Physiography

of Earth
BY GROUP 4
Physiography of Earth
The subfield of geography that studies physical
patterns and processes of the Earth.
It aims to understand the forces that produce and
change rocks, oceans, weather, and global flora and
fauna patterns

Physical geography (also known as

physiography) is one of the three main
branches of geography.
https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fsiteproxy.ruqli.workers.dev%3A443%2Fhttps%2Fwww.pngegg.com%2Fen%2Fsearch%3Fq%3DHalf-
Earth&psig=AOvVaw0JIOOdNu1HWh8oFh2Wuj8o&ust=1738076213395000&source=images&cd=vfe&opi=89978449&ved=0CBQQjRxqFwoTCJDI-c-UlosDFQAAAAAd
Major Physiographic Divisions:

Youtube video:
Important Geographical Terms
Features Landforms Of Earth

Reference :
 Elevated landforms with steep slopes, such as the Himalayas,
Mountains Andes, and Rockies.

Elevated flat-topped areas, such as the Tibetan Plateau or

Plateaus Deccan Plateau.

Flat or gently rolling areas, like the Great Plains in North

Plains America or the Indo-Gangetic Plain.

Valleys Low areas between hills or mountains, often carved by rivers.

Arid regions with minimal precipitation, like the Sahara or Gobi

Deserts
Desert.

Areas where land meets the sea, characterized by

Coasts features like beaches, cliffs, and delta
Content
Continental Domain and Oceanic Domain

Source:
Google
Content
Continental margins: Active and passive

Source: Google
Continental domain
Cratons
Orogenic belts
Interor plains & Plateus
Basins & Lowlands

Source: Google
 Cratons
Large, stable part of Earth's crust that has remained
unchanged for billions of years.

How Many Cratons Exist?

There are about 35 major cratons
in the world, mostly from the
Archean Eon.
These cratons are only 7-10% of
Earth's exposed crust.
https://images.app.goo.gl/T7DTeQupBM3zj8Pb8
How cratons are formed?
Built Over Time – Cratons formed from ancient rocks
altered by volcanism, tectonics, and metamorphism,
becoming rigid and stable over millions of years.
Reaching Stability– Once strong, cratons resist internal
deformation, with stress affecting only their edges.
Volcanism and granite blooms further reinforce stability.
Types of Craton surfaces-

Feature Shields Platforms

Exposed parts of cratons with Cratons covered by younger

Definition visible crystalline and sedimentary layers, hidden from
metamorphic rocks. the surface.

Hard, ancient igneous and Underlying craton is the same, but

Rock Type
metamorphic rocks. covered by soft sedimentary rocks.

Canadian Shield (North America), Russian Platform, Interior Plains

Example
Baltic Shield (Europe). (USA).
Orogenic Belts (Mountain Ranges)
Elongated regions of the Earth's crust that have undergone
intense deformation due to the interaction of tectonic plates

Mountains are formed

as a result of-
Convergent plates (e.g.,
Himalayas).
Divergent plates -rift
mountains.
https://images.app.goo.gl/4SABdT1MV5K3dezG8
Process of Orogenic Belt Formation
1. Subduction – Oceanic plate sinks under continental
plate.
2. Sediment Accumulation – Scraped sediments form
accretionary wedges.
3. Compression & Folding – Crust crumples, creating
mountains.
4. Metamorphism – Heat and pressure alter rock structure.
Andes Mountains
Location:
South America,
along west edge

https://www.britannica.com/place/Andes-Mountains
Interior plains
Vast and relatively flat region that covers a large part of North
America, extending from Canada down into the United States.

Interior Plains Formation:

1. Ancient inland sea collected
sediments from mountains.
2. Pressure formed sandstone,
limestone, and shale.
3. Glaciers shaped hills, lakes
& fertile soil.
https://www.twinkl.co.in/teaching-wiki/interior-plains#anchor1
 Major Regions of the Interior Plains
Elevation &
Region Climate Examples
Terrain

High elevation, Canadian Prairies, U.S.

Great Plains
dry, grasslands Semi-arid, less rainfall Great Plains (Texas to
(West)
near Rockies North Dakota)

Central Lowlands Lower elevation, More rainfall, moderate Mississippi River Valley,
(Middle) fertile plains climate Illinois, Indiana, Iowa

Hudson Bay Flat, swampy

Parts of Ontario &
Lowlands near Hudson Cold, subarctic
Manitoba
(North) Bay
"Breadbasket of
North America"
Produces wheat,
corn, barley,
soybeans, and
cattle.

https://images.app.goo.gl/edNfsMqurRDbBHsz9
Plateau Kaas plateau, Maharashtra
Basins and Lowlands
Basins – Low-lying areas collecting water/sediments, formed
by tectonics (rift, foreland, intracratonic) or erosion.
Lowlands – Flat/gently rolling lands in valleys, coasts, or
between mountains.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/agricultural-
https://www.wlfw.org/western-working-lands-snapshot-the-great-basin/ and-biological-sciences/central-lowlands
Oceanic domain
Oceanic domain refers to the surface that lies beneath the
ocean.
The ocean has a
average depth of
3682 meters.

reference: NOAA:
Topography of Important features:
Northen Atlantic Ocean 1. Continental shelves
(pink): <250 m deep
2. Ocean plains: 4000-
6000 m deep (light &
dark blue)
3. Mid-Atlantic ridge: in
many areas shallower
than 3000 m.
4. Deep ocean trench north
of Peurto Rico: 8600 m
Reference: Physical Geology 2nd edition-chapter 18
deep
 Topography of the sea-floor

The ocean floor is almost entirely underlain by mafic oceanic

crust (mostly basalt and gabbro)
Continental slope felsic continental crust (mostly granatic
and sedimantary rocks)
Reference: Physical Geology 2nd edition-chapter 18
 Zones:
Continental shelves are typicallyless than 200m in depth;
which is also the limit of photic zone(also known as
epipelagic zone).
The water temperature is around 10 degrees Celsius at
1,000m depth and 4 degrees Celsius from 2,000m depth
all the way to water.

