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The document outlines the landforms of the Earth, focusing on mountains, plateaus, and plains, including their definitions, types, and formation processes. It categorizes mountains into fold, block, and residual types, while plateaus are classified as intermontane and volcanic, and plains are divided into structural and depositional types. The significance of these landforms in relation to human activity, climate, and agriculture is also discussed.
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_/tandforms of the Earth
syLLABUS 4
Londforms of the Earth — Mountains, plateaus and plains. (definition, types and their formation)
Mountains = fold, residual and block. Plateaus ~ Intermont and Volcanic. Types of plains — structural
depositional. Examples from the world and India. j
OUTLINE OF THE CHAPTER
‘Sub-units ~ 1. Landforms of the Earth 2. Mountains — introduction 3. Types of mountains and their significance 4. Plateaus
5. Types of Plateaus — Significance of ope 6. Plains 7. Types of plains ~ Significance of plains.
The systematic study of the Earth’s relief features fundamental influence on the patterns of human
is called Geomorphology (geo ~ earth; morpho -— life and activity. Thus, the study of landforms is of
form, logy ~ science), but one can also call it a study _ primary concem to the geographer.
af landforms{ Georworphology, — Study oh tered {ores} (A mountain chain is an effective barrier between
4. LANDFORMS OF THE EARTH groups of people who Tive in adjacent lowlands.
« Landforms, the geological destructive configurations It may also serve as a climatic barrier as in the case
or conformations of the Earth’s surface, have of Himalayas or may shield a lowland from prevailing
‘moisture bearing winds thus causing a desert.
ARiver Course
e fajasthan
Coastal Features ‘The Thar Desert, Rajast
Fig, 5.1: Landforms of the Earth
an
book of ICSE Geography Class IX a CD) © fold mts om CUNT OG
* Aplain on the other hand may be densely populated,
with a good network
* A deeply indented coastline with excellent
harbour facility may promote fishing, ocean trade
or ship building. On the mountain slopes, climates_
become cooler and moist with inc le 5
Which may be ideal for increased human activity
general_level after rivers and other natural
agents have lowered the s
face of the, surrounding.
area, the term residual mountain is used) Sometimes
such highlands are called mountai lenudation,
eh Fig, 5.7 : Helvellyn Residual Mountain,
Lake district, England
Significance of Mountains 7
i) Mountains are effective climatic barriers and
the climates of regions on either side of a
high mountain range are very different, For
example, the coast lands of British Columbia
have an equable climate and heavy rainfall
while the lands to the east of the Rockies have
an extreme climate and light rainfall,
Gi) The swift streams of mountains are frequently
sources of hydro-electric power, especially
in countries which have no coal such as
Switzerland and Norway.
ii) In North America, the Western Cordillera
Provides gold, copper, lead and silver, especially
in the states of Nevada and Montana. The
for copper and gold,
(iv) The lumbering industry is speci
: pecially important in
British Columbia, Washington and Oregon (soft
Woods), the Central American mountainous
rae pee woods), the Himalayan Slopes
{teak and sal) and th, i i
Gon, ser 1¢ Scandinayian Mountains
\) To provide food for 1
in inaccessible mount
been developed, Fo,
City in Utah,
(vi) Mountain Pastures have
extensively for
/ and Scandinavia,
the mining communities
tain areas, agriculture has
T example, jn Salt Lake
cattle rearing
(vii) High mountain ran,
BES are als,
0
a barriers
Qeire (the large scale deformation of the Earth's craig
produced continents, ocean basins and Mount
y
to communication and so tend fe
people. Traffic across mountaing - Pay
the passes, which are often so 4 ig
snowbound in winter. Such ranges 6° ne
Andes, efe., can only be crosseq » Ney
: wih
~ difficulty by constructing tunnej, "hg,
d tract of relatively fat
usually limited on at least one side meee
falling abruptly to lower land.
ete,, is known as diastrophism,)All the highest peg
of the Earth aré the direct products of
Since ther uplift they have been modified by vy
agen of erosion and in many cases by Voleanign’
minor Earth movements. For convenience they may
classified as below.
