Study of Physical Features of the Earth: Earth Science Vocabulary

Mountain

a large elevation of the earth's surface rising abruptly from the surrounding level; a large steep hill .

Mountain Range

a series of mountains or hills arranged in a line and connected by high ground

Volcano

A fissure ( deep crack ) in the Earth's crust through which magma reaches the Earth's surface

Hill

a naturally raised area of land , not as high or craggy (rough and uneven) as a mountain

Plateau

An upland area with a fairly flat surface and steep slopes, often with rivers dissecting (cutting up) the surfaces.

Mesa

A flat-topped, isolated hill in arid regions.

Cliff

A steep rock face between land and sea, the profile is determined largely by the type of costal rocks

Canyon

A deep and steep-sided river valley occurring where rapid vertical corrasion (abrasive action of an agent of erosion such as rivers and ice) takes place in arid regions.

Fjord

A deep , generally straight inlet of the sea along a glaciated coast (a coast carved by glaciers)

Basin

a depression , or dip , in the Earth's surface . an area of land where all flowing surface water converges to a single point, such as a river mouth, or flows into another body of water, such as a lake or ocean.

Valley

A long depression in the Earth's surface, usually containing a river, formed by erosion or by movements in the Earth's crust.

Glacier

A body of ice occupying a valley and originating in an icefield.

Plain

A level or almost level area of land.

Isthmus

a narrow strip of land connecting two larger land areas.

Island

A mass of land, smaller than a continent, which is completely surrounded by water.

Peninsula

A landform that extends from a mainland and is surrounded by water on most, but not all of its borders .

Archipelago

A group or chain of islands

Reef

A ridge of rock, sand or coral whose top lies close to the oceans/sea's surface .

Cape

Narrow land feature that juts into a body of water.

Dune

A mound or ridge of drifted sand, occurring on the sea coast and in deserts.

Oasis

a small fertile area in a desert where water and plants are found

Ocean

A large area of sea. Pacific, Atlantic, Indian and Arctic.

Sea

a portion of the ocean that is partly surrounded by land.

Gulf

A large coastal indentation(cut), similar to a bay but larger in size that was formed as a result of rising sea levels.

Bay

a recessed, coastal body of water that directly connects to a larger main body of water, such as an ocean or a lake

Harbor

a sheltered body of water where ships, boats, and barges can be docked.

Strait

A narrow body of water, between two land masses, which links two larger bodies of water (Also known as a channel or passage)

River

A large natural stream of fresh water flowing along a definite course, usually into a sea.

Tributary

A stream or river which feeds into a larger river

Delta

A fan-shaped mass consisting of the deposited load of a river where it enters the ocean/sea. Forms where the river deposits material at a faster rate than can be removed by coastal current's.