Exploring Earth’s surfacE
Topography
Topography is the shape of the land. An
area’s topography may be flat, sloping, hilly,
or mountainous. The topography of an area
includes the area’s elevation, relief, and
landforms.
A topographic
map is a map
showing the
surface features
of an area.
Elevation
The height above sea
level of a point on Earth’s
surface is its elevation.
elevate: to
raise or lift
something to
a higher
position.
Relief
The difference in elevation between the
highest and lowest parts of an area is its
relief.
Example: The difference
between these two points
would be the relief of this
area
Landforms
A landform is
a feature of
topography, such
as a hill or valley,
formed by the
processes that
shape Earth’s
surfaces. Different
landforms have different combinations of
elevation and relief.
Types of Landforms
Landforms vary greatly in size and shape-from
level plains to high mountain peaks. We will be
learning about three main types of land forms:
mountains, plains, and plateaus.
Mountains
A mountain is a
landform with high
elevation and high
relief. They usually
occur as part of a
mountain range. A
mountain range is a
group of mountains
that are closely
related in shape,
structure, and age.
Mount Everest
K2 (Mount Godwin Austen)
Mount McKinley
Plains
A plain is a landform made up of nearly flat or
gently rolling land with low relief. A plain that
lies along a seacoast is called a coastal
plain. A plain that lies away from the coast is
called an interior plain.
North Dakota
Lower Coastal Plain of Georgia
Upper Coastal Plain of Georgia
Plateaus
A landform that has high elevation and a more
or less level surface is called a plateau. A
plateau is rarely perfectly smooth on top.
Streams and rivers may cut into the plateau’s
surface.
Columbia Plateau in Washington
Colorado Plateau
Balochistan Plateau of Pakistan
Landform Regions
A large area of land where the topography is
made up mainly of one type of landform is
called landform region.
Models of Earth
Maps and Globes
Maps and globes show the shape, size, and
position of Earth’s surface features. A map is a
flat model of all or part of Earth’s surface as
seen from above. A globe is a sphere that
represents Earth’s entire surface.
A political map shows boundaries.
Maps and Globes
A map’s scale relates distance on a
map to a distance on Earth’s surface.
Scale is often given as a ratio.
Mapmakers use shapes and pictures
called symbols to stand for features on
Earth’s surface.
A map’s key, or legend, is a list of all
the symbols used on the map with an
explanation of their meaning.
Earth’s Grid
To find a point on Earth’s surface, you need a grid.
A grid uses lines to make rows and columns on a
map. The rows go from side to side and the
columns go up and down. Most maps and globes
show a grid.
To locate positions on
Earth’s surface, scientist
use units called degrees.
A degree (°) is 1/360 of
the distance around a
circle.
Earth’s Grid
Halfway between the North and
South poles, the equator forms
and imaginary line that circles the
Earth. The equator divides the
Earth in the Northern and
Southern Hemispheres. A
hemisphere is one half of the
The Prime Meridian makes
sphere that makes up Earth’s
a half circle from the North
surface.
Pole to the South Pole. It
passes through Greenwich,
England. Places to the east
of the Prime Meridian are in
the Eastern Hemisphere
and places to the west are
in the Western Hemisphere.
Don’t forget,
it is always
a good idea
to study!!