5, TYPES OF PLATEAUS - 2 qe
\ (a) Intermontane plateaus
Lo) Volcanic plateaus
(@) Intermontane Plateaus (2) ofy¢
These include the highest, largest and in mat
cts_most_ complex plateaus of the worl
Chey are surrounded by mountains, hence know
‘as Intermontane Plateaus) Their surfaces show?
Sxtraordinary variety o} topographic features.
For example :
| @ Plateau of Tibet
y (i) The Plat.
ii) The Me
eau of Bolivia and Peru
xican Plateau
9. 5.8(a): Plateau of Tibet
oo
4 orld are arid or semi-arid. The elevation does
allow long growing season. Agricultural
‘Wountain Range Mountain Range
Intermontane Plateau
© Agricultures possible in certain places which
1/9 yy yy have basaltic so. Two important areas of this
MLL type are Deccan laiids of India (in patches) and
Columbia plateau of Washington and Oregon
States of USA,
© Some plateaus are rich in minePals. Chhotanagpur
plateau of India is a storehouse of minerals. It
Fig. 5.8(b) : Intermontane Plateau includes plateaus of Ranchi, Hazaribagh and
Kodarma, Coal, iron, mica, bauxite, etc., are found
The Tibetan plateau is the world’s highest as in abundance. Bolivia and Peru are known fo
well as most extensive intermontane plat tin and copper mines.
Other examples are, Columbian plateau, North
American Cordillera, Bolivian, Peruvian and 6, PLAINS
Mexican plateaus. Definition
(0) Yolcanic Plateaus ~ Deyine (Plains are extensive flat areas of low altinide)
The lava_erupted from the voleanges has They have a local relief of less than 150 metres abové
resulted into numerous volcanic plateaus) Some sea level. An important characteristic of plains is that
‘as Snake river region of Idaho (US, have a completely level or nearly level surface.)
surfaces called lava plain. ‘ome plains have gently rolling topography and the
The plateau of peninsular India, especially slope is gradual.
the north western Deccan is an example of
lava’plateau. It has enormous accumulation 7. TYPES OF PLAINS
of basaltic rocks. Other important plateaus According to their situation and mode of origin,
are, South African plateau, Columbian plateau, plains can be classified into following types :
and ee the Columbian plateau (g) ‘Structural Plains
has about 20 layers of lava suggesting that 20 (These plains lie near the aoe are
different Voleanic eruptions have formed this “Formed as (result of se of a bottom
lateau. near coast)
© If the coastal area is a flat area, the newly
emerged coastal plain would be broad and wide
Fig. 5.9: A Volcanic Plateau Western Grand Canyon,
Arizona
ificance of Plateaus
it plateau regions of the world have
different typeof climate and different type of
topography. There the level of development
is also different. Most~af the plateaus of the Fig. 5.10: The Great Plains of North America ()
“4
Such plains increase in width towards sca
(due to deposition of sediments brought by sea
ves.)
For example, Russian platfinm, the great plains
p e great pins
of USA, the central lowlands of Australia:
positional Plains Fe
These types of plains are formed by the deposition
of sediments on a lange scale) Various agents of
“erosion cut the rocks, transport the eroded
material (load) from the source and deposit
the load at some other place. According to the
agents of erosion and place of deposition, the
depositional plains are of the following types :
Alluvial Plains : (hese are formed by
tion of silt brought down
by_rivers)As a river leaves the mountains,
the water spreads out and fast speed is
arrested. The sluggish water deposits the
material,
e The fang sits at the foot of the
hills“are called Piedmont Alluvial Fan) The
size depends upon the quantity of deposited
material.
If the eroded material or load of a river is
deposited in the form of a belt along the foot
of the hills, it forms the_piedmont alluvial
plain. It is called Bhabhar in India.
The load changes into fine clay and sand.
