Landform Vocabulary
1. Fault – crack in the Earth’s crust
2. geologist- scientist who studies rocks and the Earth’s crust
3. magma – hot, molten lava beneath the Earth’s surface
4. lava – magma that reaches the Earth’s surface
5. weathering – breaking down rocks into smaller parts
6. erosion – picking up and carrying away pieces of rocks
7. deposition – the dropping off of bits of eroded material
8. runoff – precipitation that flows across the land’s surface or falls into rivers and streams
9. watershed- area from which water is drained, region that contributes water to a river
system
10.sediment – pieces of material carried and deposited by water, ice, or wind
11.meander – bends or S shaped curves in a river formed by erosion and deposition
12.flood plain – land that is likely to be under water during a flood, very fertile
13.delta – fan-shaped region formed by deposits of sediments found at the mouth of a river,
very fertile
14.lithosphere – the hard outer layer of the Earth
15.hydrosphere – Earth’s water
16.atmosphere – blanket of gages that surround the Earth
17.fertile – capable of growing and developing
18.canyon – a deep narrow valley with steep sides and often with a stream flowing through it
19.valley – an area of lowland between ranges of hills or mountains
20.tributary – a stream flowing into a larger stream or a lake
21.mountain – a landmass that projects above its surroundings and is higher than a hill
22.plateau – a broad flat area of high land
23.dam – a body of water confined by a barrier
24.contour map- a map that uses rings to show elevation, or height
25.relief map – a map or model in which unevenness of surface is shown
26.topographic map – a map that shows man made features