List of landforms

Last updated

Landforms are categorized by characteristic physical attributes such as elevation, slope, orientation, rock exposure, and soil type.

Contents

Landforms by process

Landforms organized by the processes that create them.

Aeolian

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   A group of islands
  • Atoll   Ring-shaped coral reef
  • Arch   Natural rock formation where a rock arch forms
  • Ayre   Shingle beaches in Orkney and Shetland
  • Barrier bar
  • 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   A depositional feature as a result of longshore drift, a sandbank that partially or completely closes access to a bay.
  • Beach   Area of loose particles at the edge of the sea or other body of water
  • Raised beach   A beach or wave-cut platform raised above the shoreline by a relative fall in the sea level
  • 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   A type of landform in which part of a body of water is confined to a relatively narrow but long region
  • Cape   A large headland extending into a body of water, usually the sea
  • Calanque   A narrow, steep-walled inlet on the Mediterranean coast
  • Cliff   A vertical, or near vertical, rock face of substantial height
  • Coast   Area where land meets the sea or ocean
  • Continental shelf   A portion of a continent that is submerged under an area of relatively shallow water known as a shelf sea
  • Coral reef   Outcrop of rock in the sea formed by the growth and deposit of stony coral skeletons
  • Cove   A small sheltered bay or coastal inlet
  • Cuspate foreland   Geographical features found on coastlines and lakeshores that are created primarily by longshore drift
  • Dune system   A hill of loose sand built by aeolian processes or the flow of water
  • Estuary   Partially enclosed coastal body of brackish water with river stream flow, and with a free connection to the sea
  • Firth   Scottish word used for various coastal inlets and straits
  • Fjard   A glacially formed, broad, shallow inlet
  • Fjord   A long, narrow inlet with steep sides or cliffs, created by glacial activity
  • Geo   An inlet, a gully or a narrow and deep cleft in the face of a cliff
  • Gulf   A large inlet from the ocean into the landmass
  • Headland   A landform extending into a body of water, often with significant height and drop
  • Inlet   A hollow of a shoreline that often leads to an enclosed body of salt water, such as a sound, bay, lagoon, or marsh
  • Island   Any piece of sub-continental land that is surrounded by water
  • Islet   Very small island
  • Isthmus   Narrow strip of land connecting two larger land areas
  • Lagoon   A shallow body of water separated from a larger body of water by barrier islands or reefs
  • Machair   A fertile low-lying grassy plain
  • Marine terrace
  • Mid-ocean ridge   Basaltic underwater mountain system formed by plate tectonic spreading
  • Oceanic basin   Large geologic basins that are below sea level
  • 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   Geographical feature
  • Ria   A 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   A cave formed by the wave action of the sea and located along present or former coastlines
  • Seamount   A mountain rising from the ocean seafloor that does not reach to the water's surface
  • Seamount chains
  • Shoal   Natural submerged sandbank that rises from a body of water to near the surface
  • Shore   The fringe of land at the edge of a large body of water
  • Sound   A long, relatively wide body of water, connecting two larger bodies of water
  • Spit   Coastal bar or beach landform deposited by longshore drift
  • Strait   A naturally formed, narrow, typically navigable waterway that connects two larger bodies of water
  • Strandflat   A landform typical of the Norwegian coast consisting of a flattish erosion surface on the coast and near-coast seabed
  • Stack   geological landform consisting of a steep and often vertical column or columns of rock, and stump
  • Submarine canyon   A steep-sided valley cut into the seabed of the continental slope
  • Surge channel   A narrow inlet, usually on a rocky shoreline, and is formed by differential erosion of those rocks by coastal wave action
  • Tessellated pavement   A 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   A 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   A chain of volcanoes formed above a subducting plate
  • Wave-cut platform   The narrow flat area often found at the base of a sea cliff or along the shoreline of a lake, bay, or sea that was created by erosion

Cryogenic landforms

  • Cryoplanation terrace   Formation of plains, terraces and pediments in periglacial environments
  • Earth hummocks
  • Lithalsa   A frost-induced raised land form in permafrost areas
  • Nivation hollow   A geomorphic processes associated with snow patches
  • Palsa   A low, often oval, frost heave occurring in polar and subpolar climates
  • Permafrost plateau   A low, often oval, frost heave occurring in polar and subpolar climates
  • Pingo   Mound of earth-covered ice
  • Rock glacier   Landform of angular rock debris frozen in interstitial ice, former "true" glaciers overlain by a layer of talus, or something in between
  • Solifluction lobes and sheets
  • Thermokarst   Irregular land surface of marshy hollows and small hummocks formed as permafrost thaws

Erosion landforms

Landforms produced by erosion and weathering usually occur in coastal or fluvial environments, and many also appear under those headings.

