Landforms

LandformsMrs. Law’s

5th Grade SAIL ClassSeptember 2010

IsthmusLand Bridge of Today

An Isthmus is a narrow strip of land connecting two larger masses of land.

CanyonA Canyon is a deep ravine that is often formed by a river. Sometimes a canyon forms from long time erosion.

Plateau

A plateau is a highland that has a flat top.

GlacierA mass of land ice that flows downhill under gravity

ArchipelagoA large number of scattered islandsin a group

A large number of scattered islands in a group.

FloodplainA plain bordering a river and subject to flooding

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Strait

A narrow channel joining two larger bodies of water.

Peninsula

A piece of land that projects into a body of water and is connected with a larger landmass. It is surrounded by water on three sides.

AtollA ring shaped coral reef that nearly encloses a shallow lagoon.

Natural BridgeA natural limestone bridge, formed by wind and rain.

Volcano

A volcano is an opening, or rupture, in a planet's surface or crust, which allows hot magma, ash and gases to escape from below the surface.

. Volcano erupting.

RIVERThis is a river. A river is a long body of water that covers many miles. All rivers will empty

out into an ocean.

Meander

A meander is a bend in a lake.

HillA hill is a landform that that rises above the objects around it.

SpitA spit is a piece of land that points into the ocean, but is connected to a larger body of land. A spit can be large or small

SEA ARCHThe usual method of forming a sea arch is that a headland focuses incoming waves around its point and onto its flanks. The waves move sea caves into the headland that eventually meet in the middle. Soon enough, maybe in a few centuries at most, the sea arch collapses and we have a sea stack.

FjordA long, narrow, deep ocean inlet, between high cliffs.

BeachA beach is a landform along the shoreline of an ocean,

sea or lake. It usually consists of loose particles which are often composed of rock, such as sand, gravel, shingle, pebbles, waves or cobblestones.

DuneA Dune is a hill of sand or other loose sediment formed by

the wind .

ValleyA valley or dale is a depression with predominant extent in one

direction. A very deep river valley may be called a canyon or gorge.

CAPE AS A LANDFORM

In geography, a cape is a point or body of land extending into a body of water, usually the sea.

MountainA mountain is a landform that stretches above surrounding land usually forming a peak.

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Barrier IslandA long, relatively narrow island running parallel to the mainland, built up by the action of waves and currents, and serving to protect the coast from erosion by surf and tidal surges.