Landforms of the Earth

Anna Mae T. Cayanan BEED2-A

What isLANDFORM?

• A landform is a natural feature of the Earth's surface.

• 2 Processes that are responsible in the changes and formation of landforms:

ENDOGENOUS PROCESSESEXOGENOUS PROCESSES

ENDOGENOUS PROCESSES• Endogenous processes are processes

that happen beneath the Earth such as faulting, folding and volcanic activities.

• Endogenous processes cause many major landform features.

FAULTING, FOLDING AND VOLCANIC ACTIVITIES

EXOGENOUS PROCESSES• Exogenous processes are those that

happen on the surface of the Earth.• 3 main exogenous processes are: WeatheringErosion Deposition

The different landforms of the Earth could be categorized into three based on their size, magnitude and relief features.Relief means highest/ lowest elevation points in an area.

Categories of LANDFORMS according to

RELIEF FEATURES

First Order of ReliefThose are big and vast like the continent and ocean basins.

Second Order of ReliefThose found on the continents and ocean basins. Examples: mountain, volcanoes and plains

MOUNTAIN SYSTEMS• CONTINENTAL MOUNTAIN

SYSTEMSThe mountain systems found on the continents.

• OCEANIC MOUNTAIN SYSTEMSThe landforms that are found under the oceans.

Third Order of ReliefThe landforms that have been formed by different exogenous processes through the different agents of erosion.

• LEFT-OVERSThis means that the erosional forces or the different agents of erosion degrade the mountains, plateaus and other features by weathering them and carrying the weathered sediments to the other places where they are deposited to form another landform.

• The features that have been eroded are referred to as residual landforms and those that have been accumulated are called depositional landforms.

• Examples of residual landforms:River valleys Canyons• Examples of depositional landforms:DeltasSand DunesSandbarsMoraines

MORAINE AND DELTA

SAND DUNE, COLORADO

Categories of LANDFORMS according to

SIZE

Major LANDFORMS

4 MAJOR LANDFORMSPLAINS

• A plain is wide stretch of flat land. This is suitable for planting various crops like rice and corn. Usually, people build their homes and establish settlements with governing bodies in the plain.

PLAIN OF CENTRAL LUZON

PLAIN OF NEGROS OCCIDENTAL

4 MAJOR LANDFORMS

MountainA 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.

ANDES MOUNTAIN MT. EVEREST

MOUNTAIN

MOUNTAIN

MOUNTAIN

4 MAJOR LANDFORMS

Plateau• A plateau is an elevated plain or a

relatively large flat area that stands above the surrounding land. It rises

from 90 to more than 900 meters (300 to 3000 ft). This is suitable for tending

animals as the temperature here is cool. It is also ideal for plants that do

not need much water. 

BUKIDNON PLATEAU

PLATEAU

PLATEAUDECCAN PLATEAU TIBETAN PLATEAU

4 MAJOR LANDFORMS

Hills• It is a land that rises (less than 300

meters) above its surrounding and has a rounded summit. A hill is a land formation that is smaller and less rugged than a mountain.

CHOCOLATE HILLS

HILLS

Minor LANDFORMS

4 MINOR LANDFORMS• VALLEYS- A valley is a low area between hills/

mountains, often with a river running through it.

• POLOLU VALLEY in HAWAII

CAGAYAN VALLEY

NAPA VALLEY in CALIFORNIA

4 MINOR LANDFORMSBASINS

• A basin is a hollow or depression in Earth's surface with no outlet for water. This means that any water that originates in or flows into a basin does not escape it. A basin can be approximately circular, resembling a bowl, or it can be oval-shaped. It can be a small structure, measuring only a few miles in diameter. Often, it is much larger. A basin is usually surrounded mostly by higher land. Depending on where it is located, a basin may sometimes include desert areas, which are arid or dry regions receiving less than 10 inches (25 centimeters) of rain per year.

GREAT BASIN OF UTAH

The Great Basin stretches through more than 200,000 square miles in Nevada and Utah.

4 MINOR LANDFORMS• BUTTES- A butte is an isolated hill with steep,

often vertical sides and a small, relatively flat top; buttes are smaller than mesas and plateaus.

Mittens and Merrick Butte in Monument Valley Arizona

BUTTES OF THE CROSS, UTAH

4 MINOR LANDFORMS• CANYONS- A deep narrow valley with a steep

sides, oftentimes with a stream flowing to it.

GRAND CANYON IN ARIZONA

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