  • Arête   A narrow ridge of rock which separates two valleys
  • Badlands   A type of dry terrain where softer sedimentary rocks and clay-rich soils have been extensively eroded
  • 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 ravine between cliffs
  • Cave   Natural underground space large enough for a human to enter
  • Cirque   An amphitheatre-like valley formed by glacial erosion
  • Cliff   A vertical, or near vertical, rock face of substantial height
  • Cryoplanation terrace   Formation of plains, terraces and pediments in periglacial environments
  • Cuesta   A hill or ridge with a gentle slope on one side and a steep slope on the other
  • Dissected plateau   Plateau area that has been severely eroded so that the relief is sharp
  • Erg   A broad, flat area of desert covered with wind-swept sand
  • Etchplain   A plain where the bedrock has been subject to considerable subsurface weathering
  • Exhumed river channel   A ridge of sandstone that remains when the softer flood plain mudstone is eroded away
  • Fjord   A long, narrow inlet with steep sides or cliffs, created by glacial activity
  • Flared slope   A rock-wall with a smooth transition into a concavity at the foot zone
  • Flatiron   A steeply sloping triangular landform created by the differential erosion of a steeply dipping, erosion-resistant layer of rock overlying softer strata.
  • Gulch   Deep V-shaped valley formed by erosion
  • Gully   Landform created by running water eroding sharply into soil
  • Hogback   A long, narrow ridge or a series of hills with a narrow crest and steep slopes of nearly equal inclination on both flanks
  • Hoodoo   A 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 rock hill or small mountain that rises abruptly from a relatively flat surrounding plain
  • Inverted relief   Landscape features that have reversed their elevation relative to other features
  • Lavaka   A type of gully, formed via groundwater sapping
  • Limestone pavement   A natural karst landform consisting of a flat, incised surface of exposed limestone
  • Mesa   Elevated area of land with a flat top and sides that are usually steep cliffs
  • Mushroom rock   Naturally occurring rock whose shape resembles a mushroom
  • Natural arch   Natural rock formation where a rock arch forms
  • Paleoplain
  • Paleosurface   A surface made by erosion of considerable antiquity
  • Pediment   A very gently sloping inclined bedrock surface
  • Pediplain   An extensive plain formed by the coalescence of pediments
  • Peneplain   A low-relief plain formed by protracted erosion
  • Planation surface   A large-scale surface that is almost flat
  • Potrero   A long mesa that at one end slopes upward to higher terrain.
  • Ridge   A geological feature consisting of a chain of mountains or hills that form a continuous elevated crest for some distance
  • Rôche moutonnée
  • List of rock formations   Links to Wikipedia articles about notable rock outcrops
  • Strike ridge   Ridge with a moderate sloping backslope and steeper frontslope
  • Structural bench   A long, relatively narrow land bounded by distinctly steeper slopes above and below
  • Structural terrace   A step-like landform
  • Tepui   A table-top mountain or mesa in the Guiana Highlands of South America
  • Tessellated pavement   A relatively flat rock surface that is subdivided into more or less regular shapes by fractures
  • Truncated spur   A ridge that descends towards a valley floor or coastline that is cut short
  • Tor   Large, free-standing rock outcrop that rises abruptly from the surrounding smooth and gentle slopes of a rounded hill summit or ridge crest
  • Valley   Low area between hills, often with a river running through it
  • Wave-cut platform   The narrow flat area often found at the base of a sea cliff or along the shoreline of a lake, bay, or sea that was created by erosion

Fluvial landforms

Fluvial landforms include:

