CHAPTER 2

LAND & WATER FORMS

• Produce the infinite local variations in the surface of the earth.

LAND FORMS

TWO KINDS OF FORCES

• 1. Forces that wash, that wear down the earth surface.

• 2. Forces that move, push & raise the earth’s surface.

GERMOPHOLOGY

• is a branch of geology that

studies the origin,

characteristics & development

of land forms.

GERMOPHOLOGISTS

• these are persons that

studies the land forms.

ALFRED WEGENEROne of the pioneers of the theory of

Plate Tectonics.

Theory of Plate Tectonics

According to this theory,

the present continents were

once united in one super

continent, which scientists

called Pangaea, and that

over many million of years the

continents broke away from

each other, slowly drifting to

their present positions.

Three Layers of the Earth

1. Crust

• is the outer part of the

earth.

• it varies in thickness from 5

to 20 miles.

2. Mantle

• it is found beneath the

earth’s crust.

• it is composed of rock and

metal.

3. Core

• Inner Core

it is made of

very hot solid

metal.

• Outer Core

• it is

composed of

liquid metal.

Tectonic Activity

• a movement wherein

plates drift, pull apart or

sometimes collide.

Rift

• formed when two plates

separate.

Faulting• the tectonic action that

raises the land to form

mountains.

TSUNAMISGigantic waves caused by earthquakes

in the ocean floor.

LAND SHAPES

Continents

• is a continuous mass of land

surrounded by bid bodies of water.

Continents of the WorldContinent Area/sq. km Percent/earth

1.Asia 45,065,792 30.1

2.Africa 30,302,860 20.2

3.North America 24,345,888 16.2

4.South America 17,870,917 11.9

5.Antartica 13,985,935 9.3

6.Europe 9,841,954 6.6

7.Oceania 8,546,960 5.7

Island

• is a land surrounded by water

and is much smaller than a

continent.

Islands

Island Country Area/sq.km

1.Greenland Denmark 2,175,590

2.New Guinea Indonesia 792,536

3.Borneo Indonesia-Malaysia-

Brunei

725,455

4.Madagascar Madagascar 587,041

5.Baffin Canada 507,451

6.Sumatra Indonesia 427,348

7.Honshu Japan 227,413

8.Great Britain United Kingdom 218,076

Peninsula

• is a tract of land almost

surrounded by water.

Isthmus

• is a narrow strip of land

between two larger land areas.

Cape

• is a point of and reaching into

the sea .

Mountain

• is a landmass that projects

above its surroundings.

Mountains of the continentsPeaks/Continents Country Height/ ft.

1.Everest (Asia) Nepal-Tibet 29,028

2.Aconcagua

(South America)

Argentina 22,834

3.Mckinley

(North America)

Alaska 20,320,19,340

4.Kilimanjaro (Africa) Tanzania 19,340

5.El’ brus, Caucasus

(Eurasia)

Armenia/Russia 18,510

6.Vinson Massif

(Antarctica)

Ellsworth Land 16,864

7.Jaja Peak

(Oceania)

New Guinea 16,500

8.Mont Blanc, Alps

(Europe)

France; Italy 15,771

Plateau

• also called tableland is a level

land higher than its adjacent land.

Typesof

Plains

a.Coastal plains

• are sandy stretches of low and

level land, usually the coastal

areas of continents.

b.Interior Plains

• also called Inland plains are low

and level areas within a continent.

Alluvial Plains

• are formed as a result of

alluvium carried by streams and

deposited in deltas.

c.Glacial Plains

• are formed by the deposits of

continental glaciers.

d.Lake Plains

• are formed from the silt deposited

on the beds of great lakes, which no

longer exist.

Prairies

• are grass-covered plains.

Tundra

• is a frozen, swampy plain.

Steppes

• are plains usually found in

semiarid climate.

WATERAREAS

Four main parts of the Ocean

Ocean Area/sq. km Trench/Basin Depth (ft)

1.Pacific 166,241,753 Mariana Trench 35,840

2.Atlantic 86,557,402 Puerto Rico

Trench

28,232

3.Indian 73,427,457 Java Trench 23,376

4.Arctic 13,223,702 Eurasia Basin 17,881

Sea

• is a great body of salty water

smaller than an ocean, more or

less landlocked.

Gulf

• is a large part of the ocean or

sea partly enclosed by land.

Bay

• is also a part of the sea

extending into the land but is

generally smaller than a gulf.

Lake

• is an inland body of water,

which may contain fresh or salty

water.

World’s Largest Lakes

Lake Location Area (sq. km.)

1. Caspian Sea Russian-Iran 371,000

2. Lake Superior U.S.A.-Canada 82,102

3.Lake Victoria Tanzania-Uganda 69,484

4.Aral Sea Kazakhstan-

Uzbekistan

64,501

5.Lake Huron U.S.A.-Canada 59,569

6.Lake Michigan U.S.A. 57,759

7.Lake Tanganyika Congo-Tanzania 32,892

8.Lake Baikal Russia 31,499

9.Great Bear Lake Canada 31,328

Strait

• is a narrow channel of water,

which connects two larger water

areas.

Canal

• is a man-made channel

intended for navigation.

River

• is a large stream of water that

empties into the ocean.

The Changing Earth:

Forces from without

• Erosion Is the process by which soil and

rock are washed or worn away

from the earth’s surface and

moved to another site.

Delta

• deposits that build-up the land

at the mount of the river

Glacier

• is formed when snow on a

mountain presses down older

layers of snow beneath.

El Ninoand

El Nina

• El Nino •

this current is more

intense.

is exceptionally

warm.

accompanied by

heavy rainfall.

• El Nina •

is a condition when

sea surface

temperatures in the

central & eastern

Pacific are usually

low and trade winds

are very strong.