Unit 1: Physical Geography Flashcards
Hill & Mountain
Mountain: a hill exceeding 600m.
Hill: less than 600m.
Plain & Plateau
Plain: a level tract of land.
Plateau: an extensive, relatively flat upland area.
Lithosphere
The crust and that upper layer of the mantle which lies above the asthenosphere.
Compressional Force
A force pushing into a part of the earths crust, causing it to buckle. See also tensional force.
Tensional Force
A stretching force in the earths surface which may cause faulting. See also compressional force.
Anticline & Syncline
Anticline: an arch-like up old in buckled, bent, or contorted rock. See also Syncline.
Syncline: a downfold of rock layers. See also anticline.
Normal Fault
A fault in which rocks have moved down the slope of the fault.
Reverse Fault
A fault, perhaps caused by a compressional force, where movement is up, rather than down, the face over which movement occurs.
Overthrust Fault
A fault that has previously undergone folding, with one set of rock layers pushed up and thrust over other rock layers.
Volcano
An opening of the crust out of which magma, ash and gases erupt. The shape of the volcano depends very much on the type of lava. Most volcanoes are located at plate margins.
Ash-and-Cinder Cone
A volcanic peak with a roughly circular base tapering to a point, formed by layers of ash and lava thrown out during a volcanic explosion. Ash-and-Cinder cones are associated with thick lava and much ash.
Shield Cone
A volcano formed of successive eruptions of free-flowing, relatively thin lava which spreads over a large area, creating a broad, gently sloping dome tens of kms across and around 1km high.
Composite Cone
A volcanic peak with a roughly circular base tapering to a point, formed from lava flows and layers of ash. In a composite cone, smaller cones form through vents on the flanks of the volcano.
Topography
The natural and human features of the earths surface.