  • Ait   Islands found on the River Thames and its tributaries in England
  • Alluvial fan   A fan- or cone-shaped deposit of sediment crossed and built up by streams
  • Anabranch   A section of a river or stream that diverts from the main channel and rejoins it downstream.
  • Arroyo   A dry creek or stream bed with flow after rain
  • Asymmetric valley   A valley that has steeper slopes on one side
  • Backswamp   Environment on a floodplain where deposits settle after a flood
  • Bar   Natural submerged sandbank that rises from a body of water to near the surface
  • Bayou   French term for a body of water typically found in flat, low-lying area
  • Bench   A long, relatively narrow land bounded by distinctly steeper slopes above and below
  • Braided channel   A network of river channels separated by small, and often temporary, islands
  • Canyon   Deep ravine between cliffs
  • Cave   Natural underground space large enough for a human to enter
  • Cliff   A vertical, or near vertical, rock face of substantial height
  • 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   Area of land where precipitation collects and drains off into a common outlet
  • Drainage divide   Elevated terrain that separates neighbouring drainage basins
  • Endorheic basin   Closed drainage basin that allows no outflow
  • Entrenched meander
  • 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   A ridge of sandstone that remains when the softer flood plain mudstone is eroded away
  • Floodplain   Land adjacent to a stream or river which is flooded during periods of high discharge
  • Fluvial island   Exposed land within a river.
  • Fluvial terrace   Elongated terraces that flank the sides of floodplains and river valleys
  • Gorge   Deep ravine between cliffs
  • Gully   Landform created by running water eroding sharply into soil
  • Natural levee   Ridge or wall to hold back water
  • Marsh   wetland that is dominated by herbaceous rather than woody plant species
  • Meander   Sinuous bend in a series in the channel of a river
  • Misfit stream   a river too large or too small to have eroded the valley or cave passage in which it flows
  • Oxbow lake   U-shaped lake formed by a cut-off meander of a river
  • Point bar   A depositional feature of alluvium that accumulates on the inside bend of streams and rivers below the slip-off slope
  • Plunge pool   Depression at the base of a waterfall created by the erosional force of falling water and rocks where it lands
  • Rapid
  • Riffle   Shallow landform in a flowing channel
  • River   Natural flowing watercourse
  • River delta   Silt deposition landform at the mouth of a river
  • River island   Exposed land within a river.
  • Rock-cut basin   Cylindrical depressions cut into stream or river beds
  • Shut-in   A type of rock formation found in Ozarks streams
  • Thalweg   Line of lowest elevation in a watercourse or valley
  • Towhead   Exposed land 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   A stretch of a river or stream in which the water is relatively deep and slow moving
  • Swamp   A 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   River valley, especially a dry riverbed that contains water only during times of heavy rain
  • Waterfall   Place where water flows over a vertical drop in the course of a river
  • Watershed   Area of land where precipitation collects and drains off into a common outlet
  • Yazoo stream   Hydrologic term
  • V-shaped valley

Impact landforms

Landforms created by extraterrestrial impacts   Collision of two astronomical objects with measurable effects – include:

Karst landforms

Karst   Topography formed from the dissolution of soluble rocks – includes:

  • Abîme   A vertical shaft in karst terrain that may be very deep and usually opens into a network of subterranean passages
  • Calanque   A narrow, steep-walled inlet on the Mediterranean coast
  • Cave   Natural underground space large enough for a human to enter
  • Cenote   A natural pit, or sinkhole, that exposes groundwater underneath
  • Foiba   A type of deep natural sinkhole
  • Karst fenster   An unroofed portion of a cavern which reveals part of a subterranean river
  • Mogote   A steep-sided residual hill of limestone, marble, or dolomite on a flat plain
  • Polje   Type of large flat plain found in karstic geological regions
  • Scowle   Landscape features which range from amorphous shallow pits to irregular labyrinthine hollows up to several metres deep
  • Sinkhole   Depression or hole in the ground caused by collapse of the surface into an existing void space
  • Turlough   Type of disappearing lake found in limestone areas of Ireland
  • Uvala   A local toponym in some regions in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro and Serbia for a closed karst depression

Lacustrine landforms

Lacustrine – associated with lakes – landforms include:

  • Beach   Area of loose particles at the edge of the sea or other body of water
  • Raised beach   A beach or wave-cut platform raised above the shoreline by a relative fall in the sea level
  • Carolina bay
  • Dry lake   Basin or depression that formerly contained a standing surface water body
  • Endorheic basin   Closed drainage basin that allows no outflow
  • Lacustrine plain   Lakes filled by sediment
  • Lacustrine terraces   A step-like landform
  • Lake   large body of relatively still water
  • Oasis   Isolated source of fresh water in a desert
  • Oxbow lake   U-shaped lake formed by a cut-off meander of a river
  • Parallel Roads of Glen Roy   Nature reserve in the Highlands of Scotland with ancient shoreline terraces
  • Pond   A relatively small body of standing water
  • Proglacial lake   A lake formed either by the damming action of a moraine during the retreat of a melting glacier, a glacial ice dam, or by meltwater trapped against an ice sheet
  • Salt pan, also known as salt flat  Flat expanse of ground covered with salt and other minerals

Mountain and glacial landforms

Mountain and glacial landform   Landform created by the action of glaciers – include:

