Landforms on earth

Mountains

Plateaus

Plains
 Types of mountains

Fold
mountains
mountains
Block
mountains
Fold mountains
 Geomorph
Mountains created due to
convergent boundaries of both Fold
1) O-C (Rockies, Andes) mountains
2) C-C (Himalayas, Alps)
Compressive forces of plates
Youngest mountains on earth
True mountains
 Characteristics of Fold mountains
1)Extensive mountain chain
2) Great heights
3) Formed along unstable parts of the earth
4) Sedimentary deposits of marine origin (C-C)
Phases of mountain building
• Pull of descending
limb of convection
current
• great pressure of
compressive force
exerted by the
convection cells
Geo-syncline
• Elongated, narrow
depression on
continental margins
• Here sediments from
both land and ocean
accumulate
C-C collision
• Sediments from
continental crusts
of both plates +
geo-syncline
folded
• Because of
sediments of geo-
syncline – marine
origin
Fold mountains of the world
Pamir Knot
Hindu kush, Kirthar and Sulaiman Ranges
Mountains in Europe
 List of mountains to locate
1) Alaska range 9) Hindukush
2) Southern Alps 10) Kirthar range
3) Dinaric Alps 11) Kunlun Shan
4) Atlas mountains 12) Urals mountains
5) Pyrenees
13) Appalachian
6) Caucasus mountains
7) Apennines
14) Great Dividing
8) Taurus Range
9) Elburz and Zagros
 Importance of mountain building process
understanding of the origin and evolution of
earth’s crust.
At the time of the formation of the earth
crust, first basaltic crust of ocean - breaking
and melting - a lighter continental crust
developed.
collide with one another = a larger land
mass.
The joints = fold-mountains.
Urals Mountains
 Types of mountains

Fold
mountains
mountains
Block
mountains
Block mountains formation
Block mountains
• Fault-block mt.
• Due to forces within
interior of the earth
• Uplifted part = horst
• depressed part =
Grabben
• Horst => block
mountains
• Grabben => rift valley
Phases of Divergent continental crust
African rift valley – block mountains
 Example of block mountains
Europe India
 comparison
Fold mountains Block mountains

True mountains Not true mountains

Compressive force -
folding
Due to collision of plates
(C-C, O-C)
Folding of sedimentary
rocks
Tensile force -faulting
Diverging plates (Conti)
Differential erosion of
horst of fault – looks like
mountains
Landforms on earth

Mountains

Plateaus

Plains
Plateaus

Meaning:
Flat, Table land,
upland, higher
than surrounding
areas
 Formation of Plateaus
Raised land during mountains building
process
Deposition from lava
Deposition from wind
Eroded due to glaciers
 Types of plateau
Intermontane plateau Continental plateau

Bolivia plateau Deccan plateau

Tibetan plateau Katanga plateau
Columbia plateau Ozark plateau (USA)
Colorado plateau Ethiopian highland
Anatolia Plateau
(Turkey)
 Types of Plateau
Glacial plateau Lava plateau
Grahwal plateau Columbia-snake
Laurentian plateau plateau (USA)
(Canada) Deccan Plateau
Shan plateau
(Myanmar)
Bolivia plateau Columbia- colorado
Ozark plateau Anatolia plateau
Loess plateau Laurentian plateau
Katanga Plateau
• Origin of River Congo
and Zambezi
• Dense equatorial forest
• Known for resources
- Gold, diamonds, Copper
Plateau of Mato Grasso, Brazil

• Equatorial region
• Dense rainforest
• Known for gold
reserve
Shan plateau, Myanmar
• Plateau crossed by
Salween river
• Irrawaddy river passed
in eastern side
• Shan plateau- chief
source of lead, zinc and
silver Myanmar
• Known for teak forest
(Burmese Teak)
Tibetan plateau
“Roof of the world” –
highest and largest
plateau
• Source of Indus,
Brahmaputra,
Salween, Mekong,
Yangtse, Hwang He
• Imp role in Indian
monsoon
Batholith

• Granite
• Less mobile,
cannot move
upward
• Backbone of
fold mountains
Landforms on earth

Mountains

Plateaus

Plains
 Plains
• Meaning • Depositional plains
• Flat areas with low - Rivers
heights - Sea (sub-merged coast)
• Best for human
habitation
• Erosional plains
• Most populated areas
- Erosion of plateau
of the world – alluvial
plains of rivers
 Important river basins of the world
Asia Europe Africa South North America
America
Indus Danube Nile Amazon Mississippi – Missouri
Ganga –Brahmaputra Rhine Congo Parana- Colorado
Paraguay

