1. Earth’s Landforms
Chapter 3

2. Lesson 1 What are landforms?
A landform is a physical feature on Earth’s surface.
Each landform has specific characteristics and each landform forms in a different way.

3. Landforms
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4. What are the features of the ocean floor?
An ocean basin is a large underwater area between continents.
Along the coast of a continent, the ocean floor is called the continental shelf. Here the ocean floor is covered by shallow water and gradually slopes down.

5. What are the features of the ocean floor?
Submarine canyon is a steep-sided valley in a continental slope.
Submarine canyons often are found near the mouths of large rivers.
At the end of a continental slope is another gradual downward slope called a continental rise.

6. What are the features of the ocean floor?
The abyssal plain is a wide, flat area of ocean floor.
Abyssal plain covers about 40% of the ocean floor.
Trenches are the deepest parts of the ocean floor.
A seamount is an underwater mountain that rises from the ocean floor but stops before it reaches the surface of the ocean.

7. What are the features of the ocean floor?
Mid-ocean ridges are underwater mountain ranges.
An indentation called a rift valley occurs along the top of these mountains.
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8. How are Earth’s feature mapped?
Relief Map: A map that uses shading to show elevations.
A surveyor is a person who takes measurements of land.
Elevation is the height of land above sea level.
Benchmark, or permanent reference point, for that elevation.

9. How are Earth’s features mapped?
A topographical map uses lines to show elevation.
A contour line represents different elevations.

10. What are Earth’s layers?
The atmosphere includes all of the gases around Earth.
The hydrosphere covers about 70% of the Earth’s surface. All of the Earth’s liquids make up the hydrosphere.
The rocky layer of Earth’s surface is called the crust.

11. What are Earth’s layers?
The mantle is the layer below the crust.
The mantle is split into an upper and lower mantle.
The crust and the top of the upper mantle are the lithosphere.
The rest of the upper mantle is almost-melted rock, called the asthenosphere.

12. What are Earth’s layers?
The lower mantle is solid rock. Below the lower mantle is the core, or the central part of Earth. The core is divided into the inner and outer core.
The outer core is made of liquid metals, while the inner core is made of solid metals.
Earth’s biosphere means the parts of Earth where living things are formed.
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