Exploring Earth's Surface Flashcards
Topography
The shape of the land that includes the area’s elevation, relief, and land forms
Elevation
The height above sea level of a point on earth’s surface
Relief
The difference in elevation between the highest and lowest parts of an area
Landform
A feature of topography, such as a hillier valley, formed by the processes that shape Earth’s surface
The three main types of landforms
- Plains
- Mountains
- Plateaus
Plains
A landform made up of nearly flat or gently rolling land with low relief
Coastal plains
Plain that lies along a sea coast; low elevation and low relief
Inferior plains
Plain that lies away from a coast; low relief, elevation van very
Mountains
A landform with high elevation and high relief and usually occur as part of a mountain range
Mountain range
Group of mountains that are closely related in shape, structure and age
Mountain system
The different mountain ranges in a region (ex. Bitterroot mountains are a range in Rocky Mountains)
Mountain belt
A large unit of mountain ranges and mountain systems in a long, connected chain
Plateaus
A landform that has elevation and more or less level surface
Landform region
A large area of land where the topography is made up of mainly one type of landform (ex. Uplands, lowlands, or basin)
