Forces Shaping the Earth's Surface

What are the physical elements of landforms that comprise a landscape?

What is the primary distinction between internal and external forces that shape the Earth's surface?

What type of landscape is characterized by streams and river channels that are dry for most of the year?

What type of landscapes are characterized by the presence of glaciers?

What is the definition of a landform?

What is an example of a biological factor that can influence landforms?

What is the main geomorphic agent in coastal landscapes?

Who is credited with the observation that rocks over Lower Egypt contained marine fossils, suggesting sea level changes?

What is the primary process responsible for creating and affecting landforms?

What is the term for the study of the Earth's physical features?

What is the term for the visual and physical characteristics of an area?

Which ancient Greek philosopher described erosion by rivers and deposition in deltas?

What is the term for the study of the shape and character of the land surface?

Who is associated with the concept of the geographical cycle of erosion in humid and arid areas?

Forces Shaping the Earth's Surface

Internal forces: tectonic movements, volcanic activities, earthquakes
External forces: denudational processes (weathering, mass wasting, glacial, fluvial, wind actions)

Landform and Landscape

Landform: the shape and character of the land surface resulting from the interaction of physical and human processes
Landform: a specific geomorphic feature on the Earth, ranging from large scale features (plains and mountain ranges) to minor features (individual gullies, faults, and valleys)
Landscape: comprises the visible features of an area of land, including physical elements of landforms, living elements of land cover, and human elements
Landscape: an overlay of physical and cultural elements on Earth

Landscape Types/Classification

Arid landscapes: environments where streams and river channels are dry for most of the year
Arid landscapes have two types of landforms:
- those where wind is the main agent of erosion/evolution
- those where water is the main agent of erosion/evolution
Coastal landscapes: environments where water is the main geomorphic agent
Coastal landscapes have landforms created by both water and wind
Humid landscapes, volcanic landscapes, and glacial landscapes are also classified landscape types

Historical Development of Geomorphology

Ancient Period: includes works of Herodotus, Aristotle, Ptolemy, and Strabo
Dark Ages: includes the concept of the Noachian Deluge and Avicenna
Renaissance: includes the works of Leonardo da Vinci, Buffon, Gutterhard, James Hutton, John Playfair, and Charles Lyell
Modern Period: includes the geographical cycle of erosion, qualitative and quantitative geomorphology, and concepts from W.M.Davis, Walther Penck, Crickmay, Johnson, and Agassiz

Historical Figures

Herodotus (485?-425 B.C.): suggested sea level changes and the formation of the Nile Delta over thousands of years
Aristotle (384-322 B.C.): described erosion by rivers and deposition in deltas, and proposed that land can be raised from beneath the ocean

This quiz covers the internal and external forces that shape the Earth's surface, including tectonic movements, volcanic activities, and denudational processes. Learn about the formation of landforms and landscapes.