Landforms organized by the processes that create them.
Aeolian landform – Landforms produced by action of the wind s include:
Dry lake – Area that contained a standing surface water body Sandihill Ventifact – Rock that has been eroded by wind-driven sand or ice crystals Yardang – Streamlined aeolian landform Coastal and oceanic landforms include:
Abyssal fan – Underwater geological structures associated with large-scale sediment deposition Abyssal plain – Flat area on the deep ocean floor Archipelago – Collection of islands Atoll – Ring-shaped coral reef Arch – Arch-shaped natural rock formation Ayre – Shingle beaches in Orkney and Shetland Barrier bar – Natural submerged sandbank that rises from a body of water to near the surfacePages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets Barrier island – Coastal dune landform that forms by wave and tidal action parallel to the mainland coast Bay – Recessed, coastal body of water connected to an ocean or lake Baymouth bar – Russian name for the sandbar which forms an estuary lagoonPages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets Beach – Area of loose particles at the edge of the sea or other body of water Raised beach – Emergent coastal landform Beach cusps – Shoreline formations made up of various grades of sediment in an arc pattern Beach ridge – Wave-swept or wave-deposited ridge running parallel to a shoreline Bight – Shallowly concave bend or curve in a coastline, river, or other geographical feature Blowhole – Hole at the top of a sea-cave which allows waves to force water or spray out of the hole Channel – Narrow body of water Cape – Large headland extending into a body of water, usually the sea Calanque – Narrow inlet on the Mediterranean coast Cliff – Tall, near vertical rock face Coast – Area where land meets the sea or ocean Continental shelf – Coastal and oceanic landform Coral reef – Outcrop of rock in the sea formed by the growth and deposit of stony coral skeletons Cove – Small sheltered bay or coastal inlet Cuspate foreland – Geographical features found on coastlines and lakeshores Dune system – Hill of loose sand built by aeolian processes or the flow of water Estuary – Partially enclosed coastal body of brackish water Firth – Scottish word used for various coastal inlets and straits Fjard – Glacially formed, broad, shallow inlet Fjord – Long, narrow inlet with steep sides or cliffs, created by glacial activity Geo – Inlet, a gully or a narrow and deep cleft in the face of a cliff Gulf – Recessed, coastal body of water connected to an ocean or lakePages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets Headland – Landform extending into a body of water, often with significant height and drop Inlet – Indentation of a shoreline Island – Piece of subcontinental land surrounded by water Islet – Very small island Isthmus – Narrow strip of land connecting two larger land areas Lagoon – Shallow body of water separated from a larger one by a narrow landform Machair – Fertile low-lying grassy plain Marine terrace – Emergent coastal landform Mid-ocean ridge – Basaltic underwater mountain system formed by plate tectonic spreading Oceanic basin – Geologic basin under the sea Oceanic plateau – Relatively flat submarine region that rises well above the level of the ambient seabed Oceanic ridge – An underwater mountain system formed by plate tectonic spreading Oceanic trench – Long and narrow depressions of the sea floor Peninsula – Land feature Ria – Coastal inlet formed by the partial submergence of an unglaciated river valley River delta – Silt deposition landform at the mouth of a river Salt marsh – Coastal ecosystem between land and open saltwater that is regularly flooded Sea cave – Cave formed by the wave action of the sea and located along present or former coastlines Seamount – Mountain rising from the ocean seafloor that does not reach to the water's surface Seamount chains – Mountain rising from the ocean seafloor that does not reach to the water's surfacePages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets Shoal – Natural submerged sandbank that rises from a body of water to near the surface Shore – Area where land meets the sea or oceanPages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets Sound – Long, wide body of water, connecting two larger bodies Spit – Coastal bar or beach landform deposited by longshore drift Strait – Naturally formed, narrow, typically navigable waterway that connects two larger bodies of water Strandflat – Type of landform found in high-latitude areas Stack – Geological landform consisting of a steep and often vertical column or columns of rock, and stump Submarine canyon – Steep-sided valley cut into the seabed of the continental slope Surge channel – Type of coastal landform Tessellated pavement – Relatively flat rock surface that is subdivided into more or less regular shapes by fractures Tidal marsh – Marsh subject to tidal change in water Tide pool – Rocky pool on a seashore, separated from the sea at low tide, filled with seawater Tombolo – Deposition landform in which an island is connected to the mainland by a sandy isthmus Volcanic arc – Chain of volcanoes formed above a subducting plate Wave-cut platform – Narrow flat area created by erosion Blockfield – A surface covered by irregular rocks Cryoplanation terrace – Formation of plains, terraces and pediments in periglacial environments Earth hummocks – Small knoll or mound above groundPages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets Kurum – Mantle of loose rocks moving by creeping on gentle slopes. Lithalsa – Frost-induced raised land form in permafrost areas Nivation hollow – Geomorphic processes associated with snow patches Palsa – Low frost heave in polar and subpolar climates Permafrost plateau – Low frost heave in polar and subpolar climates Pingo – Mound of earth-covered ice Rock glacier – Glacial landform Solifluction lobes and sheets – Freeze-thaw mass wasting slope processesPages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets Thermokarst – Irregular land surface of marshy hollows and small hummocks formed when permafrost thaws Landforms produced by erosion and weathering usually occur in rocky or fluvial environments, and many also appear under those headings.
