Landform Types and Formation

Mountain Formation

• Plate Tectonics: Mountains are formed as a result of the movement of tectonic plates.
  • Continental plates collide, causing the Earth's crust to buckle and fold.
  • Oceanic plates are pushed beneath continental plates, resulting in volcanic activity.
• Types of Mountain Formation:
  1. Fold Mountains: Formed when two plates collide and fold, e.g. Himalayas.
  2. Volcanic Mountains: Formed by volcanic activity, e.g. Mount Fuji.
  3. Block Mountains: Formed when a plate is broken into blocks and pushed upwards, e.g. Sierra Nevada.

Volcanic Landforms

• Volcanic Features:
  • Volcanoes: Landforms that occur when magma from the Earth's interior rises to the surface.
  • Lava Flows: Streams of molten rock that flow out of volcanoes.
  • Volcanic Ash: Small particles of rock that are ejected into the air during eruptions.
• Types of Volcanoes:
  1. Shield Volcanoes: Gently sloping volcanoes with a broad base, e.g. Hawaiian Islands.
  2. Composite Volcanoes: Tall, conical volcanoes with a narrow base, e.g. Mount St. Helens.
  3. Cinder Cones: Small, steep-sided volcanoes formed from accumulated ash and cinder.

Coastal Features

• Wave-Cut Platforms: Flat areas of rock formed by wave erosion at the base of cliffs.
• Headlands: Rocky points that jut out into the sea.
• Bays: Inlets of the sea formed by the curvature of the coastline.
• Deltas: Areas of land formed by the deposition of sediment at the mouth of a river.
• Beaches: Areas of sand or pebbles formed by the deposition of sediment by waves.

Desert Landforms

• Dune Fields: Large areas of sand dunes formed by wind erosion.
• Oases: Isolated areas of vegetation in a desert, often formed around a water source.
• Playas: Dry lake beds formed by the evaporation of water.
• Badlands: Areas of eroded sedimentary rock formed by the action of wind and water.
• Canyons: Deep, narrow valleys formed by the erosion of rock by rivers.