Published on: August 11, 2024
REVISION FOR KAS PRELIMS – GEOGRAPHY LANDFORMS
REVISION FOR KAS PRELIMS – GEOGRAPHY LANDFORMS
- Archipelago – A group of islands clustered together in a sea or ocean.
- Arch – A natural rock formation where an eroded area forms a curved shape.
- Badlands – Eroded landscapes characterized by steep slopes and deep valleys, often found in arid regions.
- Basin – A depression in the Earth’s surface where water accumulates, can be either a river basin or a sedimentary basin.
- Beach – A landform along the shoreline of an ocean, sea, lake, or river consisting of loose particles.
- Butte – A flat-topped hill with steep sides, smaller than a mesa.
- Canyon – A deep, narrow valley with steep sides, often formed by a river.
- Cape – A headland of large size extending into a body of water.
- Cliff – A steep face of rock and earth.
- Continental Divide – A ridge separating river systems that flow to different bodies of water.
- Delta – A landform at the mouth of a river where it splits into several channels, forming a fan-like shape.
- Dune – A mound or ridge of sand formed by wind or water flow.
- Fault – A fracture or zone of fractures in the Earth’s crust along which movement has occurred.
- Fjord – A deep, narrow sea inlet between high cliffs or steep slopes, created by glacial activity.
- Glacier – A large, slow-moving mass of ice formed from compacted snow.
- Gorge – A narrow valley between hills or mountains with a stream running through it.
- Grassland – An area where grasses are the dominant vegetation, often found in semi-arid regions.
- Hill – A raised area of land, smaller than a mountain.
- Island – A piece of land completely surrounded by water.
- Kettle – A depression formed by melting ice within glacial deposits.
- Lava Plateau – A flat-topped landform created by the flow of lava from volcanic eruptions.
- Mesa – An isolated flat-topped hill with steep sides, larger than a butte.
- Moraine – An accumulation of glacial debris (soil and rock) deposited by a glacier.
- Mountain – A large landform that rises prominently above its surroundings, usually with a peak.
- Oasis – A fertile area in a desert with a water source.
- Plateau – A flat-topped area of elevated land with steep sides.
- Quarry – A place where stone, rock, or minerals are extracted from the earth.
- Ridge – A long, narrow elevated landform, often the crest of a mountain range.
- River – A large, flowing body of water that usually flows towards an ocean, sea, or lake.
- Sandbar – A ridge of sand built up by the action of waves or currents in a river or sea.
- Sea Stack – A column of rock in the sea near a coast, formed by erosion.
- Sinkhole – A depression or hole in the ground caused by the collapse of a surface layer.
- Spit – A narrow point of land extending into a body of water, formed by sediment deposition.
- Strait – A narrow passage of water connecting two larger bodies of water.
- Tidepool – A pool of seawater left in a depression on the shore by the receding tide.
- Valley – A low area of land between hills or mountains, often with a river running through it.
- Volcano – A mountain or hill with a crater or vent through which lava, ash, and gases are expelled.
- Watershed – An area of land where all the water that falls within it drains into a common outlet.
- Whirlpool – A body of rotating water produced by opposing currents or a current running into an obstacle.
- Alluvial Fan – A fan-shaped deposit of sediment formed where a river spreads out onto a flatter area.
- Bergschrund – A crevice between a glacier and the mountain face it moves down.
- Caldera – A large, circular depression formed by the collapse of a volcano into itself.
- Cave – A natural underground chamber or series of chambers.
- Chasm – A deep fissure in the Earth’s surface.
- Coral Reef – A submerged ridge of rock or coral near the surface of the sea.
- Crater – A bowl-shaped depression at the top of a volcano or formed by an explosion.
- Deltaic Plain – A broad, flat area formed by sediment deposited at the mouth of a river.
- Erosion – The process by which soil and rock are removed from the Earth’s surface by natural forces.
- Estuary – The tidal mouth of a large river, where the tide meets the stream.
- Fen – A type of wetland with peaty soil and standing water.
- Geyser – A spring that intermittently ejects water and steam.
- Glacial Cirque – A bowl-shaped depression formed by glacial erosion.
- Granite Dome – A rounded hill or mountain made of granite rock, typically formed by erosion.
- Hoodoo – A tall, thin spire of rock that protrudes from the bottom of an arid basin or badland.
- Inlet – A narrow body of water between islands or leading into a larger body of water.
- Karst – A landscape formed from the dissolution of soluble rocks such as limestone.
- Limestone Pavement – A flat expanse of exposed limestone with joint patterns.
- Marsh – A wetland area with soft, wet, and spongy ground covered with vegetation.
- Mudflat – A coastal area of wet, muddy ground that is covered and uncovered by the tide.
- Napa – A large, deep and narrow inlet of the sea with steep cliffs, usually caused by glacial activity.
- Oxbow Lake – A crescent-shaped lake formed by the meandering of a river.
- Pinnacle – A tall, pointed piece of rock or a spire-like peak.
- Reef – A ridge of rock, coral, or sand just below or above the surface of the sea.
- Rill – A small, narrow stream or channel.
- Scarp – A steep slope or cliff formed by faulting or erosion.
- Sinkhole – A depression or hole in the ground caused by the collapse of a surface layer.
- Spur – A lateral ridge or offshoot of a mountain or hill.
- Swamp – A wetland area with standing water and dense vegetation.
- Tarn – A small lake formed in a glacial cirque.
- Tectonic Plate – A large section of the Earth’s crust that moves and interacts with other plates.
- Terminus – The end of a glacier, where the ice and debris are deposited.
- Tundra – A cold, treeless biome with short, sparse vegetation.
- Uplift – The raising of the Earth’s surface due to tectonic forces.
- Valley Glacier – A glacier that forms in a valley, flowing downhill.
- Vortex – A whirling mass of fluid or air, such as a whirlpool or tornado.
- Wash – A dry, sandy riverbed that occasionally fills with water.
- Wetland – An area of land where water is the primary factor controlling the environment.
- Wharf – A structure built on the shore of a harbor for docking ships.
- Zigzag – A landform with a sharp, angled pattern, often seen in river meanders or mountain ridges.
- Alp – A high mountain, typically found in the Alps region.
- Arroyo – A dry creek or streambed that temporarily fills with water.
- Bluff – A high, steep face of rock or earth.
- Cinder Cone – A steep, conical hill of volcanic debris.
- Cone – A landform with a pointed top, formed by volcanic activity or erosion.
- Crag – A steep or rugged cliff or rock outcrop.
- Doline – A depression or hole in karst terrain formed by dissolution.
- Drumlin – A smooth, elongated hill formed by glacial ice.
- Eskers – Long, winding ridges of sand and gravel deposited by glacial meltwater.
- Glacial Lake – A lake formed by glacial meltwater or ice-dammed water.
- Jokulhlaup – A type of glacial outburst flood caused by volcanic activity.
- Laccolith – A dome-shaped intrusion of magma between rock layers.
- Pothole – A depression in a riverbed formed by erosion and water action.
- Quagmire – A soft, wet area of land that is difficult to walk through.
- Saddle – A low area between two higher peaks or ridges.
- Sea Cave – A cave formed by wave erosion along a coastal cliff.
- Sill – A horizontal intrusion of magma between rock layers.
- Terrace – A flat, stepped area on a slope, often formed by erosion or sediment deposition.
- Tor – A large, isolated rock outcrop found in upland areas.
- Trench – A deep, narrow depression in the Earth’s surface, often found in oceanic regions.
- Wetland – An area where water covers the soil or is present near the surface, creating unique ecosystems.
