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The document discusses the various landforms of the Earth, including mountains, plateaus, and plains, detailing their definitions, types, and formation processes. It explains the role of internal forces like plate tectonics, orogenic and epeirogenic movements, as well as external forces like weathering and erosion in shaping these landforms. Additionally, it highlights the significance of landforms in influencing climate, biodiversity, and natural resources.
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Landforms of the Earth
Landforms of the Earth: Mountains, |
plateaus, plains (definition, types and their
formation):
Mountains - fold, residual and block.
Plateaus - intermont and volcanic.
Plains - structural and depositional.
pais,
‘The earth is made up of a series of concentric
Tock layers namely crust, mantle and core.
The intense heat in the earth’s interior does
not travel to the surface because rocks are bad
conductors of heat. The internal heat of the
earth therefore, melts the rocks and keeps the
asthenosphere which is underneath the crust
in a semi-molten state. This leads to several
conditions which cause landform development
on the surface of the earth. A landform is a
natural feature of the earth’s surface.
Causes of Landform Development
1. Plate Tectonics: ‘The lithosphere is broken
into several small and big plates. These plates
float on the semi-molten asthenosphere.
The horizontal movement of these plates is,
very slow. The plates push, collide or slide past
each other. This results in disturbances in the
sedimentary rock deposits lying in between
two or more plates. The sedimentary rocks are
compressed. This compression causes folding of
the rocks. Almost all the fold mountain ranges
of the world have been formed this way. The
forces responsible for the formation of fold
mountains are called Orogenic movements. The
term ‘orogenic’ is derived from the Greek word
meaning ‘mountain-building’. These forces act
at a tangent to the surface of the earth and are
primarily involved in plate tectonics.
eee es
Endogenic Forces (Internal Processes)
Diastrophic (large s
Forces
Epeirogenic
(Continent busing) Foroes
Orogenic
Exogenic Forces (External Processes)
(Mountain bulking) Forces
|
Block Mountains, Basins,
Fit valleys, Plains,
Fold Mountains,
Faults, Plateaus, Landforms
Alluvial and orosional plains,
‘olactal landforms.
Fig. 5.1. Forces causing formation of landforms
LANDFORMS OF THE EARTH 2. uplift and Submergence: Another
ing inside the earth act
set of forces operating inside a
along the radius from the earth's centre to the
surface and are characterised by eal
uplift or subsidence of land area. These verti
movements are known as Bpeirogenic movements
or Continent building movements. ‘Epeiros’ in
Greek means ‘continent’; ‘genic’ or ‘genetic’
means building’. Such movements are the result
of faulting or cracks in the earth’s surface. Block
mountains, basins, rift valleys, are produced by
these movements, Thus, the continent building
activities occur on a very large scale.
The above two forces, namely orogenic and
epeirogenic, are together called Diastrophic
Forces (originating deep inside the earth). They
act horizontally and vertically and produce
reliefs such a mountains, plateaus, plains, lakes
and big faults.
3. Exogenic Forces: There are forces
operating on the surface of the earth, not inside
the earth which cause formation of landforms.
These forces are called Exogenic Forces. The
external forces or Exogenic forces are described
as Destructive Forces because they cause
Widespread destruction through weathering and
erosion of existing landforms. They, then form
new landforms through both erosion and
deposition.
LANDFORMS
There are a large number of landforms on the
surface of the earth. The major landforms are:
@) Mountains; (i) Plateaus; and (iii) Plains.
MOUNTAINS
A mountain is descr
ribed as a very ste
or hill rising to Sees
great heights above the land
Mountains are classified into
earth's crust. Such stresses may be cayseq
weight of the overlying rocks, movements in
mantle, the expansion or contraction of Erosional
‘River
L» Volcanic Plateau > Depositional Wind
Met
as. abd
——————
TANDFORMS OF THE EARTH Jake, The submerged land is surrounded
by an embankment (dyke) and drained
by pumping water into canals,
IMPORTANCE OF LANDFORMS
The landforms on the surface of the earth
are symbols of energy of the earth. They are
basically a result of enormous heat generated
inside the earth and climate factors operating
on the surface of the earth. The earth releases
its energy through tectonic activity, earthquakes
and volcanoes. These internal forces in addition
to the surface weathering and erosional forces
become dominant factors in sculpturing of
land. The landforms have; thus, the following
advantages:
( Mountains, plateaus, plains and valleys
are beautiful sculptures of nature on the
surface crust of the earth, They add to
the beauty of the earth.