Arête – Narrow ridge of rock which separates two valleys Badlands – Type of heavily eroded terrain Bornhardt – A large dome-shaped, steep-sided, bald rock Butte – Isolated hill with steep, often vertical sides and a small, relatively flat top Canyon – Deep chasm between cliffs Cave – Natural void under the Earth's surface Cirque – Amphitheatre-like valley formed by glacial erosion Cliff – Tall, near vertical rock face Chink , regional term in Central Asia for steep chalk and limestone escarpments and cliffs of height up to 350m, often around flat-top elevations Cryoplanation terrace – Formation of plains, terraces and pediments in periglacial environments Cuesta – Hill or ridge with a gentle slope on one side and a steep slope on the other Dissected plateau – Plateaus area that has been severely eroded so that the relief is sharp Erg – Broad area of desert covered with wind-swept sand Etchplain – Plain where the bedrock has been subject to considerable subsurface weathering Exhumed river channel – Ridge of sandstone that remains when the softer flood plain mudstone is eroded away Fjord – Long, narrow inlet with steep sides or cliffs, created by glacial activity Flared slope – Rock-wall with a smooth transition into a concavity at the foot zone Flatiron – Steeply sloping triangular landform Gulch – Deep V-shaped valley formed by erosion Gully – Landform created by running water and/or mass movement eroding sharply into soil Hogback – Long, narrow ridge Hoodoo – Tall, thin spire of relatively soft rock usually topped by harder rock Homoclinal ridge – Ridge with a moderate sloping backslope and steeper frontslope Inselberg , also known as Monadnock – Isolated, steep rock hill on relatively flat terrain Inverted relief – Landscape features that have reversed their elevation relative to other features Lavaka – Type of gully, formed via groundwater sapping Limestone pavement – Natural karst landform consisting of a flat, incised surface of exposed limestone Mesa – Elevated area of land with a flat top and sides, usually much wider than buttes Mushroom rock – Mushroom-shaped rock formation Natural arch – Arch-shaped natural rock formation Paleoplain - A buried erosion plain; a particularly large and flat erosion surface Pediment – Very gently sloping inclined bedrock surface Pediplain – Extensive plain formed by the coalescence of pediments Peneplain – Low-relief plain formed by protracted erosion Planation surface – Large-scale land surface that is almost flat Potrero – Long mesa that at one end slopes upward to higher terrain Ridge – Long, narrow, elevated landform Rôche moutonnée – Rock formation created by the passing of a glacierPages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets List of rock formations Strike ridge – Ridge with a moderate sloping backslope and steeper frontslope Structural bench – Long, relatively narrow land bounded by distinctly steeper slopes above and below Structural terrace – Step-like landform Tepui – Table-top mountain or mesa in the Guiana Highlands of South America Tessellated pavement – Relatively flat rock surface that is subdivided into more or less regular shapes by fractures Truncated spur – Ridge that descends towards a valley floor or coastline that is cut short Tor – Large, free-standing rock outcrop on a gentle hill summit Valley – Low area between hills, often with a river running through it Wave-cut platform – Narrow flat area created by erosion Wind gap – Topographic gap made by a former waterway Fluvial – Natural flowing freshwater stream Pages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets
Ait – Small river islands (British English) Alluvial fan – Fan-shaped deposit of sediment Anabranch – Part of a river or stream that diverts from and rejoins the main channel Arroyo – Dry watercourse with flow after rain Asymmetric valley – Valley that has steeper slopes on one side Backswamp – Environment on a floodplain where deposits settle after a flood Bajada Bar – Natural submerged sandbank that rises from a body of water to near the surface Bayou – Body of water in flat, low-lying areas Bench – Long, relatively narrow land bounded by distinctly steeper slopes above and below Braided channel – Network of river channels Canyon – Deep chasm between cliffs Cave – Natural void under the Earth's surface Cliff – Tall, near vertical rock face Cut bank – Outside bank of a water channel, which is continually undergoing erosion Crevasse splay – Sediment deposited on a floodplain by a stream which breaks its levees Confluence – Meeting of two or more bodies of flowing water Drainage basin – Land area where water converges to a common outlet Drainage divide – Elevated terrain that separates neighbouring drainage basins Endorheic basin – Closed drainage basin that has no outflow Entrenched meander – One of a series of curves in a channel of a matured streamPages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets Epigenetic valley – Valley created by erosion and with little or no sympathy for bedrock structure Esker – Long, winding ridge of