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- Various landforms are mountains, hills, plateaus and plains.
- Mountains. (based on their mode of formation) –
- Fold mountains.
- Formed due to the compressive forces generated by endogenetic forces. (Earthquake, landslide etc.)
- On the basis of age fold mountains are –
- Young / New fold mountains.
- Formed after continental drift.
- Example: Himalayas, Alps, Andes, Rockies, Atlas etc.
- Old mountains.
- Are of pre-drift era, and then subjected to denudation and uplift.
- Example: Pennines (Europe), Appalachians (USA), Aravallis (India) etc.
- Block mountains.
- Huge blocks raised or lowered.
- Raised part is known as horsts and lowered part rift valley / Graben.
- Example: Narmada, Tapi and Damodar valley, the Vosges in France and Black forest in Germany (Rhine river flows).
- Volcanic mountains / Mountains of accumulation.
- Example: Mount Fiji (Japan), Cotopaxi (Andes), Vesuvius and Etna (Italy), Mount Mayon (Philippines) etc.
- Residual or Dissected mountains.
- Result of erosion of plateaus and high planes.
- Example: Girnar and Rajmahal (India), Catskill (New York), Sierras (Spain) etc.
- Plateaus (relief of more than 500 ft). According to their mode of formation and their physical appearance –
- Tectonic plateau.
- Formed by the earth’s movement which causes uplift and are normally of a considerable size and fairly uniform altitude.
- Plateau which is enclosed by Fold Mountains is known as intermount plateau.
- Example: Tibetan plateau (Himalayas), Kunlun and Bolivian plateau.
- Volcanic plateau.
- Formed by the accumulation of lava.
- Example: Deccan plateau of India.
- Dissected plateau.
- Formed by the continuous process of weathering and erosion.
- High extensive plateau are gradually worn out and there surface made irregular.
- Example: Scottish highlands.
- Plains –
- Low lying and flat land surface with least difference between its highest and lowest point.
- Types of plains.
- Structural plains.
- Example: great Plains of USA.
- Erosion plains.
- Example: Plains of north Canada.
- Islands –
- A grouping of geographically or geologically related islands is called an archipelago.
- According to the way they are formed they are classified as.
- Continental Island.
- Rests on the continental shelf.
- Water level around is very shallow, typically less than 600 ft.
- Example: Canadian island, Green land, Great Britain etc.
- Volcanic Island.
- When volcanoes deep in the ocean rises, forms a volcanic island.
- Coral Island.
- Forms a ring and partially or totally encloses a shallow body of water or lagoon.
- Have large collection of coral at top rock (usually volcanic) in the ocean.
- Alluvial Island.
- Are formed by the outward flow of water depositing silt and gravel at the mouth of the river.
- Example: New Moore Island (West Bengal).
- Barrier Island.
- Formed by the waves depositing sand on the shallow ocean bottom as they crash on the shoreline.
- Tectonic Island.
- Long island arcs (archipelago) are formed.
- Example: Indonesia, Philippines, Japan etc.
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