Landforms and Waterways Chapter 1 Section 4 Landforms and Waterways

Landforms and Waterways Types of Landforms On Land Mountains- huge towers of Rock formed by collisions or volcanoes Highest- Mt. Everest in the Himalaya (29,035 ft) Typically have high peaks, steep, rugged slopes Hills Are lower than Mountains and are more rounded If at the base of mountains they are called foothills Plains Low-lying stretches of flat or gently rolling land Plateaus Flat like plains but at a much higher elevation Sometimes have a steep cliff on a side

Landforms and Waterways Valleys Lie between mountains and hills Long stretch of lower land with higher elevations on either side Rivers are often at the bottom of valleys Canyons Similar to valleys, but usually have steep sides where river has cut through a plateau

Landforms and Waterways Geographers distinguish land based on its relationship to other land or water masses Isthmus Narrow piece of land that connects two larger pieces of land Peninsula Piece of land with water on three sides Island- Small body of land with water on all sides

Landforms and Waterways Under the Oceans There are also landforms under the oceans Continental Shelf- plateau that lies off the coast of every continent Trenches- Valley that is on the Ocean floor Mariana Trench- deepest in the Pacific Ocean (35,840 ft deep) Landforms and People Why do People decide to live on certain landforms? Climate is one reason Available resources is another

Landforms and Waterways Bodies of Water 70 % of the Earth’s surface is water Most water is Saltwater Oceans- largest bodies of water Seas, Gulfs, Bays- Saltwater that is partially enclosed by land Strait- narrow body of water between two land masses Channel- similar to the strait but wider Lakes, Rivers, ponds, and streams- Fresh water bodies that appear on land. Source- point at which river starts Mouth- Point at which river ends Delta- build up of deposited soil near mouth of a river