When the river widens its valley or overflows
its banks during floods(the clay and sand are
deposited over large area. Such plains are
called floodplains)
These plains are-most_fertile_areas-of the
world. These plains are generally very flat
and level.
The(lains of Northern China, Indo-Gangetic
Blain, Mississippi plaim)gtc,, are examples of
fertile alluvial plains,
Fléodplain ae Floodplain
ED Riverdoposts stevens
Fig. 5.11 : Formation of Floodplain
© At the mouth of a river, triangular shaped
v
plain. at delta plains are formed bY some
ig rivers like Hwang Ho, Ganges, yj.
Mississippi) ete, These are very fertile an;
support dense population.
(wBiacial Deposits :(These plains are very
fertile owing to deposits left by continena)
glaciers)When the glaciers melt, the debris ay
deposited. Such plains are extensive in size
© They have irregular surface. The composition
of surface material differs from the rocks
that lie beneath them. Plain of Central Non
America_and Western European plain are
examples.
Fig, 5.12: Loess Region in North China
Acolion Loess Plains or Deposition by
Winds: (These plains are formed by the
maierial which has been transported and
deposited by winds) e.g. Loess deposits of
rth China cover more tl 5k
km of area)
»Lacustrine Plains or River Deposits These
plains result from the filling of bed
5,
When rivers enter a lake, they are muddy. (The
plain of Hungary in Europe)and the plains
surrounding Great Lakes of North America are
best examples,
ance of Plains
often thickly populated areas a8
they offer many advai for agriculture, transport
and settlements. The plains Which are too hot, 10°
cold or too humid for human activities remait
Plain of deposited material is called qdelig_ underdeveloped
a aa ear A Textbook of ICSE Geography Class t
:
L
been cradle of civilisation since earl
On the whole it can be seen that depositional plains,
economic development and dense
ion. Alluvial plains, in valleys of rivers, have
pe main advantages of plains are as follow
WF Construction of settlements, rails, roads, ete.
is easy on flat and soft surface.
GFertile soils of alluvial plains are granaries
of the world, In arid areasCirrigation can be
rovided casily and economically)
lost of the big cities are situated in plains
‘as most of the plains provide fine climate and
fertile land)Movement is easy which encourages
agricultufal and industrial development.
All the alluvial plains are densely populated
areas.
CONTENT ANALYSIS IN BRIEF
1, Mountains — A portion of land surface rising
considerably above the surrounding area, either as
a single eminence, (generally above 600 mts), or as
‘an extensive mountain chain,
2. Types of mountains ¢ Fold mountains # Block
mountains ¢ Residual mountains
3. Plateau ~ Plateau is an elevated tract of relatively
fiat land usually limited on at least one side by a
steep slope falling abruptly to lower land,
4.
Mind Map
Voleanic
Mountains mountain
orHorst e.g. Mt
eg. African Pele
rift valley Fujiyama
Block
‘Mauna Loo)
Types of plateaus ¢ Intermontane plateaus
# Volcanic plateaus
Plain is an extensive tract of flat land, a gently
and undulating terrain without prominent hills. oF
depressions.
‘Types of plains ¢ Structural plains Erosional plains
© Glacial plains ¢ Coastal plains © Depositional
plains
4 Tatok of SE Geography Class tf GREENE TECHNICAL TERMS TO REMEMBER
Floodplain : A low lying area near a stream channel,
subject to recurrent flooding and alluvial deposits
generally mask underlying rock.
Oasis : Desert area where groundwater is tapped for erop
irrigation and human needs.
Orogenesis : The process of mountain building that occurs
‘on large scale. Literally, the birth of mountain,
Plateau : An extensive almost flat topped region.
.n upward, curved fold in the layers of rock in
surface.
Syncline : A downward, U-shaped fold in the layers of rock
in the earth’s surface
EET, EXERCISE EATER
A. Answer the following questions :
1. What are plains?
2. What is orogenesis?
3. Name the different types of mountains. Describe
each of them with examples.
