subject A meander in general is a bend in a sinuous watercourse also known as an oxbow loop or simply an Oxbow. In Geography, an oasis (plural oases) or Cienega ( Southwestern United States) is an isolated area of vegetation in a Desert, typically An oxbow lake is a U-shaped lake water body formed when a wide Meander from the mainstem of a River is cut off to create a lake A peneplain is the final stage in Fluvial or stream Erosion. After the streams in an area have reached Base level, lateral erosion A pond is a body of water smaller than a Lake, both being examples of Terrain features Although the term pond is universally used to describe waterbodies that In Geology, a proglacial lake is a lake formed either by the Damming action of a Moraine or Ice dam during the retreat of a melting glacier or The term sedimentary basin is used to refer to any geographical feature exhibiting Subsidence and consequent infilling by sedimentation A swimming pool, swimming bath, wading pool, or simply a pool, is an artificially enclosed Body of water intended for Swimming or A riffle (also known as a swift) is a shallow stretch of a River or stream where the current is above the average stream velocity and where the water forms small "Riverine" redirects here For the use of that term in Maritime geography, see there A spring is a point where Groundwater flows out of the ground and is thus where the Aquifer surface meets the ground surface A stream is a body of Water with a current, confined within a bed and stream-banks Stream terraces are relict features such as Floodplains from periods when a Stream was flowing at a higher elevation and has downcut to a lower elevation A swamp is a Wetland featuring temporary or permanent inundation of large areas of land by shallow bodies of water In Geology, a valley (also called a vale, dale, glen or strath and near or in Appalachia, a draw) is A waterfall is usually a geological formation resulting from water often in the form of a Stream, flowing over an Erosion -resistant rock A drainage basin is an extent of Land where Water from Rain or Snow melt drains downhill into a body of water such as a River, This article is about a glacial landform See Arete for other meanings A cirque ( French for " Circus " is an Amphitheatre -like Valley, or valley head formed at the head of a Glacier by A crevasse is a Fracture in a Glacier caused by a large Tensile stress at or near the glacier's surface A cirque ( French for " Circus " is an Amphitheatre -like Valley, or valley head formed at the head of a Glacier by A dirt cone is a feature of a Glacier, in which dirt which has fallen into a hollow in the ice forms a coating which insulates the ice below A drumlin (Irish droimnín, a little hill ridge is an elongated whale-shaped Hill formed by glacial action A drumlin field is a cluster of dozens to hundreds of similarly shaped sized and oriented Drumlins also called a drumlin swarm. An esker is a long winding ridge of Stratified Sand and Gravel, examples of which occur in glaciated and formerly glaciated regions of A fjord or fiord (fjɔːd|fiːɔːd or fiːɔːd is a long narrow Inlet with steep sides created in a valley carved by glacial activity. In Geology, a valley (also called a vale, dale, glen or strath and near or in Appalachia, a draw) is A pyramidal peak, or sometimes in its most extreme form called a glacial horn, is a Mountaintop that has been modified by the action of Ice during "Glacial" and "Glaciation" redirect here For the geological periods see Glacial period. A glacier cave is a Cave formed within the Ice of a Glacier. Glacier caves are often called Ice caves, but this term is properly used to describe In Geology, a valley (also called a vale, dale, glen or strath and near or in Appalachia, a draw) is A monadnock or inselberg is an isolated hill knob ridge or small Mountain that rises abruptly from a gently sloping or virtually level surrounding Plain A kame is a geological feature an irregularly shaped Hill or Mound composed of Sand, Gravel and Till that accumulates A kame delta is a glacial Landform made by a Stream flowing through Glacial ice and depositing material ( Kame - distinctive A kettle (or kettle hole) is a shallow sediment-filled body of water formed by retreating glaciers or draining floodwaters Moraine refers to any glacially formed accumulation of unconsolidated glacial debris (soil and rock which can occur in currently glaciated and formerly glaciated regions such as those A moulin or glacier mill is a narrow tubular chute hole or Crevasse through which water enters a Glacier from the surface A mountain is a Landform that extends above the surrounding Terrain in a limited area with a peak A mountain range is a chain of Mountains bordered by highlands or separated from other mountains by passes or valleys A nunatak (from Inuit nunataq) is an exposed often rocky element of a ridge mountain or peak not covered with ice or snow within (or at the edge of an ice An outwash fan is a fan-shaped body of sediments deposited by Braided streams from a melting Glacier. A sandur (plural sandar is a glacial outwash Plain formed of Sediments deposited by meltwater at the terminus of a Glacier. A pingo, also called a hydrolaccolith is a mound of earth-covered Ice found in the Arctic, subarctic and Antarctica that can reach up to 70 A rift valley is a linear-shaped lowland between highlands or mountain ranges created by the action of a geologic Rift or fault. The terms side valley and