LANDFORMS VOCABULARY
Landform a natural feature of the earth's surface
Volcano
A volcano is a mountainous vent in the Earth's crust.
When a volcano erupts, it spews out lava, ashes, and
hot gases from deep inside the Earth.
Volcan de Colima
(Mexico)
Volcano (cont.)
Mt. Stromboli
(Italy)
Sakurajima
(Japan)
Kilauea
(Hawaii)
Volcano (cont.)
Mt. Saint Helens erupted on May 18, 1980.
It is located in southwestern Washington (state) and used to be a beautiful
symmetrical cone. The eruption, which removed the upper 1,300 feet of the summit,
left a horseshoe-shaped crater and a barren wasteland. Today the land is healing,
having recovered its natural beauty, but the landscape has been permanently
changed. The blast took more than 1,300 feet off the top and rained volcanic ash
for miles around. Eastern Washington was covered in volcanic ash, the cloud drifted
east across the United States in 3 days and encircled Earth in 15 days.
Mountain
A mountain is a very tall high, natural place on
Earth - higher than a hill.
Mountains (cont.)
Appalachian Mountains
North Carolina
Mount Everest
Between China & Napal
Valley
A valley is a low place between mountains.
Valleys (cont.)
Maggie Valley
North Carolina
Logar Valley –
Slovenia
Canyon
A canyon is a deep valley with very steep sides -
often carved from the Earth by a river.
Canyon (cont.)
Grand Canyon
Arizona
Copper Canyon
Mexico
Cavern
A cavern is a large hole in the ground or in the side
of a hill or mountain.
Cavern (cont.)
Linville Caverns
North Carolina
Island
An island is a piece of land that is surrounded by
water.
Island (cont.)
Roanoke Island
North CarolinaA small island in
Lake Wylie
South Carolina
Plateau
A plateau is a large, flat area of land that is higher
than the surrounding land.
Plateau (cont.)
The Colorado
Plateau
Hill
A hill is a raised area or mound of land smaller
than a mountain.
Plain
Plains are flat lands that have only small changes in
elevation
Plains (cont.)
Plains in
Oklahoma
Peninsula
A peninsula is a body of land that is surrounded by
water on three sides.
Bay
A bay is a body of water that is partly enclosed by
land
Peninsula
A large part of
the state of
Florida is a
peninsula.
Peninsula & Bay (cont.)
Peninsula on
Lake Wylie
(Can you also
find a bay?)