Major geomorphic features

Geomorphic features are landforms created by internal and external forces shaping the Earth's surface.
These features are classified into primary (endogenic) and secondary (exogenic) landforms.
Primary landforms are formed by tectonic activities like mountain building, volcanism, and faulting.
Mountains: Elevated landforms created by tectonic forces, classified as fold, block, volcanic, or residual mountains.
Fold mountains: Formed by compressional forces, e.g., the Himalayas, Alps, and Rockies.
Block mountains: Created by faulting, e.g., the Sierra Nevada and the Vosges.
Volcanic mountains: Formed by lava accumulation, e.g., Mount Kilimanjaro and Mount Fuji.
Plateaus: Elevated flat-topped areas formed by volcanic or tectonic processes, e.g., the Deccan Plateau.
Plains: Broad, flat areas formed by deposition of sediments by rivers, wind, or glaciers.
Valleys: Low-lying areas between hills or mountains, shaped by rivers, glaciers, or tectonic activity.
Rift valleys: Formed by divergent plate movements, e.g., the East African Rift Valley.
Volcanic landforms: Include craters, calderas, lava plateaus, and volcanic cones.
Secondary landforms result from weathering, erosion, transportation, and deposition by external agents.
Fluvial landforms: Created by river action, including meanders, oxbow lakes, floodplains, and deltas.
River valleys: V-shaped valleys in youthful stages and U-shaped valleys in mature stages.
Deltas: Formed at river mouths where sediment is deposited, e.g., the Ganges-Brahmaputra Delta.
Glacial landforms: Formed by glaciers, including moraines, drumlins, eskers, and cirques.
U-shaped valleys: Carved by glaciers, commonly found in high altitudes.
Fjords: Glacially carved valleys submerged by the sea, e.g., in Norway.
Aeolian landforms: Formed by wind action, common in arid regions, e.g., sand dunes, loess deposits, and yardangs.
Coastal landforms: Shaped by wave action, tides, and currents, e.g., beaches, sea cliffs, spits, and lagoons.
Beaches: Sandy or pebbly shores formed by wave deposition.
Sea cliffs: Steep rock faces formed by wave erosion.
Coral reefs: Marine landforms created by coral organisms, e.g., the Great Barrier Reef.
Karst topography: Formed in limestone regions by chemical weathering, including caves, sinkholes, and stalactites.
Caves: Underground voids formed by water dissolving limestone or other soluble rocks.
Sinkholes: Depressions caused by the collapse of underground caves.
Landslides: Sudden movement of rock and soil down slopes, often triggered by gravity or earthquakes.
Mass wasting: Downhill movement of soil and rock due to gravity, shaping slopes and cliffs.
Desert landforms: Include ergs (sand seas), reg (stony deserts), and wadis (dry riverbeds).
Mountain ranges: Formed by tectonic activity, stretching over large areas, e.g., the Andes and Rockies.
Island arcs: Curved chains of volcanic islands formed at convergent boundaries, e.g., Japan and the Philippines.
Hotspots: Areas of volcanic activity independent of plate boundaries, e.g., Hawaii and Yellowstone.
Continental shelves: Submerged edges of continents, rich in marine biodiversity and resources.
Submarine canyons: Deep valleys carved into continental shelves by underwater currents.
Ocean trenches: Deep depressions in the ocean floor formed at subduction zones, e.g., the Mariana Trench.
Alluvial fans: Fan-shaped deposits formed where rivers lose energy, typically at mountain bases.
Inselbergs: Isolated rock hills rising abruptly from plains, e.g., Uluru in Australia.
Pediments: Gently sloping rock surfaces at the base of mountains, shaped by erosion.
Badlands: Eroded landscapes with irregular terrain, often in arid regions.
Terraces: Step-like landforms created by river erosion or tectonic uplift.
Natural levees: Elevated riverbanks formed by sediment deposition during floods.
Lagoons: Shallow coastal water bodies separated by sandbars or coral reefs.
Understanding major geomorphic features is crucial for studying Earth's dynamic processes and environmental management.