stratified sand and gravel associated with former glaciers Exhumed river channel – Ridge of sandstone that remains when the softer flood plain mudstone is eroded away Floodplain – Land adjacent to a water body which is flooded during periods of high water Fluvial island – Exposed landmass within a river Fluvial terrace – Elongated terraces that flank the sides of floodplains and river valleys Gorge – Deep chasm between cliffs Gully – Landform created by running water and/or mass movement eroding sharply into soil Levee – Ridge or wall to hold back water Marsh – Low-lying and seasonally waterlogged land Meander – One of a series of curves in a channel of a matured stream Misfit stream – River too large or too small to have eroded the valley or cave passage in which it flows Narrows – Restricted land or water passage Oxbow lake – U-shaped lake or pool left by an ancient river meander Point bar – Landform related to streams and rivers Plunge pool – Depression at the base of a waterfall Pothole – Natural bowl-shaped hollow carved into a streambed Rapids – River section with increased velocity and turbulence Riffle – Shallow landform in a flowing channel River – Natural flowing freshwater stream River delta – Silt deposition landform at the mouth of a river River island – Exposed landmass within a river Rock-cut basin – Cylindrical depression cut into stream or river beds Shut-in – Type of rock formation found in Ozarks streams Thalweg – Line of lowest elevation in a watercourse or valley Towhead – Exposed landmass within a river Shoal – Natural submerged sandbank that rises from a body of water to near the surface Spring – A point at which water emenges from an aquifer to the surface Strath – Large valley Stream – Body of surface water flowing down a channel Stream pool – Deep and slow-moving stretch of a watercourse Swamp – Forested wetland Valley – Low area between hills, often with a river running through it Vale – Low area between hills, often with a river running through it Wadi – Hydrological feature Waterfall – Point in a river or stream where water flows over a vertical drop Watershed – Land area where water converges to a common outlet Yazoo stream – Hydrologic term V-shaped valley – Low area between hills, often with a river running through itPages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets Landforms created by extraterrestrial impacts – Collision of two astronomical objects – include:
Central peak – Large impact craters with uplifted centresPages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets Complex crater – Large impact craters with uplifted centres Cratered landscape Ejecta blanket – Symmetrical apron of ejecta that surrounds an impact crater Impact crater – Circular depression in a solid astronomical body formed by the impact of a smaller object Impact crater lake – Lake formed within an impact crater Simple crater – Circular depression in a solid astronomical body formed by the impact of a smaller objectPages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets Lacustrine – associated with lakes – landforms include:
Beach – Area of loose particles at the edge of the sea or other body of water Raised beach – Emergent coastal landform Carolina bay – Elliptical depressions concentrated along the Atlantic seaboard of North AmericaPages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets Dry lake – Area that contained a standing surface water body Chott – Dry lake in the Saharan area of Africa Endorheic basin – Closed drainage basin that has no outflow Lacustrine plain – Lakes filled by sediment Lacustrine terraces – Step-like landform Lake – Large inland body of relatively still water Oasis – Fertile area in a desert environment Oxbow lake – U-shaped lake or pool left by an ancient river meander Parallel Roads of Glen Roy – Nature reserve in the Highlands of Scotland with ancient shoreline terraces Pond – Relatively small body of standing water Proglacial lake – Lake formed by the action of ice Salt pan , also known as salt flat – Flat expanse of ground covered with salt and other minerals Mountain and glacial landform – Landform created by the action of glaciers – include:
Arête – Narrow ridge of rock which separates two valleys formed by glacial movement Cirque – Amphitheatre-like valley formed by glacial erosion Col – Lowest point on a mountain ridge between two peaks Crevasse – Deep crack, or fracture, in an ice sheet or glacier Corrie – Amphitheatre-like valley formed by glacial erosion or cwm Cove (mountain) – Small valley in the Appalachian Mountains between two ridge lines Dirt cone – Depositional glacial feature of ice or snow with an insulating layer of dirt Drumlin – Elongated hill formed by glacial action and drumlin field – Elongated hill formed by glacial actionPages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets Esker – Long, winding ridge of stratified sand and gravel associated with former glaciers Fjord – Long, narrow inlet with steep sides or cliffs, created by glacial activity Fluvial terrace – Elongated terraces that