Landform
A
landform comprises a
geomorphological unit. Landforms are categorised by characteristics such as elevation, slope, orientation, stratification, rock exposure, and soil type. Landforms by name include berms, mounds, hills, cliffs, valleys, and so forth.
Oceans and
continents exemplify highest-order landforms.
Landform elements are parts of a landform that can be further identified. Landform elements, such as hill-top, shoulder, backslope etc, can be observed on many various geomorphological landforms. The generic landform elements are: pits, peaks, channels, ridges, passes, pools, planes etc, and can be often extracted from a digital elevation model using some automated or semi-automated techniques.
Elementary landforms (segments, facets, relief units) are the smallest homogeneous divisions of the land surface, at the given scale/resolution. These are areas with relatively homogenuous morphometric properties, bounded by lines of discontinuity. A plateau or a hill can be observed at various scales ranging from few hundred meters to hundreds of kilometers. Hence, the spatial distribution of landforms is often fuzzy and scale-dependent as is the case for soils and geological strata.
A number of factors, ranging from
plate tectonics to
erosion and
deposition can generate and affect landforms.
Biological factors can also influence landforms—see for example the role of plants in the development of
dune systems and
salt marshes, and the work of
corals and
algae in the formation of
coral reefs.
Many of the terms are not restricted to refer to features of the planet
Earth, and can be used to describe surface features of other planets and similar objects in the
Universe.
*
alas*
continent*
limestone pavement*
plain and
plateau*
rock formationsSlope landforms
*
cliff *
cuesta*
dale*
dell*
escarpment*
glen*
gully*
hill*
knoll*
mountain*
ridge*
rock shelter*
scarp*
terrace &
terracettes
*
vale*
valley*
valley shoulder*
watershed*
loveCoastal and oceanic landforms
|
Coastal and oceanic landforms. |
*
arch*
barrier bar &
barrier island*
bay &
gulf*
beach &
raised beach*
beach ridge*
boondock*
cape*
cave*
cliff*
coast*
coral reef*
cove*
delta*
dune system*
estuary*
fjord*
headland*
isthmus*
island,
islet,
island arc,
archipelago &
atoll*
lagoon*
machair*
ocean*
Ocean ridge &
oceanic trench*
peninsula*
ria*
salt marsh*
sea*
sound*
spit*
stack &
stump*
tombolo*
wave cut platform*
bar*
basin*
beach*
cave*
cliff*
gully*
island*
lake*
levee*
marsh*
meander*
oasis*
ox-bow lake*
pool*
riffle*
river*
spring*
stream*
stream terrace*
swamp*
valley and
vale*
waterfall*
watershedMountain and glacial landforms
*
arête*
cirque*
crevasse*
cwm*
dirt cone*
drumlin*
drumlin field*
esker*
fjord*
U-shaped valley*
glacial horn*
glacier*
hanging valley*
inselberg *
kame*
kame delta*
kettle*
moraine*
mountain &
mountain range*
outwash fan and
outwash plain*
pingo*
stream terrace*
tunnel valley*
valleyVolcanic landforms
*
Caldera*
Cinder cone*
Geyser*
lava dome*
lava flow &
lava plain*
Mid-ocean ridge*
Oceanic trench*
Vent*
Volcanic island*
Volcano,
shield volcano &
composite volcano (or
stratovolcano)
*
ButteErosion landforms
Landforms produced by erosion and weathering usually occur in coastal or fluvial environments, and many appear above under those headings. Some other erosion landforms that do not fall into the above categories include:
*
canyon*
cave*
lavaka*
limestone pavement*
tea table*Deposition landform -- landforms produced by deposition of load or sediment (usually coastal or fluvial).
*
Eolian landform - landforms produced by
wind weathering.
*
topography*
Landform Design