  • Arête   A narrow ridge of rock which separates two valleys
  • Cirque   An amphitheatre-like valley formed by glacial erosion
  • Col   The lowest point on a mountain ridge between two peaks
  • Crevasse   A deep crack, or fracture, in an ice sheet or glacier
  • Corrie   An amphitheatre-like valley formed by glacial erosion or cwm
  • Cove (mountain)   A 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 the action of glacial ice on the substrate and drumlin field
  • Esker   Long, winding ridge of stratified sand and gravel associated with former glaciers
  • Fjord   A 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 rock hill or small mountain that rises abruptly from a relatively flat surrounding plain
  • Glacier   Persistent body of ice that is moving under its own weight
  • Glacier cave   A 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
  • Hill   Landform that extends above the surrounding terrain
  • Inselberg, also known as monadnock  Isolated rock hill or small mountain that rises abruptly from a relatively flat surrounding plain
  • Kame   Mound formed on a retreating glacier and deposited on land
  • Kame delta   A landform formed by a stream of melt water flowing through or around a glacier and depositing sediments in a proglacial lake
  • Kettle   A depression/hole in an outwash plain formed by retreating glaciers or draining floodwaters
  • Moraine   Glacially formed accumulation of unconsolidated 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   A large landform that rises fairly steeply above the surrounding land over a limited area
  • Mountain pass   Route through a mountain range or over a ridge
  • Mountain range   A geographic area containing several geologically related mountains
  • Nunatak   Exposed, often rocky element of a ridge, mountain, or peak not covered with ice or snow within an ice field or glacier
  • Proglacial lake   A lake formed either by the damming action of a moraine during the retreat of a melting glacier, a glacial ice dam, or by meltwater trapped against an ice sheet
  • Pyramidal peak, also known as Glacial horn  Angular, sharply pointed mountainous peak
  • Outwash fan   A fan-shaped body of sediments deposited by braided streams from a melting glacier
  • Outwash plain   Plain formed from glacier sediment that was transported by meltwater.
  • Rift valley   Linear lowland created by a tectonic rift or fault
  • Rôche moutonnée
  • Sandur   Plain formed from glacier sediment that was transported by meltwater.
  • Side valley   A valley with a tributary to a larger river
  • Summit   Point on a surface with a higher elevation than all immediately adjacent points
  • Trim line   A clear line on the side of a valley marking the most recent highest extent of the glacier
  • Truncated spur   A ridge that descends towards a valley floor or coastline that is cut short
  • Tunnel valley   A U-shaped valley originally cut by water under the glacial ice near the margin of continental ice sheets
  • Valley   Low area between hills, often with a river running through it
  • U-shaped valley   Valleys formed by glacial scouring

Slope landforms

Slope landforms include:

  • Bluff   A vertical, or near vertical, rock face of substantial height
  • Butte   Isolated hill with steep, often vertical sides and a small, relatively flat top
  • Cliff   A vertical, or near vertical, rock face of substantial height
  • Col   The lowest point on a mountain ridge between two peaks
  • Cuesta   A 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   A 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
  • Escarpment, also known as scarp  Steep slope or cliff separating two relatively level regions
  • Flat (landform)   A 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 eroding sharply into soil
  • Hill   Landform that extends above the surrounding terrain
  • Hillock, also known as Knoll  A small hill
  • Mesa   Elevated area of land with a flat top and sides that are usually steep cliffs
  • Mountain pass   Route through a mountain range or over a ridge
  • Plain   Extensive flat region that generally does not vary much in elevation
  • Plateau   An area of a highland, usually of relatively flat terrain
  • Ravine   Small valley, which is often the product of streamcutting erosion
  • Ridge   A geological feature consisting of a chain of mountains or hills that form a continuous elevated crest for some distance
  • Rock shelter   A shallow cave-like opening at the base of a bluff or cliff
  • Saddle
  • Scree   Broken rock fragments at the base of steep rock faces, that has accumulated through periodic rockfall
  • Solifluction lobes and sheets
  • Strath   Large valley
  • Summit   Point on a surface with a higher elevation than all immediately adjacent points
  • Terrace   A step-like landform
  • Terracette   A ridge on a hillside formed when saturated soil particles expand, then contract as they dry, causing them to move slowly downhill
  • Vale
  • Valley   Low area between hills, often with a river running through it
  • Valley shoulder

Tectonic landforms

Landforms created by tectonic activity include:

  • Asymmetric valley   A valley that has steeper slopes on one side
  • Dome   geological deformation structure
  • Faceted spur   A ridge that descends towards a valley floor or coastline that is cut short
  • Fault scarp   A small step or offset on the ground surface where one side of a fault has moved vertically with respect to the other
  • Graben   Depressed block of planetary crust bordered by parallel faults
  • Horst   A 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   A structural basin where two overlapping faults or a fault bend creates an area of crustal extension which causes the basin to subside
  • Rift valley   Linear lowland created by a tectonic rift or fault
  • Sand boil   A cone of sand formed by the ejection of sand onto a surface from a central point by water under pressure

Volcanic landforms

Volcanic landforms include:

