EARTH’S LANDFORMS CHAPTER 1 LESSON 1

LANDFORMS Landforms are the shape of a part of Earth’s surface. Examples of landforms: Plains Mountains Hills

PLATE TECTONICS This is the theory that Earth’s surface is divided into several major, slow-moving plates or pieces When the plates push together, their edges may fold creating mountains.

CONTINENTAL DRIFT This is the movement of the continental plates. Scientists believe that Earth’s landmasses were once a supercontinent known as Pangaea.

FAULT A break in the Earth’s crust where movement occurs Earthquakes are most commonly found along faults.

MAGMA Melted rock within the Earth

LAVA Magma that has broken through Earth’s crust and is on the surface

WEATHERING The process of breaking rocks into smaller pieces through heat, water, or other means There are many different types of weathering such as wind, water, and ice.

EROSION The natural process of moving sediment It shapes the Earth’s surface.

DEPOSITION The process of dropping, or depositing, sediment in a new location

FLOODPLAIN A landform of level ground made up of sediment deposited by a river or stream

DELTA A triangle-shaped piece of land built from soil deposited at the mouth of a river

How do people change the land? By building farms By building cities By planting crops By reshaping waters and creating new ones By draining water from wetlands to create dry land for cities and farms