Reference: Physical Geology 2nd edition-chapter

18
Continental margins-
(Continent comes from the Latin phrase terra continens,
meaning “continuous land.” Margin also comes from Latin, in
this case the word marginem, meaning “border,” or “edge.”)

Continental margins refer to the region of transition from the

land to the deep seafloor, i.e. between continental and oceanic
crust.

https://rwu.pressbooks.pub/webboceanography/chapter/1-2-continental-margins/
Continental margins-
Active continental margin-
where the boundary between the continent and the ocean is
also a tectonic plate boundary.

Source: Google
Active continental margin-
Pacific-type margins are the zones of seismically active
convergent plate boundaries.
characterized by subduction
zones formed under a variety
of settings such as oceanic–
oceanic, oceanic–
continental, etc. and are
mostly observed along the
periphery of the Pacific
Ocean (Ring of Fire) Source
Active continental margins features:
Tectonic activity: Active continental margins are
characterized by high levels of tectonic activity, including
earthquakes and landslides.
Sediment accumulation is usually limited due to the high
energy environment and tectonic activity that can disrupt
sediment deposition.
Active continental margins features:
Mountain ranges: Active continental margins are often home
to mountain ranges, which are formed when the two colliding
plates are forced upwards.
Volcanoes: formed
when magma rises
from the mantle and
erupts through the
crust.
Example of Active Continental Margin-
The southern coastline of W. Africa. Most of the eastern
Indian Ocean and nearly all of the Pacific Ocean margin.

The west coast of the

United States-
boundary between
the Pacific and North
America Plates.

Source: Google
Passive continental margin-
where the transition between oceanic and continental
crust which is not an active plate boundary.
Atlantic-type
It's not tectonically active!
This means there's-
No subduction, collisions,
or major earthquakes
happening there.
https://www.geologyin.com/2014/10/whats-difference-
between-active-and.htmlt
Formation Passive continental margin:
Continental rifting
Tectonic plates begin to rift
apart.
The continental lithosphere
thins and fractures.
New oceanic crust forms in
the gap.
The region stabilizes into a
passive margin.
Characterized by broad
continental shelves and
minimal tectonic activity
https://earthsurface.readthedocs.io/en/latest/tectonics.html
Parts of Passive Margin-

https://geophile.net/Lessons/Seafloor/Seafloor_03.html
Parts of Passive Margin-
Shallow, submerged
Continental Rich in marine life,
extension of the
Shelf sediment deposits from rivers.
continent.

Continental Transition from shelf to Submarine canyons,

Slope deep ocean. turbidity currents.

Continental Gradual slope formed by Thick sediment deposits,

Rise accumulated sediments. connects slope to deep ocean.

Very smooth, covered in

Deep, flat ocean floor
Abyssal Plain fine sediments, tectonically
beyond the margin.
inactive.
Passive continental margin:

https://www.wikiwand.com/en/articles/passive_margin
 Turbidity current
a rapid, downhill flow of water caused by increased
density due to high amounts of sediment.
can be caused by earthquakes, collapsing slopes, and
other geological disturbances.
can change the physical shape of the seafloor creating
water canyons

https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/fac
ts/turbidity.html
Submarine Canyons
Deep, V-shaped valleys
extending from continental
shelf
Most submarine canyons
are <48 km long, but some
exceed 320 km. They can be
several km wide, like the
Grand Bahama Canyon,
which is 37 km wide.
Formed by erosion due to https://www.britannica.com/science/
turbidity current or river. submarine-canyon
Passive continental margins features:
Accumulates thick layers of sediments over long periods, as
rivers and streams deposit sediment on the wide continental
shelf.
Wide Continental Shelves – Shallow water regions extending
from the coast to the continental slope.
Sedimentary Rocks – Formed by sediment deposition on the
shelf and slope.
Low Tectonic Activity – No subduction, leading to minimal
earthquakes or volcanic activity.
 Some examples of Passive continental margins:
East Coast of N. America
West Coast of Africa
East Coast of S. America
East Coast of Australia
West Coast of India

Picture reference: The Western Continental Margin

of India: Indian Scientific Contributions(2016-2018)
https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Global-distribution-of-passive-margins-Modified-after-33_fig1_342985472
 Picture source:
https://www.geologyi
n.com/2014/10/whats
-difference-between-
active-and.html
Active vs Passive continental margins:
High (earthquakes, volcanoes, Low (stable, minimal
Tectonic Activity
subduction) earthquakes)

Found at convergent boundaries Found at divergent boundaries

Location
(subduction zones) (continental rifting)

Narrow & steep (due to tectonic Wide & shallow

Continental Shelf
activity) (sediment accumulation)

Trenches & Deep trenches & active accretionary No trenches,

Accretionary Prism prisms passive sediment buildup

Crustal High (folding, faulting, mountain

Low (flat, stable)
Deformation building)

Ring of Fire (Andes, Japan, Mariana Eastern USA, West Africa, Gulf
Examples
Trench) of Mexico
https://earthsurface.readthedocs.io/en/latest/tectonics.html
Conclusion
In conclusion, studying Earth's physical geography, including
continents, oceans, and continental margins, is key to
understanding plate tectonics, natural hazards, and resource
distribution. It helps us learn how Earth's surface changes
over time.
Credits
Vireena
Hansika
Dimpal
Vaisakh
Shruti
Thank You!