  • Caldera   Cauldron-like volcanic feature formed by the emptying of a magma chamber
  • Cinder cone   A steep conical hill of loose pyroclastic fragments around a volcanic vent
  • Complex volcano   A landform of more than one related volcanic centre
  • Cryptodome   Roughly circular protrusion from slowly extruded viscous volcanic lava
  • Cryovolcano   A type of volcano that erupts volatiles such as water, ammonia or methane, instead of molten rock
  • Diatreme   A volcanic pipe formed by a gaseous explosion
  • Dike   A 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   Hot spring characterized by intermittent discharge of water ejected turbulently and accompanied by steam
  • Guyot   An isolated, flat-topped underwater volcano 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
  • Lava lake   Molten lava contained in a volcanic crater
  • Lava spine   A vertically growing monolith of viscous lava that is slowly forced from a volcanic vent, such as those growing on a lava dome
  • Lava tube   Natural conduit through which lava flows beneath the solid surface
  • Maar   Low-relief volcanic crater
  • Malpais   A rough and barren landscape of relict and largely uneroded lava fields
  • Mamelon   A 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   A depression formed by a sinking or collapse of the surface lying above a void or empty chamber
  • Pyroclastic shield   Shield volcano formed mostly of pyroclastic and highly explosive eruptions
  • Resurgent dome   A dome formed by swelling or rising of a caldera floor due to movement in the magma chamber beneath it
  • Rootless cone, also known as pseudocrater
  • Seamount   A 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   Tall, conical volcano built up by many layers of hardened lava and other ejecta
  • Somma volcano   A 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 erupted 1000 cubic km in a single eruption
  • Tuff cone   Landform of ejecta from a volcanic vent piled up in a conical shape
  • Tuya   A flat-topped, steep-sided volcano formed when lava erupts through a thick glacier or ice sheet
  • Volcanic vent
  • 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   A natural dam produced directly or indirectly by volcanism
  • Volcanic field   Area of the Earth's crust prone to localized volcanic activity
  • Volcanic group   A collection of related volcanoes or volcanic landforms
  • Volcanic island   Island of volcanic origin
  • Volcanic plateau   A plateau produced by volcanic activity
  • Volcanic plug   Volcanic object created when magma hardens within a vent on an active volcano
  • Volcano   rupture in the crust of a planetary-mass object that allows hot lava, volcanic ash, and gases to escape from a magma chamber below the surface

Weathering landforms

Weathering landforms include:

  • Bornhardt   A large dome-shaped, steep-sided, bald rock
  • Etchplain   A plain where the bedrock has been subject to considerable subsurface weathering
  • Flared slope   A rock-wall with a smooth transition into a concavity at the foot zone
  • Flute
  • Honeycomb weathering   A form of cavernous weathering and subcategory of tafoni
  • Inselberg   Isolated rock hill or small mountain that rises abruptly from a relatively flat surrounding plain
  • Karst   Topography formed from the dissolution of soluble rocks
  • Nubbin   A small and gentle hill consisting of a bedrock core dotted with rounded residual blocks.
  • Panhole   A shallow 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 that rises abruptly from the surrounding smooth and gentle slopes of a rounded hill summit or ridge crest

Landforms by shape

Positive landforms

  • Bornhardt   A large dome-shaped, steep-sided, bald rock
  • Cinder cone   A steep conical hill of loose pyroclastic fragments around a volcanic vent
  • Cryptodome
  • Dome   geological deformation structure
  • Drumlin   Elongated hill formed by the action of glacial ice on the substrate
  • Granite dome   Rounded hills of bare granite formed by exfoliation
  • Hillock   A small hill
  • Inselberg   Isolated rock hill or small mountain that rises abruptly from a relatively flat surrounding plain
  • Lava dome   Roughly circular protrusion from slowly extruded viscous volcanic lava
  • Lava spine   A vertically growing monolith of viscous lava that is slowly forced from a volcanic vent, such as those growing on a lava dome
  • Mesa   Elevated area of land with a flat top and sides that are usually steep cliffs
  • Mogote   A steep-sided residual hill of limestone, marble, or dolomite on a flat plain
  • Nubbin   A small and gentle hill consisting of a bedrock core dotted with rounded residual blocks.
  • Tor   Large, free-standing rock outcrop that rises abruptly from the surrounding smooth and gentle slopes of a rounded hill summit or ridge crest
  • Tower karst
  • Tuya   A flat-topped, steep-sided volcano formed when lava erupts through a thick glacier or ice sheet
  • Palsa   A low, often oval, frost heave occurring in polar and subpolar climates
  • Pingo   Mound of earth-covered ice
  • Pyroclastic shield   Shield volcano formed mostly of pyroclastic and highly explosive eruptions
  • Resurgent dome   A dome formed by swelling or rising of a caldera floor due to movement in the magma chamber beneath it
  • Seamount   A 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
  • Stratocone
  • Stratovolcano   Tall, conical volcano built up by many layers of hardened lava and other ejecta
  • Volcanic cone   Landform of ejecta from a volcanic vent piled up in a conical shape
  • Volcanic island

