1. Landscape Development

2. Elevation What are the characteristics of a landscape? Slope/gradient
Stream Drainage Patterns
Soil Profile
Evidence of Human Occupation
Bedrock Structure

3. Types of Landscapes: Mountains
Mountains are areas of high elevation with steep slopes and gradients. The elevation of a mountain is usually much higher than that of surrounding areas.
Mountains usually form as a result of crustal change due to tectonic plate movements.
Mountains are characterized by deformed rock strata, igneous intrusions, and areas of regional and contact metamorphism.
Grand Teton Mountains, Wyoming
NYS Mountain Landscapes: Adirondack Mountains, Taconic Mountains

4. Types of Landscapes: Plateaus
Plateaus are areas of high elevation with steep slopes and gradients. Area of plateaus often have flat surfaces.
Plateaus are characterized by undistorted, horizontal layers of sedimentary rocks and/or extrusive igneous rocks.
Bryce Canyon, Utah
NYS PLateau Landscapes: Allegheny Plateau,
The Catskills, Tug Hill Plateau,

5. Types of Landscapes: Plains
Plains are areas of low elevation with little to no slope or gradient of the land. Plains are often called flat lands or lowlands.
Plains are characterized by sedimentary rocks and/or sediments. Some plains represent the eroded remains of old mountains.
Great Plains, Nebraska
NYS Plains Landscapes: Hudson-Mohawk Lowlands, Erie-Ontario Lowlands, Champlain Lowlands,
St. Lawrence Lowlands, Newark Lowlands

6. Landscapes Regions Which landscape region is Elmira located in?
Elmira is located in the Allegheny Plateau
RT = Pg. 3

7. Landscape Development
Landscapes are continually evolving as uplifting and leveling forces alter landscapes.
UPLIFT
LEVELING FORCES
Landscapes that are uplifted experience changes within the crust which forces the land upward. Convergent plate boundaries are associated with uplift.
Leveling forces reduce the elevation and slope of landscapes. Weathering, erosion and deposition are leveling forces.
The convection currents within the astheosphere provides the energy associated with uplifting forces.
Insolation and gravity provide the energy for weathering, erosion and deposition agents to change landscapes.

8. Craters
A crater is a landscape feature created by the impact of a celestial object (ex: asteroid, comet, meteor) with the Earth.
Craters tend to be the dominant landscape feature for celestial objects such as planets and moons

9. Landscape and Climate
Plateaus in an arid climate have steep slopes. There is a lack of vegetation to hold sediment. Weathered sediment erode quickly from arid plateaus.
Plateaus in a humid climate have gentle slopes. There is an abundance of vegetation to hold sediment. Weathered sediment erode slowly from humid plateaus.

10. Landscape Stages and TimeB
A/B: YOUNG – The landscape has been “cut” by two streams. The slopes alongside the stream are steep.
C: MATURE – Leveling forces have reduced the elevation of the landscape. High mountaintops have been replaced by rolling hills. C D
D: OLD– Leveling forces have further reduced the elevation of the landscape to a lowland floodplain. Streams have also matured creating meanders in the landscape.
***NOTE: The landscapes depicted above have not necessarily been exposed to uplifting forces.

11. Stream Drainage Patterns
The pattern of stream drainage is often dependent upon the elevation and slope of the landscape.