tributary valley refer to Valleys whose Brook or River is confluent to a greater one Stream terraces are relict features such as Floodplains from periods when a Stream was flowing at a higher elevation and has downcut to a lower elevation In topography a summit is a point on a surface which is higher in Elevation than all points immediately adjacent to A tunnel valley is a deep but narrow Valley with a 'U' shaped cross-section and frequently a 'U' shaped plan which is usually found filled with glacial Till In Geology, a valley (also called a vale, dale, glen or strath and near or in Appalachia, a draw) is ALAS was a mid 1970s mostly instrumental Progressive rock group in Argentine rock. In Geography and Geology, a cliff is a significant vertical or near vertical rock exposure A butte (bjut is an isolated Hill with steep often vertical sides and a small flat top smaller than Mesas Plateaus and tables In some In Geography and Geology, a cliff is a significant vertical or near vertical rock exposure In Structural geology and Geomorphology, a cuesta (from Spanish: "slope" is a Ridge formed by gently tilted Sedimentary rock In Geology, a valley (also called a vale, dale, glen or strath and near or in Appalachia, a draw) is In physical geography, a dell is a small Wooded Valley. Like "dale" the word "dell" is derived from the Old English language In Geomorphology, an escarpment is a transition zone between different physiogeographic provinces that involves a sharp steep Elevation differential characterized A glen is a Valley, typically one that is long deep and often glacially U-shaped or one with a watercourse running through such a valley A graben is a depressed block of land bordered by parallel faults Graben is German for ditch. This article refers to the landform For other uses see Gully (disambiguation. This article refers to the geological form For other uses see Horst. A mesa ( Spanish, Portuguese and Arabic for "table" is an elevated area of land with a flat top and sides that are usually steep cliffs A mountain is a Landform that extends above the surrounding Terrain in a limited area with a peak In Geography, a plain is an area of land with relatively low relief — meaning that it is flat In Geology and Earth science, a plateau, also called a high plateau or tableland, is an area of highland, usually consisting A ravine is a very small Valley, which is often the product of Streamcutting Erosion. A ridge is a geological feature that features a continuous elevational crest for some distance A rock shelter is a shallow cave-like opening at the base of a bluff or Cliff. Scree, also called talus and detritic cone, is a term given to broken rock that appears at the bottom of Crags mountain Cliffs or For Strathcona see Strathcona. A strath is a large Valley, typically a river valley that is wide and shallow (as opposed to a Glen which In Geomorphology, a terracette is a type of Landform, a ridge on a hillside formed when saturated soil particles expand then contract as they dry causing them to In Geology, a valley (also called a vale, dale, glen or strath and near or in Appalachia, a draw) is In Geology, a valley (also called a vale, dale, glen or strath and near or in Appalachia, a draw) is A caldera is a cauldron-like volcanic feature formed by the collapse of land following a volcanic eruption Volcanic cones are among the simplest Volcano formations in the world A geyser is a Hot spring characterized by intermittent discharge of water ejected turbulently and accomplished by a vapour phase In Volcanology, a lava dome or plug dome is a roughly circular Mound -shaped protrusion resulting from the slow eruption of Felsic Lava Lava is molten rock expelled by a Volcano during an eruption When first expelled from a volcanic vent it is a Liquid at Temperatures A lava plain, or lava field, is a large expanse of nearly flat-lying Lava flows A maar is a broad low- Relief Volcanic crater that is caused by a Phreatomagmatic eruption, an Explosion caused by Groundwater A mid-ocean ridge or mid-oceanic ridge is an underwater Mountain range typically having a valley known as a Rift running along its axis formed by The oceanic trenches are hemispheric-scale long but narrow topographic depressions of the sea floor A pit crater (also called a subsidence crater) is a depression formed by a sinking of the ground surface lying above a void or empty chamber rather than by A tuya is a type of distinctive flat-topped steep-sided Volcano formed when Lava erupts through a thick Glacier or Ice sheet. An island (ˈaɪlənd or isle (/ˈaɪl/ is any piece of land that is completely surrounded by water in two dimensions above high tide and isolated from other significant Plate tectonics and hotspots Divergent plate boundaries At the A shield volcano is a large Volcano with shallow-sloping sides Note See the Volcano article for information on Magmatic volcanoes such as Mount St A stratovolcano, also called a composite volcano is a tall conical Volcano composed of many layers of hardened Lava, Tephra, and Volcanic A stratovolcano, also called a composite volcano is a tall conical Volcano composed of many layers of hardened Lava, Tephra, and Volcanic

See also

References

  1. ^ Automated landform classification using DEMs

External links

Terrain, or relief, is the third or vertical dimension of land surface.

Dictionary

landform

-noun

  1. Any geological feature, such as a mountain or valley
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