Depressions

  • Caldera   Cauldron-like volcanic feature formed by the emptying of a magma chamber
  • Cave   Natural underground space large enough for a human to enter
  • Cenote   A natural pit, or sinkhole, that exposes groundwater underneath
  • Cirque   An amphitheatre-like valley formed by glacial erosion
  • Crevasse   A deep crack, or fracture, in an ice sheet or glacier
  • Deflation hollow
  • Doline   Depression or hole in the ground caused by collapse of the surface into an existing void space
  • Gnamma
  • Graben   Depressed block of planetary crust bordered by parallel faults
  • Honeycomb weathering   A form of cavernous weathering and subcategory of tafoni
  • Impact crater   Circular depression on a solid astronomical body formed by a hypervelocity impact of a smaller object
  • Joint valley
  • Kettle   A depression/hole in an outwash plain formed by retreating glaciers or draining floodwaters
  • Lagoon   A shallow body of water separated from a larger body of water by barrier islands or reefs
  • Lake   large body of relatively still water
  • Lava lake   Molten lava contained in a volcanic crater
  • Maar   Low-relief volcanic crater
  • Nivation hollow   A geomorphic processes associated with snow patches
  • Oxbow lake   U-shaped lake formed by a cut-off meander of a river
  • Panhole   A shallow depression or basin eroded into flat or gently sloping cohesive rock
  • Plunge pool   Depression at the base of a waterfall created by the erosional force of falling water and rocks where it lands
  • Pond   A relatively small body of standing water
  • Pull-apart basin   A structural basin where two overlapping faults or a fault bend creates an area of crustal extension which causes the basin to subside
  • Quarry   A place from which a geological material has been excavated from the ground
  • Rift   Part of a volcano where a set of linear cracks form
  • Sea cave   A cave formed by the wave action of the sea and located along present or former coastlines
  • Sinkhole   Depression or hole in the ground caused by collapse of the surface into an existing void space
  • Tafoni   Small to large indentations in vertical to steeply sloping granular rock
  • Thermokarst   Irregular land surface of marshy hollows and small hummocks formed as permafrost thaws
  • Volcanic crater   Roughly circular depression in the ground caused by volcanic activity
  • Volcanic dam   A natural dam produced directly or indirectly by volcanism

Flat landforms

  • Abyssal fan   Underwater geological structures associated with large-scale sediment deposition
  • Abyssal plain   Flat area on the deep ocean floor
  • Bench   A long, relatively narrow land bounded by distinctly steeper slopes above and below
  • Butte   Isolated hill with steep, often vertical sides and a small, relatively flat top
  • Continental shelf   A portion of a continent that is submerged under an area of relatively shallow water known as a shelf sea
  • Cryoplanation terrace   Formation of plains, terraces and pediments in periglacial environments
  • Dissected plateau   Plateau area that has been severely eroded so that the relief is sharp
  • Etchplain   A plain where the bedrock has been subject to considerable subsurface weathering
  • Floodplain   Land adjacent to a stream or river which is flooded during periods of high discharge
  • Fluvial terrace   Elongated terraces that flank the sides of floodplains and river valleys
  • Inselberg plain   Isolated rock hill or small mountain that rises abruptly from a relatively flat surrounding plain
  • Lacustrine terrace   A step-like landform
  • Lava field, also known as lava plain
  • Oceanic basin   Large geologic basins that are below sea level
  • Oceanic plateau   Relatively flat submarine region that rises well above the level of the ambient seabed
  • Outwash fan   A fan-shaped body of sediments deposited by braided streams from a melting glacier
  • Outwash plain   Plain formed from glacier sediment that was transported by meltwater.
  • Paleoplain
  • Pediplain   An extensive plain formed by the coalescence of pediments
  • Peneplain   A low-relief plain formed by protracted erosion
  • Plain   Extensive flat region that generally does not vary much in elevation
  • Planation surface   A large-scale surface that is almost flat
  • Plateau   An area of a highland, usually of relatively flat terrain
  • Polje   Type of large flat plain found in karstic geological regions
  • Raised beach, also known as Marine terrace  A beach or wave-cut platform raised above the shoreline by a relative fall in the sea level
  • River delta   Silt deposition landform at the mouth of a river
  • Salt marsh   Coastal ecosystem between land and open saltwater that is regularly flooded
  • Salt pan   Flat expanse of ground covered with salt and other minerals
  • Sandur   Plain formed from glacier sediment that was transported by meltwater.
  • Strandflat   A landform typical of the Norwegian coast consisting of a flattish erosion surface on the coast and near-coast seabed
  • Strath   Large valley
  • Swamp   A forested wetland
  • Table   Raised landforms that have a flat top
  • Tidal marsh   Marsh subject to tidal change in water
  • Tepui   A table-top mountain or mesa in the Guiana Highlands of South America
  • Volcanic plateau   A plateau produced by volcanic activity
  • Wave-cut platform   The narrow flat area often found at the base of a sea cliff or along the shoreline of a lake, bay, or sea that was created by erosion

Landforms, alphabetic

Further reading

Hargitai H., Kereszturi Á. (eds): Encyclopedia of Planetary Landforms. Springer. https://link.springer.com/referencework/10.1007/978-1-4614-3134-3

See also

Related Research Articles

Glacier Persistent body of ice that is moving under its own weight

A glacier is a persistent body of dense ice that is constantly moving under its own weight. A glacier forms where the accumulation of snow exceeds its ablation over many years, often centuries. Glaciers slowly deform and flow under stresses induced by their weight, creating crevasses, seracs, and other distinguishing features. They also abrade rock and debris from their substrate to create landforms such as cirques and moraines. Glaciers form only on land and are distinct from the much thinner sea ice and lake ice that forms on the surface of bodies of water.