flank the sides of floodplains and river valleys Flyggberg – Isolated, steep rock hill on relatively flat terrain Glacier – Persistent body of ice that moves downhill under its own weight Glacier cave – Cave formed within the ice of a glacier Glacier foreland – The region between the current leading edge of the glacier and the moraines of latest maximum Hanging valley – A tributary valley that meets the main valley above the valley floor Highland – Area of high elevation such as a mountainous region or elevated mountainous plateau Hill – Landform that extends above the surrounding terrain Inselberg , also known as monadnock – Isolated, steep rock hill on relatively flat terrain Kame – Mound formed on a retreating glacier and deposited on land Kame delta – Glacial melt water landform Kettle – Depression or hole in an outwash plain formed by retreating glaciers or draining floodwaters Moraine – Glacially formed accumulation of debris Rogen moraine , also known as Ribbed moraines – Landform of ridges deposited by a glacier or ice sheet transverse to ice flow Moulin – Shaft within a glacier or ice sheet which water enters from the surface Mountain – Large natural elevation of the Earth's surface Mountain pass – Route through a mountain range or over a ridge Mountain range – Geographic area containing several geologically related mountains Nunatak – Landform within an ice field or glacier Proglacial lake – Lake formed by the action of ice Pyramidal peak , also known as Glacial horn – Angular, sharply pointed mountainous peak Outwash fan – Type of sediment deposition by a melting glacier Outwash plain – Plain formed from glacier sediment transported by meltwater Rift valley – Linear lowland created by a tectonic rift or fault Rôche moutonnée – Rock formation created by the passing of a glacierPages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets Sandur – Plain formed from glacier sediment transported by meltwater Side valley – Valley with a tributary to a larger river Summit – Point on a surface with a higher elevation than all immediately adjacent points Trim line – Clear line on the side of a valley marking the most recent highest extent of the glacier Truncated spur – Ridge that descends towards a valley floor or coastline that is cut short Tunnel valley – Glacial-formed geographic feature Valley – Low area between hills, often with a river running through it U-shaped valley – Valleys formed by glacial scouring Slope landforms include:
Bluff – Tall, near vertical rock face Butte – Isolated hill with steep, often vertical sides and a small, relatively flat top Canyon – Deep chasm between cliffs Cliff – Tall, near vertical rock face Col – Lowest point on a mountain ridge between two peaks Cuesta – Hill or ridge with a gentle slope on one side and a steep slope on the other Dale – Low area between hills, often with a river running through it Defile – Narrow pass or gorge between mountains or hills Dell – Small secluded hollow Doab , also known as Interfluve – Land between two converging, or confluent, rivers Draw – A long area of downward sloping low ground Escarpment , also known as scarp – Steep slope or cliff separating two relatively level regions Flat (landform) – Relatively level surface of land within a region of greater relief Glen – Name for valley commonly used in Ireland, Scotland and the Isle of Man Gully – Landform created by running water and/or mass movement eroding sharply into soil Hill – Landform that extends above the surrounding terrain Hillock , also known as Knoll – Small hill Mesa – Elevated area of land with a flat top and sides, usually much wider than buttes Mountain pass – Route through a mountain range or over a ridge Plain – Expanse of land that is mostly flat and treeless Plateau – Highland area, usually of relatively flat terrain Ravine – Small valley, often due to stream erosion Ridge – Long, narrow, elevated landform Rock shelter – Shallow cave-like opening at the base of a bluff or cliff Saddle – Land connecting two high points Scree – Broken rock fragments at base of cliff Solifluction lobes and sheets – Freeze-thaw mass wasting slope processesPages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets Strath – Large valley Summit – Point on a surface with a higher elevation than all immediately adjacent points Terrace – Step-like landform Terracette – Small natural step-arranged soil ridges on hillsides Vale – Low area between hills, often with a river running through itPages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets Valley – Low area between hills, often with a river running through it Valley shoulder – Low area between hills, often with a river running through itPages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets Landforms created by tectonic activity include:
