Types of Plains and Physical Geography

Vocabulary flashcards covering glacial, loess, river, lava, and coastal plains along with specific geographic examples and facts from the notes.

Glacial plains

Plains created as a result of glacial erosion when a moving glacier erodes the land surface and carries sediments downstream to its terminus, dividing into till plains and outwash plains.

Loess plains

Plains formed by the wind-blown deposit of fine silt.

Loess Plateau

A specific geographic example of a loess plain located in China.

River plains

Plains formed when rivers flow down mountains, carrying sediments that deposit over many centuries, creating flat and highly fertile land.

Indo-Gangetic Plain

A famous example of a fertile river plain located in India and Pakistan, formed by river sediment deposits over centuries.

Lava plains

Plains formed when lava from volcanic eruptions cools down, characterized by a dark colour due to rich minerals like basalt and high fertility for agriculture.

Coastal plains

Low-lying, flat pieces of land found next to the ocean, formed either when sea levels fall or when river-transported material accumulates at the ocean edge.

Indus Delta

A delta plain located in Pakistan, formed due to the accumulation of river-deposited sediments at the ocean.

Ganges Delta

A delta plain located in Bangladesh, formed by the accumulation of river-deposited material where it meets the ocean.

Agents of denudation

Natural forces such as water, ice, and wind that wear out the land surface, transferring sediments down highlands to be deposited elsewhere.

St Thomas's Day Atlantic Ocean flood (1984)

A recorded 1984 event where a storm caused the Atlantic Ocean to flood, with waters rising 14 feet above sea level.