Valley Low area between hills, often with a river running through it

A valley is a low area between hills or mountains typically with a river running through it. In geology, a valley or dale is a depression that is longer than it is wide. The terms U-shaped and V-shaped are descriptive terms of geography to characterize the form of valleys. Most valleys belong to one of these two main types or a mixture of them, at least with respect to the cross section of the slopes or hillsides.

Inselberg Isolated rock hill or small mountain that rises abruptly from a relatively flat surrounding plain

An inselberg or monadnock is an isolated rock hill, knob, ridge, or small mountain that rises abruptly from a gently sloping or virtually level surrounding plain. In Southern Africa a similar formation of granite is known as a koppie, an Afrikaans word from the Dutch diminutive word kopje. If the inselberg is dome-shaped and formed from granite or gneiss, it can also be called a bornhardt, though not all bornhardts are inselbergs.

Butte Isolated hill with steep, often vertical sides and a small, relatively flat top

In geomorphology, a butte is an isolated hill with steep, often vertical sides and a small, relatively flat top; buttes are smaller landforms than mesas, plateaus, and tablelands. The word butte comes from a French word meaning knoll ; its use is prevalent in the Western United States, including the southwest where mesa is used for the larger landform. Because of their distinctive shapes, buttes are frequently landmarks in plains and mountainous areas. To differentiate, geographers use the rule of thumb that a mesa has a top that is wider than its height, while a butte has a top that is narrower than its height.

Mesa Elevated area of land with a flat top and sides that are usually steep cliffs

A mesa is an isolated, flat-topped elevation, ridge or hill, which is bounded from all sides by steep escarpments and stands distinctly above a surrounding plain. Mesas characteristically consist of flat-lying soft sedimentary rocks capped by a more resistant layer or layers of harder rock, e.g. shales overlain by sandstones. The resistant layer acts as a caprock that forms the flat summit of a mesa. The caprock can consist of either sedimentary rocks such as sandstone and limestone; dissected lava flows; or a deeply eroded duricrust. Unlike plateau, whose usage does not imply horizontal layers of bedrock, e.g. Tibetan Plateau, the term mesa applies exclusively to the landforms built of flat-lying strata. Instead, flat-topped plateaus are specifically known as tablelands.

Plateau An area of a highland, usually of relatively flat terrain

In geology and physical geography, a plateau, also called a high plain or a tableland, is an area of a highland consisting of flat terrain, that is raised sharply above the surrounding area on at least one side. Often one or more sides have deep hills. Plateaus can be formed by a number of processes, including upwelling of volcanic magma, extrusion of lava, and erosion by water and glaciers. Plateaus are classified according to their surrounding environment as intermontane, piedmont, or continental. A few plateaus may have a small flat top while others have wide ones.

Geology of the United States national geology

The richly textured landscape of the United States is a product of the dueling forces of plate tectonics, weathering and erosion. Over the 4.5 billion-year history of our Earth, tectonic upheavals and colliding plates have raised great mountain ranges while the forces of erosion and weathering worked to tear them down. Even after many millions of years, records of Earth's great upheavals remain imprinted as textural variations and surface patterns that define distinctive landscapes or provinces.

Ridge A geological feature consisting of a chain of mountains or hills that form a continuous elevated crest for some distance

A ridge or a mountain ridge is a geographical feature consisting of a chain of mountains or hills that form a continuous elevated crest for some distance. The sides of the ridge slope away from narrow top on either side. The lines along the crest formed by the highest points, with the terrain dropping down on either side, are called the ridgelines. Ridges are usually termed hills or mountains as well, depending on size.

Cirque An amphitheatre-like valley formed by glacial erosion

A cirque is an amphitheatre-like valley formed by glacial erosion. Alternative names for this landform are corrie and cwm. A cirque may also be a similarly shaped landform arising from fluvial erosion.

Garibaldi Volcanic Belt

The Garibaldi Volcanic Belt is a northwest-southeast trending volcanic chain in the Pacific Ranges of the Coast Mountains that extends from Watts Point in the south to the Ha-Iltzuk Icefield in the north. This chain of volcanoes is located in southwestern British Columbia, Canada. It forms the northernmost segment of the Cascade Volcanic Arc, which includes Mount St. Helens and Mount Baker. Most volcanoes of the Garibaldi chain are dormant stratovolcanoes and subglacial volcanoes that have been eroded by glacial ice. Less common volcanic landforms include cinder cones, volcanic plugs, lava domes and calderas. These diverse formations were created by different styles of volcanic activity, including Peléan and Plinian eruptions.

