Have you ever looked out your window and noticed the buildings, streets, and maybe some trees? While people have shaped much of our world, nature is also busy creating amazing shapes called landforms. Let’s explore some of these fascinating features and learn how they are made!
The Earth is made up of different layers, including the geosphere, which is the solid part of our planet. Even though it seems stable, the geosphere is always changing. Wind, rain, and other natural forces slowly reshape the Earth’s surface through processes called weathering and erosion. Let’s take a closer look at some of the landforms created by these processes.
Mountains are some of the most well-known landforms. They are like giant hills with steep sides that rise high above the Earth’s surface. Mountains often form when large pieces of the Earth’s surface, called plates, collide and push upwards. The low areas between mountains are known as valleys.
If mountains aren’t your thing, maybe you’ll find plateaus interesting. Plateaus are tall landforms with flat tops, unlike the pointy peaks of mountains. They can be different sizes: medium-sized ones are called mesas, and smaller ones are called buttes. Plateaus can form in various ways, such as through erosion or when magma pushes up a flat area of land.
Volcanoes are some of the most exciting landforms. They occur where the Earth’s surface is thin, allowing magma to break through and erupt. When this hot liquid rock reaches the surface, it’s called lava, and a new volcano is born!
Deserts are landforms that lose more water to the air than they receive from rain or snow. The Sahara Desert in Northern Africa is the world’s largest desert, with scorching temperatures that can reach 55°C! Surprisingly, Antarctica is also considered a desert because it gets very little moisture, despite being cold.
Islands and deltas are landforms connected to water. Deltas form at the mouths of rivers where they meet the ocean. They are created by the buildup of dirt and debris carried by the river. Islands can form in many ways, such as from cooled lava of underwater volcanoes or from coral and sand building up. As long as a piece of land is surrounded by water, it’s considered an island.
Today, we’ve explored various landforms, which are natural features of the Earth’s surface. From towering mountains and flat plateaus to dry deserts and watery islands, landforms are all around us. So next time you step outside, remember that beneath and beyond the things people have made, there are landforms that have been millions of years in the making.
Landform Scavenger Hunt: Go on a mini adventure in your backyard, local park, or neighborhood. Look for small landforms like hills, valleys, or even tiny plateaus. Draw a picture of what you find and try to describe how you think it was formed. Share your discoveries with your family or friends and see if they can find more landforms!
Build Your Own Volcano: Create a simple volcano model using clay or playdough. Use baking soda and vinegar to simulate an eruption. As you watch the “lava” flow, think about how real volcanoes might change the land around them. Discuss with a friend or family member how volcanoes can create new landforms.
Weathering and Erosion Experiment: Fill a shallow tray with sand or soil to represent the Earth’s surface. Use a small watering can or spray bottle to mimic rain and observe how the water changes the shape of the sand or soil. Talk about how this is similar to the natural processes that create landforms like valleys and deltas.
