What are landforms The natural shapes or features

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What are landforms? • The natural shapes or features on the Earth’s surface are

What are landforms? • The natural shapes or features on the Earth’s surface are called landforms. • Many different types of landforms can be found on the Earth – here are just a few examples:

Peninsula • Peninsula – a large piece of land that juts far out into

Peninsula • Peninsula – a large piece of land that juts far out into the water and is almost surrounded by water. • Florida is a peninsula.

Harbor • Harbor – a deep, sheltered bay. • The Statue of Liberty is

Harbor • Harbor – a deep, sheltered bay. • The Statue of Liberty is in New York Harbor.

Bay • Bay – a small area of sea or lake partly enclosed by

Bay • Bay – a small area of sea or lake partly enclosed by dry land. Coves and inlets are very small bays. • The Golden Gate Bridge is in the San Francisco Bay.

Island • Island – a piece of land that is smaller than a continent

Island • Island – a piece of land that is smaller than a continent and completely surrounded by water. • The famous prison, Alcatraz, was built on an island in the San Francisco Bay!

Mountains • Mountain – a rugged, upthrust mass of rock that looms high above

Mountains • Mountain – a rugged, upthrust mass of rock that looms high above the surrounding land. • The Earth’s highest mountain is Mount Everest (29, 029 ft). Highest in the US is Denali in Alaska (Mt. Mc. Kinley – 20, 310 ft)

River • River – a long, large stream. • The Mississippi River is the

River • River – a long, large stream. • The Mississippi River is the largest river in the United States.

Coast • Coast – the edge of land that borders a body of water.

Coast • Coast – the edge of land that borders a body of water. • Most of the world’s major cities are along coasts or rivers leading to coasts.

Valley River made • Valley – a gently sloping depression between hills or mountains.

Valley River made • Valley – a gently sloping depression between hills or mountains. • Yosemite Valley in California is a glacial valley (one formed by a glacier). Glacier made

Desert • Desert – a very dry or desolate land that receives little or

Desert • Desert – a very dry or desolate land that receives little or no rainfall. • The largest desert is the Sahara in Africa which is 3. 5 million square miles.

Oasis • Oasis - an isolated green spot in the desert where water flows

Oasis • Oasis - an isolated green spot in the desert where water flows up from an underground spring. • The Sahara Desert has about 90 oases.

Prairie • Prairie – a temperate grassland characterized by a rich variety of grasses.

Prairie • Prairie – a temperate grassland characterized by a rich variety of grasses. • Prairie once covered more than 400, 000 square miles of North America.

Delta • Delta – a fan shaped deposit of mud and sand, often green

Delta • Delta – a fan shaped deposit of mud and sand, often green with vegetation, found at the mouths of many rivers. • There is a delta where the Mississippi River empties into the Gulf of Mexico.

Plateau • Plateau – a large highland plain that rises sharply above the surrounding

Plateau • Plateau – a large highland plain that rises sharply above the surrounding land. • In Idaho, farmers have irrigated and planted crops atop plateaus.

Isthmus • Isthmus – a narrow strip of land that connects two much larger

Isthmus • Isthmus – a narrow strip of land that connects two much larger areas of land narrowly separates two large bodies of water. • The Isthmus of Panama connects North and South America.

Beach Sandy or rocky land at the edge of an ocean, sea, or lake

Beach Sandy or rocky land at the edge of an ocean, sea, or lake

Strait • Strait – a narrow waterway that connects two larger bodies of water.

Strait • Strait – a narrow waterway that connects two larger bodies of water. • The Strait of Gibraltar connects the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean.

Canyon A canyon is a deep valley with very steep sides. Rivers often flow

Canyon A canyon is a deep valley with very steep sides. Rivers often flow through canyons. The Grand Canyon is a perfect example of this!

Hill A hill is a rounded area of land higher than the area around

Hill A hill is a rounded area of land higher than the area around it (not as high as a mountain).

Dune A sand dune is a hill of sand that is deposited by the

Dune A sand dune is a hill of sand that is deposited by the wind.

Cave A cave is a large underground chamber in a hillside or cliff.

Cave A cave is a large underground chamber in a hillside or cliff.

Butte An isolated hill or mountain with steep sides

Butte An isolated hill or mountain with steep sides

Lagoon A shallow body of saltwater separated from the sea by a shallow sandbank

Lagoon A shallow body of saltwater separated from the sea by a shallow sandbank or coral reef

Atoll A ring-shaped coral reef that encircles a lagoon

Atoll A ring-shaped coral reef that encircles a lagoon

Archipelago • A stretch of water containing many islands • A famous archipelago are

Archipelago • A stretch of water containing many islands • A famous archipelago are the Hawaiian Islands.

Fjord • a long, narrow, deep inlet of the sea between high glacier cliffs

Fjord • a long, narrow, deep inlet of the sea between high glacier cliffs

Volcano • a mountain having a vent through which lava and gas erupts from

Volcano • a mountain having a vent through which lava and gas erupts from the earth's crust • there are 169 volcanoes in the United States

Cliff • a steep rock face at the edge of the sea

Cliff • a steep rock face at the edge of the sea

Tributary a river or stream flowing into a larger river

Tributary a river or stream flowing into a larger river

There are many more landforms that make up our beautiful planet, but for now….

There are many more landforms that make up our beautiful planet, but for now…. That’s ALL folks!