Landforms Field Guide

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Olivia Shields
7 years ago
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1 Landforms Field Guide Name

2 Definition: A canyon is a deep valley between cliffs often carved from the landscape by a river. Canyons are formed by erosion caused by rivers. Cliffs on either side of a canyon are made of harder rock, but the area that has been worn away tends to be of a softer rock which is easily worn down by water, ice and also by wind. Landform: Definition: Mountains are formed by slow but gigantic movements of the earth's crust (the outer layer of the Earth). The Earth's crust is made up of 6 huge slabs called plates, which fit together like a jigsaw puzzle. When two slabs of the earth's crust smash into each other the land can be pushed upwards, forming mountains. Mountains are usually much taller than the land around it.

3 Definition: A valley is a hollow depression of the earth bounded by hills or mountains, formed by water and/or ice erosion. Rivers and streams flowing through valleys drain interior land regions to the ocean. At the bottom of many valleys is fertile soil, which makes excellent farmland. Most valleys on dry land are formed by running water of streams and rivers.the bottom of a valley is called its floor. Most floors slope downstream. Landform: Definition: This is a picture of a plateau. In geology a plateau is also called a tableland. It is an area of highland, usually consisting of mostly flat land.

4 Definition: This is a plain. A plain is an area of land that is usually flat. Prairies are a type of plain. We usually think of a plain as a grassland, but plains may also be dry like this sandy or stony plains in hot deserts. In a valley, a plain is enclosed on two sides by hills or mountains. Plains may have been formed from flowing lava, deposited by water, ice, or wind, or formed by erosion from soil carried down from the surrounding hills or mountains. Landform: Definition: A dune is a hill of sand build up by the movement of wind. Dunes can be different sizes based on their interaction with wind. Most kinds of dunes are longer on the side facing the wind (windward) where the sand is pushed up the dune, and shorter on the slip face on the side facing away from the wind. Sometimes a valley or trough is found between dunes. It is called a slack.

5 Definition: Beaches are usually found along the shoreline of a body of water. It is usually composed of loose particles which are often made of rock, such as sand, gravel, or pebbles. The particles of which the beach is composed can sometimes instead have shell fragments or coral. Beaches can be located along coastal areas, where wave or current action leaves deposits or deposition and sediment. Beaches are not only found in coastal areas, but can also be found along lakes and rivers where sediment has been deposited. Rivers: Rivers have special characteristics. One of these characteristics is a process called meander. On the inside of a meander bend the water flows slower and soil called deposition is left on the side of the riverbank. On the outside of a meander bend the water flows faster and cuts into the side of the riverbank causing erosion which carries soil into the water.

6 Definition: This is a river that has the process of meander. Find the inside of the bend where the deposition is left behind by the slower moving water. Find the outside of the bend where the water is moving faster and causing erosion. Landform: Definition: Another special characteristic of a river is a flood plain. A flood plain, is flat or nearly flat land adjacent to a stream or river that experiences occasional or periodic flooding. The flood plain is formed by the deposition of sediment from the periodic flooding of a river.

7 Definition: A delta is another special characteristic that rivers can have. A delta is a low triangular area of soil deposits where a river divides before entering a larger body of water like lake or an ocean. Deltas are formed from the deposition of the sediment carried by the river as the flow leaves the mouth of the river. Over long periods of time the deposition builds a triangular shaped pattern of a river delta. Erosion: Definition: Erosion is the removal of solids (sediment, soil, rock and other particles) from the earth's surface and the earth s surface is ground down or worn away. Erosion can be caused by many factors.

8 Examples of Erosion: Here are 2 examples of erosion caused by rain and wind. Mark the landforms present in each picture. Sediment Deposits Definition: This picture shows sediment deposits. Deposition is a process by which material is added to a landform. As water, like a river, ocean or lake slows down, it does not move fast enough to carry the weight of the sediment (soil particles). The sediment was moved from another landform by erosion and is carried by the water or wind to build up and collect on another landform. A sediment deposit is the build up of these materials.

Earth Science Landforms, Weathering, and Erosion Reading Comprehension. Landforms, Weathering, and Erosion

Earth Science Landforms, Weathering, and Erosion Reading Comprehension. Landforms, Weathering, and Erosion Reading Comprehension Name 1 How many people have been to the Rocky Mountains or the Grand Canyon? When people go to visit these natural wonders, they may not realize that it took millions of years for