Asymmetric valley – Valley that has steeper slopes on one side Dome – Geological deformation structure Faceted spur – Ridge that descends towards a valley floor or coastline that is cut short Fault scarp – Small vertical offset on the ground surface Graben – Depressed block of planetary crust bordered by parallel normal faults Horst – Raised fault block bounded by normal faults Mid-ocean ridge – Basaltic underwater mountain system formed by plate tectonic spreading Mud volcano – Landform created by the eruption of mud or slurries, water, and gases Oceanic trench – Long and narrow depressions of the sea floor Pull-apart basin – Type of basin in geology Rift valley – Linear lowland created by a tectonic rift or fault Sand boil – Cone formed by the ejection of sand on a surface from a central point Volcanic landforms include:
Caldera – Cauldron-like volcanic feature formed by the emptying of a magma chamber Cinder cone – Steep hill of pyroclastic fragments around a volcanic vent Complex volcano – Landform of more than one related volcanic centre Cryptodome – Roughly circular protrusion from slowly extruded viscous volcanic lava Cryovolcano – Type of volcano that erupts volatiles such as water, ammonia or methane, instead of molten rock Diatreme – Volcanic pipe associated with a gaseous explosion Dike – Sheet of rock that is formed in a fracture of a pre-existing rock body Fissure vent – Linear volcanic vent through which lava erupts Geyser – Natural explosive eruption of hot water Guyot – Flat-topped underwater mountain Hornito – Conical structures built up by lava ejected through an opening in the crust of a lava flow Kīpuka – Area of land surrounded by one or more younger lava flows Lava – Molten rock expelled by a volcano during an eruption Lava dome – Roughly circular protrusion from slowly extruded viscous volcanic lava Lava coulee – Roughly circular protrusion from slowly extruded viscous volcanic lava Lava field , also known as lava plain – Large, mostly flat area of lava flows Lava lake – Molten lava contained in a volcanic crater Lava spine – Vertical growth of solid volcanic lava Lava tube – Natural conduit through which lava flows beneath the solid surface Maar – Low-relief volcanic crater Malpais – Rough and barren landscape of relict and largely uneroded lava fields Mamelon – Rock formation created by eruption of relatively thick or stiff lava through a narrow vent Mid-ocean ridge – Basaltic underwater mountain system formed by plate tectonic spreading Pit crater – Depression formed by collapse of the surface into a void Pyroclastic shield – Shield volcano formed mostly of pyroclastic and highly explosive eruptions Resurgent dome – Volcanic landform Rootless cone , also known as pseudocrater – Volcanic landform Seamount – Mountain rising from the ocean seafloor that does not reach to the water's surface Shield volcano – Low-profile volcano usually formed almost entirely of fluid lava flows Stratovolcano – Type of conical volcano composed of layers of lava and tephra Somma volcano – Volcanic caldera that has been partially filled by a new central cone Spatter cone – Landform of ejecta from a volcanic vent piled up in a conical shape Volcanic crater lake – Lake formed within a volcanic crater Subglacial mound – Volcano formed when lava erupts beneath a thick glacier or ice sheet Submarine volcano – Underwater vents or fissures in the Earth's surface from which magma can erupt Supervolcano – Volcano that has had an eruption with a volcanic explosivity index (VEI) of 8 Tuff cone – Landform of ejecta from a volcanic vent piled up in a conical shape Tuya – Flat-topped, steep-sided volcano formed when lava erupts through a thick glacier or ice sheet Volcanic vent – Rupture in a planet's crust where material escapesPages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets Volcanic cone – Landform of ejecta from a volcanic vent piled up in a conical shape Volcanic crater – Roughly circular depression in the ground caused by volcanic activity Volcanic dam – Natural dam produced directly or indirectly by volcanism Volcanic field – Area of Earth's crust prone to localized volcanic activity Volcanic group – Collection of related volcanoes or volcanic landforms Volcanic island – Island of volcanic origin Volcanic plateau – Plateau produced by volcanic activity Volcanic plug – Volcanic object created when magma hardens within a vent on an active volcano Volcano – Rupture in a planet's crust where material escapes Weathering landforms include:
Bornhardt – A large dome-shaped, steep-sided, bald rock Etchplain – Plain where the bedrock has been subject to considerable subsurface weathering Flared slope – Rock-wall with a smooth transition into a concavity at the foot zone Flute Honeycomb weathering – Form of cavernous weathering and subcategory of tafoni Inselberg – Isolated, steep rock hill on relatively flat terrain Karst – Topography from dissolved soluble rocks Nubbin – Small hill of bedrock with rounded residual blocks Panhole – Depression or basin eroded into flat or gently sloping cohesive rock (Weathering pit) Tafoni – Small to large indentations in vertical to steeply sloping granular rock Tor – Large, free-standing rock outcrop on a gentle hill summit This page is based on this
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