Unit 3
Landforms
Vocabulary
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Topography
Elevation
Relief
Landform
Plain
Coastal plain
Interior plain
Mountain
Mountain range
Mountain belt
Plateau
Landform region
Exploring Earth’s surface
● Topography- shape of the land
○ Can be flat, sloping, hilly, or
mountainous
○ Includes elevation, relief, and
landforms
● Elevation- height above sea level of a
point on Earth’s surface
Exploring Earth’s surface
● Relief- difference in elevation between
the highest and lowest parts of an area
● Landform- feature of topography such
as a hill or valley formed by the
processes that shape Earth’s surface
Types of Landforms
● Vary in size and shape
● 3 main types- plains, mountains, and plateaus
● Plain- landform made up of flat or gently
rolling land (low elevation) with low relief
● Coastal plain- a plain along a seacoast
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In north america, eastern and southeastern shores
Low elevation and low relief
● Interior plain- plain that lies away from coast
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Often times, low and have low relief but elevation
varies
Ex. The great plains (texas to canada)
Types of Landforms
● Mountains- landform with high elevation and high relief
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Usually part of a mountain range
● Mountain range- group of mountains that are closely related in shape,
structure, area and age
● Mountain belt- formed by mountain ranges and mountain systems in a long,
connected chain
Types of Landforms
● Plateau-landform with a high elevation and a
low relief
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Rarely perfectly smooth
Streams and rivers cut into it
Types of landforms
● Landform region- large area of land
where the topography is made up of
mainly one type of landform
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Ex. great plains and rocky mountains