LANDFORMS VOCABULARY

Landform a natural feature of the earth's surface

Volcano

A volcano is a mountainous vent in the Earth's crust.

When a volcano erupts, it spews out lava, ashes, and

hot gases from deep inside the Earth.

Volcan de Colima

(Mexico)

Volcano (cont.)

Mt. Stromboli

(Italy)

Sakurajima

(Japan)

Kilauea

(Hawaii)

Volcano (cont.)

Mt. Saint Helens erupted on May 18, 1980.

It is located in southwestern Washington (state) and used to be a beautiful

symmetrical cone. The eruption, which removed the upper 1,300 feet of the summit,

left a horseshoe-shaped crater and a barren wasteland. Today the land is healing,

having recovered its natural beauty, but the landscape has been permanently

changed. The blast took more than 1,300 feet off the top and rained volcanic ash

for miles around. Eastern Washington was covered in volcanic ash, the cloud drifted

east across the United States in 3 days and encircled Earth in 15 days.

Mountain

A mountain is a very tall high, natural place on

Earth - higher than a hill.

Mountains (cont.)

Appalachian Mountains

North Carolina

Mount Everest

Between China & Napal

Valley

A valley is a low place between mountains.

Valleys (cont.)

Maggie Valley

North Carolina

Logar Valley –

Slovenia

Canyon

A canyon is a deep valley with very steep sides -

often carved from the Earth by a river.

Canyon (cont.)

Grand Canyon

Arizona

Copper Canyon

Mexico

Cavern

A cavern is a large hole in the ground or in the side

of a hill or mountain.

Cavern (cont.)

Linville Caverns

North Carolina

Island

An island is a piece of land that is surrounded by

water.

Island (cont.)

Roanoke Island

North CarolinaA small island in

Lake Wylie

South Carolina

Plateau

A plateau is a large, flat area of land that is higher

than the surrounding land.

Plateau (cont.)

The Colorado

Plateau

Hill

A hill is a raised area or mound of land smaller

than a mountain.

Plain

Plains are flat lands that have only small changes in

elevation

Plains (cont.)

Plains in

Oklahoma

Peninsula

A peninsula is a body of land that is surrounded by

water on three sides.

Bay

A bay is a body of water that is partly enclosed by

land

Peninsula

A large part of

the state of

Florida is a

peninsula.

Peninsula & Bay (cont.)

Peninsula on

Lake Wylie

(Can you also

find a bay?)