Landform development
Published: October 12, 2006, 10:06 pm
Updated: October 12, 2006, 10:06 pm
This article has been reviewed by the following Topic Editors:
William Heins,
Galal Hassan Galal Hussein
The landforms that are found on the surface of the Earth can be grouped into 4 categories:
- Structural Landforms - landforms that are created by massive earth movements due to plate tectonics. This includes landforms with some of the following geomorphic features: fold mountains, rift valleys, and volcanoes.
- Weathering Landforms - landforms that are created by the physical or chemical decomposition of rock through weathering. Weathering produces landforms where rocks and sediments are decomposed and disintegrated. This includes landforms with some of the following geomorphic features: karst, patterned ground, and soil profiles.
- Erosional Landforms - landforms formed from the removal of weathered and eroded surface materials by wind, water, glaciers, and gravity. This includes landforms with some of the following geomorphic features: river valleys, glacial valleys, and coastal cliffs.
- Depositional Landforms - landforms formed from the deposition of weathered and eroded surface materials. On occasion, these deposits can be compressed, altered by pressure, heat and chemical processes to become sedimentary rocks. This includes landforms with some of the following geomorphic features: beaches, deltas, flood plains, and glacial moraines.
Many landforms show the influence of several of the above processes. We call these landforms polygenetic. Processes acting on landforms can also change over time, and a single landscape can undergo several cycles of development. We call this type landscape development polycyclic.
The graphical model in Figure 1 describes the relationship between geomorphic processes and landform types.
Further Reading
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Citation
Michael Pidwirny (Lead Author);William Heins, Galal Hassan Galal Hussein (Topic Editor) "Landform development". In: Encyclopedia of Earth. Eds. Cutler J. Cleveland (Washington, D.C.: Environmental Information Coalition, National Council for Science and the Environment). [First published in the Encyclopedia of Earth October 12, 2006; Last revised Date October 12, 2006; Retrieved May 25, 2013 <http://www.eoearth.org/article/Landform_development>
The Author
Michael Pidwirny studied Physical Geography at the University of Winnipeg and the University of Manitoba. He received his PhD from the Simon Fraser University in Burnaby, British Columbia in 1994. He currently is an Associate Professor of Physical Geography at the University of British Columbia, Okanagan Campus. Pidwirny’s research interests include climate change, the influence of land-use change on biodiversity, and the use of technology in education. He publishes regularly in encyclop ... (Full Bio)
The landforms that are found on the surface of the Earth can be grouped into 4 categories:
- Structural Landforms - landforms that are created by massive earth movements due to plate tectonics. This includes landforms with some of the following geomorphic features: fold mountains, rift valleys, and volcanoes.
- Weathering Landforms - landforms that are created by the physical or chemical decomposition of rock through weathering. Weathering produces landforms where rocks and sediments are decomposed and disintegrated. This includes landforms with some of the following geomorphic features: karst, patterned ground, and soil profiles.
- Erosional Landforms - landforms formed from the removal of weathered and eroded surface materials by wind, water, glaciers, and gravity. This includes landforms with some of the following geomorphic features: river valleys, glacial valleys, and coastal cliffs.
- Depositional Landforms - landforms formed from the deposition of weathered and eroded surface materials. On occasion, these deposits can be compressed, altered by pressure, heat and chemical processes to become sedimentary rocks. This includes landforms with some of the following geomorphic features: beaches, deltas, flood plains, and glacial moraines.
Many landforms show the influence of several of the above processes. We call these landforms polygenetic. Processes acting on landforms can also change over time, and a single landscape can undergo several cycles of development. We call this type landscape development polycyclic.
The graphical model in Figure 1 describes the relationship between geomorphic processes and landform types.
Further Reading
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Figure 1: Model of landform development. (Source: PhysicalGeography.net)
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