Landforms Glossary
Bay: a body of water that leads from an ocean into the land. It is mostly surrounded by land.
Beach: a rocky or sandy edge of land along a body of water
Border: the line or boundary between two countries
Butte: an isolated hill with sloping sides and a small, flat top
Canyon: a deep valley with steep sides
Cape: point of land that sticks out into the water of an ocean or sea
Cave: a hollow area inside the earth that opens to the outside
Cliff: a high, steep face of rock or earth
Coast: the land which forms the shore along an ocean or sea.
Delta: a fan-shaped deposit of sand and mud at the mouth of a river
Dune: a hill of sand formed by blowing wind usually found in a desert
Earthquake: a violent shaking of the earth caused by movement of the large plates forming the crust of the earth.
Foothills: hilly land which surrounds a mountain range and leads up to the higher mountains
Geyser: a spring that spouts hot water and steam from time to time
Gulf: a large body of salt water that i s partly enclosed by land
Hill: a raised part of the earth's surface that is lower than a mountain
Island: a piece of land that is surrounded by water
Lake: an inland body of fresh or slat water
Marsh: a low, wet area where grasses, rushes, and cat tails grow
Mesa: a raised area with steep sides and a large, flat top
Monsoon: a wind which blows during certain seasons of the year in southern Asia
Mountain: a high area of land with steep sides and a sharp peak
Mountain Range: a group of mountains surrounded by lowlands
Ocean: the body of
salt water that covers most of the earth
Oasis: A
small area in the desert which is fed by water coming up from
underground
Peninsula: an area of land that is nearly surrounded by water
Plain: a large, low area of flat or rolling land with few trees
Plateau: a flat area of land that is higher than the land around it
Rainforest: an area with many trees of different types where heavy rains fall during most of the year
River: a long body of water that flows over land
Sea: a body of salt water that is partly enclosed by land
Steppe: a dry, cold, grassland found away from oceans
Temperate: an area having definite winters and summers which are equally long
Tropical: an area near the equator which is warm and wet all year round