Unit 2: Structure of the Earth

Chapter 5
Landforms of the Earth
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Scope of the Syllabus
Definition, types and formation of landforms
1. Mountains – fold, residual and block.
2. Plateaus – intermont and volcanic.
3. Plains – structural and depositional.
Examples from the world and India.
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The systematic study of the Earth's relief features is called Geomorphology (Geo = earth;
Morph = form, Ology = science)

Forces Originating from the Interior of the Earth

1. There are two types of forces, the internal (endogenic) and the external (exogenic) which
are responsible for producing the changes as we see it on the surface of the earth. 2. The
external forces act on the earth's surface against the internal forces as they smoothen the
mountains, plateaus and plains formed by the internal forces.

Mountains
The name given to the group of processes which collectively produce a mountain system is
orogenesis, from the Greek oras for 'mountain' and genesis for ' to come into being'.

Characteristic Features of Mountains

1. A portion of land surface rising considerably above the surrounding (900 m and above
from the MSL) country either as a single eminence or in a range of chain is known as
mountain.
2. Some occur as single isolated masses; the volcanic cone Kilimanjaro, for example, stands
almost 5895 metres above the sea level overlooking the grasslands of East Africa. Others
make up a portion of an extensive mountain chain, such as the American Cordillera
 which runs continuously from the tip of South America through Alaska.
3. Mountain systems show evidences of enormous forces which have folded, faulted and
generally deformed large sections of the Earth's crust.

Types of Mountains
Mountains are often classified according to their mode of formation, viz.,
1. Fold Mountains
2. Block Mountains
3. Residual Mountains

Fold Mountains
1. Examples: Himalayas, Andes, Alps and Rockies are known as new-fold mountain
systems.
2. The term 'fold' is a reference to the way in which such mountains have been formed due
to compressional forces.
3. Throughout millions of years slow movements of the Earth's crust have caused these
mountains to be raised along the plate margins.
4. The movements which have resulted in mountain building were horizontal
movements the effect of which was to cause the crust of the Earth to 'wrinkle’. This
is called Crustal Fracture.
5. The arched or upraised parts of the folds are known as anticlines and the troughs as
synclines.
6. These folds can vary greatly in size.
7. The mountains of the young fold type are charecterised by ruggedness of relief in contrast to the
smooth and rounded contours of mountain areas which have been subjected to weathering
agents for a long period of times.

Block Mountains
1) Sometimes the movement of the earth’s crust causes cracks or faults.
2) Where such movements leave a block of higher land standing between two areas of lower
land, the highland is known as a ‘Block Mountain’ or Horst.
3) Example: the Vosges and Black Forest Mountains.
4) The mountains are usually very steep sided and often the summit levels are roughly the same.
Residual Mountains
1. When an area of highland remains standing above the general level after rivers and other
natural agents have lowered the surface of the surrounding area, the term residual
mountain is used.
2. Sometimes such highlands are called 'mountains of denudation'.
3. This term can usually be applied to the mountain ridges associated with 'dissected
plateaus‘.
4. Example: Mountain ridges of the Highlands of Scotland, the Sierras of Central Spain and
Mesas and Buttes of the western plateau lands of the United States.

Plateau
Plateau is an elevated tract of relatively flat land usually limited on at least one side by a steep
slope falling abruptly to lower land. (300 to 1000 m above MSL).
The large-scale deformation of the Earth's crust which produced continents, ocean basins,
mountain ranges, etc., is known as diastrophism.

Types of Plateaus
1. Intermontane plateaus
2. Volcanic plateaus

Intermontane Plateau
A plateau which is enclosed or surrounded by mountain ranges is known as an intermontane
plateau.
Main Characteristics
1. They are enclosed by mountains.
2. This is mainly because they formed due to tectonic activity.
3. They are also called high-altitude plateaus.
4. The largest and highest plateau in the world is the Tibetan Plateau in south-central Asia.
It is surrounded by the Himalayan Range.
5. The Altiplano is another example located in the Andes, South America.
Volcanic Plateau
Plateaus that have been formed due to cooling and solidification of lava in regions of volcanic
activity are called volcanic plateaus.
Main Characteristics
1. They are formed from successive sheets of lava flow due to volcanic activity.
2. These lava sheets cool and solidify to form the plateau.
3. They are also called plateaus of accumulation.
4. For example: Deccan plateau in India, Colorado Plateau, USA.

Plains
1. Plains are extensive flat areas of low altitude.
2. They have a local relief of less than 150 metres above sea level.
3. An important characteristics of plains is that they have a completely level or nearly level
surface.
4. Some plains have gently rolling topography and the slope is gradual.

Types of Plains
1. Structural Plains: These plains lie near the coast. They are formed as a result of
emergence of sea bottom near coast.

2. Depositional Plains: This type of plains are formed by the deposition of sediments on
large scale. Various agents of erosion cut the rocks, transport the eroded material (load)
from the source and deposit the load at some other place.

Structural Plains
1. These plains lie near the coast.
2. They are formed due to tectonic activity caused due to endogenic forces. A result of
emergence of sea bottom near coast.
3. The continental shelf region along the coast either subsides or emerges forming extensive
plain region.
Depositional Plains
1. This type of plains are formed by the deposition of sediments on large scale. 2.
Various agents of erosion cut the rocks, transport the eroded material (load) from the
source and deposit the load at some other place.

Types of Depositional Plains

1. Glacial plain
2. Aeolian Plains (Loess)
3. River plains (alluvial plains)
4. Lacustrine Plains
5. Coastal Plains

Types of Depositional Plains

Alluvial Plains
1. These are formed by gradual accumulation of silt brought down by rivers. 2. The
fan shaped deposits at the foot of the hills are called Piedmont Alluvial Fan. 3. The
size depends upon the quantity of deposited material.
4. Most important and extensive alluvial plains are formed in the middle region of a river
valley. Such plains are called flood plains.
5. At the mouth of a river, triangular shaped plain of deposited material is called a delta
plain.

Glacial Plains
1. These plains are very fertile owing to deposits left by continental glaciers (morains).
2. When the glaciers melt, the debris are deposited.
3. Such plains are extensive in size.
4. They have irregular surface.
5. The composition of surface material differs from the rocks that lie beneath them.
Aeolion Loess Plains or Deposition by Winds
1. These plains are formed by the material which has been transported and deposited by
winds.
2. Loess deposits of North China cover more than 2.5 lakh square km of area.
3. The thickness of deposits at some places is over 3000 metres.
4. Here loess is composed of very fine silt.
5. It is rich in lime and yellowish in colour.

Lacustrine Plains
1. These plains result from the filling of lake beds.
2. When rivers enter a lake, they are muddy.
3. When the rivers come out at the other end, the water is comparatively cleaner and without
silt.
4. The silt brought by rivers settles at the bed of lakes.
5. A time comes when the lake is filled with silt and becomes level land. This is termed as a
lacustrine plain.