Yangtze (China) Rhone Niger St. Lawrence

Hwang He (China) Po Zambezi Yukon
Ob- Irtysh (Russia) Don Orange Mackenzie
Mekong (SE Asia)
Euphrates - Tigris
Yangtze river, China
 Important locations
Yangtze – 3th longest river in the world
Navigable river – 35% of China’s population
Sichuan basin – rice cultivation
Shanghai – biggest port of China
 Wuhan – Iron and steel
Nanjing – textile, iron and steel
Chengdu – oil and gas
Three gorge dam
Yun ho canal – connect Yangtze with Hwang He
Euphrates- Tigris river, Iraq
 Locations near Euphrates-Tigris
Lake Van,
Lake Urmia
Important centers in Iraq:
Baghdad, Mosul, Kirkuk, Al Basra
Amazon river, Brazil
 Locations near Amazon river
Largest, 2nd longest river
Selvas – equatorial rain forest
Tin, rubber in Selvas
Sertao – ranching region
Petroleum reserve at the mouth
Manaus – Iron ore, navigable
 plateau of Mato Grasso – gold reserve
Mississippi , USA
 Locations near Mississippi basin
Temperate grasslands – Prairies
Wheat, corn and cotton cultivation
Important cites:
Kansas – agriculture
St. Pittsburg – iron and steel
New Orleans – port, ship building
Murray-Darling basin, Australia
 Location near Murray-darling basin
Temperate grassland – downs
Wheat cultivation
Sheep rearing ,Animal husbandry
Wool and dairy production
Landforms on earth
Mountains (fold and block)
Plateaus
Plains
Natural Catastrophic
events
volcanism

earthquake

Tsunami
 Geomorpho
complete sequence of processes of
creation and movement of magma +
creation of volcanic landforms Volcanism
Volcanism is not random
Reason associated with volcanism
is also not random
 Distribution of Volcanism

• 1st
• Pacific Ring of Fire
• O-O convergence
• O-C convergence
 Plate movements
O-O : Volcanic arc O-C :Volcanic mountains
 Mid Oceanic Ridge

2nd
• O-O divergence
• Basaltic – peaceful
eruption
 Mediterranean volcanism
3th
• Breaking up of
Mediterranean plates
into multiple blocks
• Andesitic eruption
• Frequent interaction
• Mt. Etna, Mt.
Vesuvius
History of Mediterranean sea

• Mediterranean sea is
residual part of Tethys
sea
• Tethys sea was located
between – Laurasia and
Gondwana
• Collision of Africa to
Laurasia – breaking up of
plates of Mediterranean
sea
 Hot Spot Volcanoes
• 4th
• Magma From deep
interior -Basaltic
• Fixed place - Plate
movement – Island
arc
• Direction of plate
• Hawaii, Reunion,
Kurile, Aleutian
Aleutian Islands
 comparison
Basaltic eruption Andesitic eruption

Occur at mid-oceanic Volcanic arcs, volcanic

ridge and hot spot
volcanism
Basalt highly fluid –
mobile
Spread across easily
Quite eruption
mountains
Andesite – less fluid – less
mobile
Solidifies at short
distance- intense pressure
develop inside –explosive
 comparison
Basaltic eruption Andesitic eruption
 Volcanic Landforms

Volcanic
plateau
Extrusive
Volcanic
Landforms cones

Intrusive Dykes etc.

Intrusive Landforms
 Intrusive Volcanic Landforms
Intrusive Landforms
Intrusion of Magma in sedimentary rocks
Sills (Horizontal)
Dyke (Vertical)
Laccolith – magma which could not come
out
Lopolith – saucer-shaped
Phacolith – shape like waves
Batholith – intrusive granitic rock
 Extrusive volcanic Landforms

Volcanic Shield
Plateau volcano
Extrusive
Volcanic
Cinder vol.
cones
Composite
vol.
Lava plateaus
• Hot spot volcano on
continental crust
• Cracks on continental
crust –Basaltic
eruption
• Spread across the land
• Layer over layer
• EX. Deccan lava trapps
Indian Deccan trap
• Indian plate passed
over a hot spot near
Reunion Island
• Basaltic eruption
• Layer over layers –
looks like steps =>
Deccan lava traps
• Soil – black soil ‘regur’
Spatial distribution of Lava Plateau
 List of lava plateaus of the world
• Columbia-snake Deccan plateau, India
plateau, USA • Arabian plateau
• Ozark plateau, USA • Balkan plateau, Europe
• Parana-Patagonia, S. • Siberian plateau,
America Russia
• Adamawa plateau, • Yunan Plateau, China
Africa
• Shan plateau, Myanmar
• Bie plateau, Africa
• Kimberly plateau,
• Katanga Plateau, Australia
Africa
 Extrusive volcanic Landforms

Volcanic Shield
Plateau volcano
Extrusive
Volcanic
Cinder vol.
cones
Composite
vol.
 Shield / Dome volcano

•Volcanic Islands (Hot

spot)
•Highly fluid lava
(basaltic) build dome
•Gentle slope
•Quite volcano
•Volcanoes of Hawaii
 Cinder cones
• O-C collision – volcanic
mountains
• Less fluid lava
(Andesitic) explode
violently
• Viscous lava solidifies
at short distance

• Mt. Paricutin, Mexico

 Composite Cones
Volcanic mountains
Each new eruption –
new layers of ash or
lava

Mt. Stromboli, Mt.

