Landforms
What is a landform? These shapes (except for bodies of water) on the earth s surface are all examples of landforms.
archipelago a large group of many islands. The Hawaiian Islands
Lighthouse Reef off the coast of Belize atoll a circle of coral that forms an island around a pool of seawater
bay a body of water, partly surrounded by land, with a wide entrance to an ocean or sea, and is usually smaller than a gulf Galveston Bay in Texas
butte a high, thin, flat topped rock formation Huerfano Butte south of Pueblo, Colorado
canyon a deep valley with steep sides The Grand Canyon in Arizona
cape a piece of land, smaller than a peninsula, that extends into a body of water. Cape Cod, Massachusetts
cave A large hole in the side of a hill or mountain, or in the ground Cave of the Winds, Manitou Springs
cliff a high, steep, jagged wall of rock Chalk Cliffs near Buena Vista
coast the land along a large, open body of water such as an ocean, sea, gulf, or bay.
delta a fan shaped area of small, low, watery islands of sediment at the mouth of a river It is formed from the silt, sand and small rocks that flow downstream in the river and are deposited in the delta.
A delta is often (but not always) shaped like a triangle (hence its name, delta, a Greek letter that is shaped like a triangle).
desert a region of little rainfall, where few plants and animals live
Great Basin Desert Utah
Polar Desert Baffin Island in Nunavet, Canada
dune a hill of sand formed by strong winds Near Alamosa, Colorado Great Sand Dunes National Park
Mesquite Flat Dunes in Death Valley National Park in Death Valley, California Dunes are shaped by the wind, and change all the time.
glacier a large mass of ice that moves slowly down a mountain
1989 1974 1997 1992
2000 2001 2002 2005 2004
2010 2013
gulf a part of the ocean that is extends into the land, has a narrow entrance from the ocean, and is usually larger than a bay.
hill land that rises to a rounded summit, less than 1,000 feet above the surrounding area
island a piece of land that is surrounded by water Galveston Island, Galveston, Texas
a narrow strip of land, between two bodies of water, that connects two larger land areas isthmus The Isthmus of Panama connects North and South America.
lake a large body of water that is surrounded by land
a medium sized, raised, land formation with a flat top and steep sides mesa Parriott and Covent Mesas, Colorado River at Red Cliff Lodge Moab, Utah
mountain a high area of land with steep sides and a sharp peak, that rises 1000 feet or more Mount Elbert
ocean a large body of salt water that covers most of the earth
a large piece of land surrounded on Italy most sides by water, that has long coast lines peninsula
plain a large area of relatively flat land with few trees
plateau a large, relatively flat area of land with steep sides that stands above the surrounding land Colorado Plateau, Arizona
river Mississippi River a large flowing body of water that runs through the land and usually empties into an ocean or sea
a smaller sea part of the ocean that is partly enclosed by land and connects with the ocean through a passage
strait a narrow body of water that connects two larger bodies of water The Strait of Gibraltar, between Europe and Africa
a cold, dry, treeless region near the Arctic Circle where moss, low grass, and lichens grow, but the permafrost remains frozen tundra Denali National Park, Alaska
a long, low place between two mountains. Oahu Valley, Hawaii valley
a mountainous vent in the earth s crust through which lava, gases, and ash are released volcano Mount St. Helens in Washington erupted in 1983
Additional Landforms These will not be included on the test, but might show up as an extra credit question.
a wasteland that has been carved into unusual shapes by wind and water badlands Badlands near Colorado Springs
Bee Hive Geyser in Yellowstone National Park a spring that spouts hot water and steam from time to time geyser
a huge block of floating ice that has broken off a glacier iceberg
lagoon a shallow body of water that is partly cut off from the sea
fjord a long, narrow inlet of the sea between cliffs or slopes Kenai Fjords National Park, Alaska
fjord
a low, wet area where grasses, rushes and cattails grow marsh
oasis an isolated area of vegetation in a desert often surrounding a water source Sahara Desert
a region of flat or hilly land covered by tall grasses prairie
swamp a low, wet area where trees and high shrubs grow Manchac Swamp, in Louisiana
Niagara Falls, New York waterfall A stream of water that falls from a high place
Landforms