(@ Landforms represent the relief features
of the earth. They have an impact on
direction of winds, precipita
cavvellias other atmospheric Processct
‘The Himalayas act as a climatic diviq,
shaping the distinctive climate of 44s
Indian subcontinent. f
i ountain ranges of the worlg
Mi abode of snow and glaciers. They ate
thus the source of perennial rivers.
kinds of forests are found on
a uses of mountains, hills and plateaus
These are home to different species q
plants and animals. Thus, biodiversity
life on earth can also be attributed to reliss
(v) Since such relief features also exist in
oceans, the island groups and coasta,
regions are ideal fishing sites.
“(vi) Major landforms are created by
disturbances resulting from the forces
operating in the interior of the earth,
Most mineral and fossil fuels come neat
the surface of the earth due to these
disturbances.
MES exercises SE
|. Choose the correct option:
1. The forces responsible for the formation of fold mountains:
irogenic movements
(¢) Diastrophic movements
(2) Orogenic movements
Epeirogenic movements
3. The two forces, Oroge
(2) Exogenic forces
jiastrophic forces
The forces operating on the surface of th
‘ogenic forces (b) Orogenic forces
(¢) Diastrophic forces
©} Collisional movements
(a) Exogenic movements
~ The large scale uplift or subsistence of land:
(b) Diastrophic forces
(4) Exogenic movements
fenic and Epeirogenic that originate deep inside the earth:
(b) Continent building movements
(4) Collisional movements
ie earth
which cause formation of landforms are called:
(d) Epeirogenic forces
5. ras Anticline :: Downfold;
e A iam ‘ (b) Archlines (c) Antictines (a) Ridges
(e) Tropa bes in Pornbisaten with volcanic mountain systems lead to the formation of:
Bidet. ba iges (©) Fold mountains (4) synctines
OUNE fold moana mo” IM Which of the following?
(©) Residual mountaine (er Panseld mountaing
(@Volcanic plateaus
SS the following are highly eroded
eee Teereded by the agents of gradation and have gentler
fold mountains (b) Old fold mountains
mountains (@) Volcanic plateaus
Mountains which are subjected to weathering and erosion for a lon,
M ig time are lowered down:
{{a) Old fold mountains (b) Volcanic plateaus
mountains (4) Intermontane plateaus
of the following are correctly matched?
(a) Young fold mountains : Himalayas, Alps
(0) Old fold mountains : Urals, Aravalli
(6) Residual mountains : Nilgiri, Rajmahal Hills
of the above.
411, The plains that are formed by the de}
position of materials which have been brought by various
agents of transportation:
{@) Structural plain (b}Bepositional plain (c) Plain (@) Landform
12. A piece of land reclaimed from the sea or lake:
(a) Sealand (b) Iceland (c) Lakeland Polder
443. The plains that are formed due to uplift or subsidence of land are called:
(@)Structural plain (b) Depositional plain (c) Plain (@) Landform
114. Which of the following pairs is incorrectly matched?
{a) Structural Plains : Coromandel Plains
(bo) Wind Deposition Plains : Thar Desert
(0) River Deposition Plains : Northern Plains (India)
farine Deposition Plains : Western Coastal Plains (India)
IL. Short Answer Questions
1. What is meant by a landform? Give two examples.
2. Why are the fold mountains called so?
3. Give two chief characteristics of the fold mountains.
4. Give one example of each:
{a) Young fold mountais (b) Old fold mountain.
5. Give one example of residual mountain and an example of depositional plain.
6. Draw a well labelled diagram to show the formation of a residual mountain.
7. How is a rift valley formed? Give one example of a rift valley.
8. Give a brief definition of a plateau.
What is an intermontane plateau? Give one example.
Give two points of importance of landforms.
IIL. Distinguish between each of the followin,
1. Fold Mountains and Block Mountains,
2. Intermontane plateaus and Volcanic plateaus,
3. Structural plains and Depositional plains.
Structured Questions
1. (a) How are various landforms formed on the surface of the earth?
(b) Describe the formation of mountains and their types.
LANDFORMS OF THE EARTH reason following’
‘g oS sin }y the crust (8 in @ semimolten
though undernent
Forces ave also called destructive forces, =
Residual mountains are also caltedt mountains of denudation,
ation of block mountain,
‘rave a well labeled diagram to show the form
Describe the characteristics of two different types of plateaus,
Deseribe the characteristics of structural plains,
Give 4 reason for each of the following:
{There are efferent types of plains,
fi) Attavial plains are regarded as the granaries of the world,
fA) The landforms on the surface of the earth are symbols of the energy of the
Explain the chief characteristics of depositional plains and their types,
”
2222
i}
VI. Practical Work
1. Draw and different reli
Sa “aoe = t relief features on the surface of the earth,
= : map of the world show major fold mountains, plateaus and plains with theb