Glacial landform Landform created by the action of glaciers

Glacial landforms are landforms created by the action of glaciers. Most of today's glacial landforms were created by the movement of large ice sheets during the Quaternary glaciations. Some areas, like Fennoscandia and the southern Andes, have extensive occurrences of glacial landforms; other areas, such as the Sahara, display rare and very old fossil glacial landforms.

Fluvio refers to things related to rivers and glacial refers to something that is of ice. Fluvio-glacial refers to the meltwater created when a glacier melts. Fluvio-glacial processes can occur on the surface and within the glacier. The deposits that happen within the glacier are revealed after the entire glacier melts or partially retreats. Fluvio-glacial landforms and erosional surfaces include: outwash plains, kames, kame terraces, kettle holes, eskers, varves, and proglacial lakes.

Tuya A flat-topped, steep-sided volcano formed when lava erupts through a thick glacier or ice sheet

A tuya is a type of distinctive, flat-topped, steep-sided volcano formed when lava erupts through a thick glacier or ice sheet. They are rare worldwide, being confined to regions which were covered by glaciers and had active volcanism during the same period.

U-shaped valley Valleys formed by glacial scouring

U-shaped valleys, trough valleys or glacial troughs, are formed by the process of glaciation. They are characteristic of mountain glaciation in particular. They have a characteristic U shape, with steep, straight sides and a flat or rounded bottom. Glaciated valleys are formed when a glacier travels across and down a slope, carving the valley by the action of scouring. When the ice recedes or thaws, the valley remains, often littered with small boulders that were transported within the ice, called glacial till or glacial erratic.

Geology of the Pacific Northwest geology of Oregon and Washington (United States) and British Columbia (Canada)

The geology of the Pacific Northwest includes the composition, structure, physical properties and the processes that shape the Pacific Northwest region of North America. The region is part of the Ring of Fire: the subduction of the Pacific and Farallon Plates under the North American Plate is responsible for many of the area's scenic features as well as some of its hazards, such as volcanoes, earthquakes, and landslides.

Mount Edziza volcanic complex

The Mount Edziza volcanic complex is a large and potentially active north-south trending complex volcano in Stikine Country, northwestern British Columbia, Canada, located 38 kilometres (24 mi) southeast of the small community of Telegraph Creek. It occupies the southeastern portion of the Tahltan Highland, an upland area of plateau and lower mountain ranges, lying east of the Boundary Ranges and south of the Inklin River, which is the east fork of the Taku River. As a volcanic complex, it consists of many types of volcanoes, including shield volcanoes, calderas, lava domes, stratovolcanoes, and cinder cones.

Canadian Cascade Arc

The Canadian Cascade Arc, also called the Canadian Cascades, is the Canadian segment of the North American Cascade Volcanic Arc. Located entirely within the Canadian province of British Columbia, it extends from the Cascade Mountains in the south to the Coast Mountains in the north. Specifically, the southern end of the Canadian Cascades begin at the Canada–United States border. However, the specific boundaries of the northern end are not precisely known and the geology in this part of the volcanic arc is poorly understood. It is widely accepted by geologists that the Canadian Cascade Arc extends through the Pacific Ranges of the Coast Mountains. However, others have expressed concern that the volcanic arc possibly extends further north into the Kitimat Ranges, another subdivision of the Coast Mountains, and even as far north as Haida Gwaii.

Mount Cayley volcanic field A volcanic zone on the South Coast of British Columbia in Canada

The Mount Cayley volcanic field is a remote volcanic zone on the South Coast of British Columbia, Canada, stretching 31 km (19 mi) from the Pemberton Icefield to the Squamish River. It forms a segment of the Garibaldi Volcanic Belt, the Canadian portion of the Cascade Volcanic Arc, which extends from Northern California to southwestern British Columbia. Most of the Cayley volcanoes were formed during periods of volcanism under sheets of glacial ice throughout the last glacial period. These subglacial eruptions formed steep, flat-topped volcanoes and subglacial lava domes, most of which have been entirely exposed by deglaciation. However, at least two volcanoes predate the last glacial period and both are highly eroded. The field gets its name from Mount Cayley, the largest and most persistent volcano, located at the southern end of the Powder Mountain Icefield. This icefield covers much of the central portion of the volcanic field and is one of the several glacial fields in the Pacific Ranges of the Coast Mountains.

This glossary of geography terms is a list of definitions of terms and concepts used in geography and related fields, which describe and identify spatial dimension, geographic locations, topographical features, natural resources, and the collection, analysis, and visualization of geographic data. For related terms, see Glossary of geology and Glossary of environmental science.