4. What are plateaus?
5. Name the various types of plateaus with examples.
6. State 2 few advantages of plains.
7. Explain the types of depositional plains.
8. State the main uses of mountains.
9. Differentiate between intermontane plateau and
voleanic plateaus.
10. Define a plain. How does it differ from a plateau?
11. What are mountains?
12. State any two characteristics of young fold mountains.
13. How are the young fold mountains useful? State one
example.
14. How are alluvial plains formed?
15. Give an example each of the following :
(i) Fold mountains
(i) Block mountain
(il) Volcanic plateau
(iv) Structural plain
B. Define the following terms
1. Intermontane plateaus
2. Block Mountains
©. Diagrams :
1:
Draw a neat diagram to show the formation of Block
Mountains.
a
oo A Textbook of ICSE Geography Cla
Deformation : The folding, breaking oF flow of rocks, wy,
teads to formation of continents, ocean basins ang oun
in
ranges
Horst : A portion of the earth's crust, bounded on aj
\
two sides by faulls, that has risen in relation to aga”
i cen
portions.
Passes : Mountain pass is a route through a moun,
range.
Lava plain : It is a large expanse of nearly flatiying jn,
flows.
Denudation : The processes that cause the wearing away f
earth’s surface leading to reduction in elevation,
2. With the help of a neat diagram show the formation,
of a floodplain.
D. Give a reason for the following statements :
1. Plateaus are called tablelands.
2. Residual mountains are called the mountains of
denudation.
3. The alluvial plains are called the granaries of the
world.
4. The plateau of Tibet is called the intermontane
plateau.
5. The old fold mountains are much lower and less
Tugged than young fold mountains.
6. North western Deccan is an example of Lava ple
teau.
E. Choose the correct option :
1. The systematic study of the earth's relief featuresis
called. .
(a) Geology (b) Pedology
(c) Hydrology (d) Geomorphology
2. The Vosges & Black Forest Mountains are tne
examples of
(@) Fold Mountain
(b) Volcanic Mountain
(c) Residual Mountain
(d) Block Mountain
e
3. Which of the following mountains is called
mountain of denudation?
(a) Fold Mountain
(b) Volcanic Mountain
(0) Residual Mountain
(d) Block Mountain 4, Identify the type of mountain in this Image marked
as a, b,c.
(a) Fold Mountain
(0) Voloanic Mountain
(©) Residual Mountain
(@) Block Mountain
5. Which of the following is an example of Young Fold
Mountain?
(a) Appalachians —_(b) Ural Mountains
(©) Aravali mountains (d) Alps
6. Which of the following is an example of intermon-
tane plateau?
(@) Ethiopian plateau
(0) Bolivian Plateau
(©) South African Plateau
(@) The Deccan Plateau
7. Which of the following is an example of structural
plain?
(@) Plains of Northern China
(b) Hungary plain
(cy Great Plains of USA
(@) The Western European Plain
8. The plain which is formed at the foothills of mountain
in the shape of fan is called
(@) Flood plain (b) Bhabhar
(©) Glacial Plains {a Piedmont alluvial plain
8. Refer to the image & identify the relief feature.
Mountain Range Mountain Range
sD
(a) Lava plateau
sp Intermontane plateau
(c) Piedmont alluvial plain
(d) None of the above
10. Which of the following relief features is formed by
the squeezing & wrapping of the sediments of the
crust?
(a) Block mountain _(b}Fold Mountain
(0) Plateaus (d) Plains
11. The plain which is formed as a result of emergence
of sea bottom near coast is called
(a) Piedmont alluvial plain
(b) Flood plain
(c) Karst plain
fay Structural plain
42. Orogenesis is the process of _
(2) Hill formation Ab) Mountain building
(0) Rift valley formation (d) Trench building
ANSWERS:
1. (d) 2. (d) 3. (c) 4. (d) 5. (d)
6) 7) 8) 9%) 10. (0)
11. (d) . 12. (b)
ooo
A Textbook of ICSE Geography Class IX 2