Vesuvius, Mt. Fuji
 Types of Volcanic cones
Shield/ dome Cinder Composite

Highly fluid Less fluid / highly Fluid + viscous

viscous
Silent flow Violent eruption Multiple and
violent eruption
Gentle slope Steep slope Highest
volcanoes
Small volcanoes Small volcanoes Large volcanoes
 Geysers
• Geysers
=fountains of Hot
water
• Ground water
heated by shallow
source of magma
• Old faithful
geyser, Yellow
stone park, USA
 Hot Spring
• Hot Spring:
• Water reach deep
enough – heated by
interior
• Locate any part of the
world
Difference between geyser and Hotspring
• Geyser – G/w heated by
shallow magma source
• Hot spring – g/w heated by
either magma source or
heated rocks
• Geyser – chamber in
interior – pressure –
comes out like fountain
• Hot –spring - quite
 comparison
geyser Hot spring

Geysers are rare Found anywhere

Hot water dissolved with They gets different colors
silica accumulated on from heat-loving bacteria,
surface – gives different like cyanobacteria
colours Medicinal values
USA, - Yellowstone park Can be helpful in harness
geo-thermal energy
Geo-thermal energy

• Heated water is
taken out – used
for moving turbine
– generation of
electricity
• Cooled water
flown back into
interior
 Limitations of geo-thermal energy
Difficult to locate a good source of
geothermal reservoir with current technology
Difficult to dig a deep well with hard and hot
bedrock
Harmful gases can escape from the earth
interior while exploration – GHG gases and
dissolved toxic elements
volcanism

earthquake

Tsunami
 Geomorpho
Sudden movement or vibration in
earth’s crust.
Earthquake

Release of the energy due to intense

pressure + active internal dynamism
of the earth
 Types of Earthquake
1) Shallow focus EQ
2) Intermediate
focus EQ
3) Deep focus EQ

Shallow focus –
destructive
 Earthquakes in Japan
At Junction of 3 plates Subduction of Pacific plate
 Reasons behind EQ
1st
Collision of Plate
boundaries
O-O collision
O-C collision
C-C collision
 Reasons behind EQ
2nd
Divergent Plate
boundaries

O-O divergence
MOR
 Reasons behind EQ

• 3th
• Transverse plate
boundaries
• Friction developed
between two plates
 Reasons behind EQ
4th
Mediterranean sea
region
Numerous small
plates
Frequent
interactions
 Reasons behind EQ
5th 6th
Craton = stable part of Human Induced
crust 1) RIS
Re-emergence of old 2) mining
fractures
3) Nuclear testing
volcanism

earthquake

Tsunami
 Geomorpho
Submarine EQ
Sudden disturbances of underlying Tsunami
plates transmit the shock waves to
surface waves
 comparison
Normal waves Tsunami waves

Speed – 100 kmph Speed – 700 kmph

Cover shorter distances Cover longer distances
Wavelength ~100 km Wavelength – > 150 km
wavelength
• Distance between two
crests of troughs =
wavelength

• Waves of Tsunami are

wider than normal
waves of the ocean
water
Phase 1
• EQ on ocean crust –
uplift the water upward
• Tsunami wave
generated
• Vessels in the mid-sea
cannot recongnise the
tsunami waves
• Sea water recede at
the shore
Phase 2
• At coast – depth
decrease – wavelength
decreases – wave
height increases
• A huge wall of water –
10-12 floor high
created
• Enormous energy
released at the shore
Phase 3
• Hit the coast
• Tsunami- not a single
wave but multiple
waves
• 4th and 8th waves are
the most dangerous
• Time lapse between
each waves – 15 to 50
minutes
Phases of tsunami
 Indian preparedness against Tsunami
Tsunami Early warning system- gives warning in
10 minutes of submarine earthquake
Indian National centre for Ocean Information
Sciences (INCOIS),Hyderabad
 To capture Tsunami wave amplitude on 24x7
basis
 real time sea-level sensors with bottom
pressure recorders
HF radars for coastal currents
Coastal tide gauge stations
Catastrophic events on earth
Their reasons and distributions
Volcanism
EQ
Tsunami