Landforms Flashcards
Archipelago
A group or chain of islands clustered together in a sea or ocean
Alluvial Fan
Fan shaped deposit of sediment crossed and built up by streams
Bay
A wide inlet of the sea (smaller than a gulf)
Butte
a raised, flat area of land with steep cliffs, smaller than a mesa
Canyon
A narrow valley with steep sides
Cape
Curved or hooked piece of land that extends into a body of water.
Cliffs
High, steep slope of rock
Delta
Land built up by deposits of sand and silt at the mouth of some rivers
Desert
Dry, barren region. Usually sandy with little rainfall
Dune
Hill of sand created by wind
Fjord
Long, narrow inlet of the sea between high cliffs
Glacier
A large body of slow moving ice
Gulf
A deep inlet of the sea almost surrounded by land, with a narrow mouth
Hill
Raised part of the Earth’s surface with sloping sides
Island
Area of land completely surrounded by water
Isthmus
Narrow strip of land with water on both sides that connect two larger pieces of land
Lake
A large body of water completely surrounded by land
Mesa
An elevated area of land with a flat top and steep cliff sides, larger than a butte
Mountain
A large landform that stretches above the surrounding land (generally steeper than a hill)
Natural Arch
an arch-shaped structure formed as a result of natural processes within a rock feature such as a cliff
Oasis
A fertile place in the desert with water and some vegetation
Ocean
A large body of salt water that surrounds a continent
Peninsula
A piece of land surrounded by water on three sides
Plain
A broad, flat area usually low in elevation
Plateau
A flat highland area with one steep face
River
A large stream of water that flows through the land into a lake, ocean, or other body of water -Source: where the river begins -Mouth: where the river empties into a larger body of water
Sea
A large body of water partly or completely surrounded by land (larger than a lake)
Strait
A narrow body of water that connects two larger bodies of water
Tributary
A river or stream that flows into a larger river
Valley
The lowland between hills or mountains
Volcano
A mountain with a crater through which lava, steam, and ashes erupt from below the Earth’s crust
Waterfall
a cascade of water falling from a height, formed when a river or stream flows over a precipice or steep incline
