Geography Landscapes and Landforms Review

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering landscape types, landforms, geomorphic processes, human modifications, and map skills.

Landscape

All the natural and human features of an area, formed by geomorphic processes over time.

Landform

A single physical feature within a landscape, such as a valley, plateau, or dune.

Coastal Landscape

A landscape shaped by waves, tides, and wind, featuring cliffs, beaches, and dunes.

Fluvial (Riverine) Landscape

A landscape shaped by rivers, featuring valleys, floodplains, and deltas.

Karst Landscape

A landscape shaped by the dissolving of limestone, featuring caves and sinkholes.

Arid/Desert Landscape

A landscape shaped by wind and occasional flash flooding, featuring dunes and mesas.

Glacial/Alpine Landscape

A landscape shaped by ice and snow, featuring u-shaped valleys and moraines.

Plateau

A raised flat area with steep sides.

Escarpment

A long steep slope separating two flatter areas.

Valley

A low area between hills or mountains, often carved by a river.

Floodplain

Flat land next to a river that floods.

Delta

Land formed where a river deposits sediment at its mouth.

Meander / Oxbow Lake

A bend in a river or a cut-off loop left behind.

Sand Dune

A mound of wind-deposited sand.

Cave / Sinkhole

A feature formed by the chemical weathering of limestone.

Waterfall

A feature formed where a river flows over resistant then softer rock.

Spit / Stack

A coastal deposition ridge or an isolated rock left after erosion.

Tectonic Activity

Movement of tectonic plates that make up the earth's crust, creating the base landforms.

Convergent Boundary

A boundary where plates collide, forming mountains or volcanoes.

Divergent Boundary

A boundary where plates move apart, forming rift valleys or ocean ridges.

Transform Boundary

A boundary where plates slide past each other, causing earthquakes.

Weathering

The breakdown of rock in place with no movement of material.

Physical/Mechanical Weathering

The process where freeze-thaw, exfoliation, and temperature changes crack rock.

Chemical Weathering

The process where rock reacts with water or air, such as oxidation and carbonation.

Biological Weathering

The process where plant roots and animals break rock apart.

Erosion

The removal and transport of weathered material by agents such as water, wind, ice, or gravity.

Deposition

The accumulation of transported material when the agent loses energy or slows down, building up new landforms.

Area Reference (AR)

A 4-figure reference identifying one grid square using easting then northing.

Grid Reference (GR)

A 6-figure reference for a precise point, more accurate than an area reference.

Contour Lines

Lines on a map that join points of equal elevation and show the shape of the land.

Contour Interval

The height difference between contour lines on a map.

Latitude

Horizontal lines that measure distance north or south of the equator ($0 \text{ degrees}$).

Longitude

Vertical lines that measure distance east or west of the prime meridian ($0 \text{ degrees}$).