GEOGRAPHY LANDFORMS TERMS
Rivers – Moving water flowing from high
elevation to low elevation.
Tributaries – smaller moving bodies of
water that form rivers (streams and creeks)
ISTHMUS-
thin strip of land connecting two
larger land masses; land bridge.
STRAIT -
Narrow strip of water
connecting two larger bodies
of water.
GLACIER-
Ancient snow and ice that are
hundreds of feet deep and
always moving.
FJORD Bodies of water cut out by retreating glaciers.
VALLEY-Long, low lands between highlands.
CANYON – Area between level ground
caused by erosion.
RIFT - Valley caused by separating plates.
PLATEAU
-Raised flat land with at least one steep cliff.
MESA -plateau with steep cliffs on all sides.
BUTTE - Small mesa
often found in
deserts.
ESCARPMENT
- single face cliff of a plateau.
ISLAND -land with water on all sides.
ARCHIPELAGO -large group of islands
PENINSULA
-land with water on three sides.
Fan shaped deposit
of mud and gravel
often at the foot of
a mountain.
DELTA
– wide flat area of fan
shaped land where a
river empties into the
sea.
ALLUVIAL FAN
Lagoon – small body of water cut off from
a large body of water by sand or coral reef.
Atoll - is an island of coral that
encircles a dormant volcano
partially or completely.
Sea
Ocean
Lake
Gulf
Bay
Bodies of water
• Ocean - Large bodies of salt water that cover
two-thirds of the earth’s surface.
• Sea - Large bodies of salt water that are
partially or wholly enclosed by land.
• Gulf – An area of salt water partly enclosed by
coastline.
• Bay – Fresh or salt water partly enclosed by
land; inlet to a lake or sea.
• Lake – Mostly landlocked body of water.