Deposits of silt and sediment that form when a stream spreads onto a flat plain, which form a fan shape. Each small stream of water brings its own load of sediment, until the waterways fill, and the water is redirected to a new path.
An underground supply of water that is held in porous rock, sand, clay, or gravel. The water can be accessed and used by drilling a well.
A chain of islands. Hawaii is an archipelago.
A waterway that is often dry but fills with water during heavy rains, often in a particular season. Arroyos are often found in arid areas. In the Middle East, this type of land form is called a "wadi."
An area of land drained by a given river and its branches: area of land surrounded by lands of higher elevation
An sheltered area of water that is bordered by land on three sides. Bays are often the sites for busy harbors and port cities, such as San Francisco.
A waterfall, usually a large one, but any descent of water over a steep slope can be called a cataract.
A steep-sided valley, which is usually caused by erosion from a river.
A large headland or peninsula that juts into a body of water.
A narrow body of water that runs between two land masses. The English Channel is one of the more famous channels in the world
The rounded head of a valley that is formed by a glacier.
A steep rock face
The normal weather pattern of a region. Climate is used to predict weather over a long period of time. Weather patterns over the course of a year are what define a region's climate.
One of the seven major landmasses on Earth.
A small, circular bay with a narrow entrance, which is created by erosion from the action of waves on the shore.
A landform that is created by deposits of silt and sediment at the mouth of a river. River deltas are known for their fertile soil.
A dry area that gets less than 10 inches of precipitation a year.
A place where the direction of the watershed changes. Water divides can be found along ridgelines or the tops of hills. A continental divide is the line where water on either side drains to oceans on either side of the continent.
An area further away from the source of a river or stream. This term is used to show a relationship between two areas. For example, New Orleans is downstream of St. Louis on the Mississippi River.
The measurment of an area's height above sea level.
A semi-enclosed bay or body of water with access to the ocean that has freshwater streams or rivers running into it. Estuaries are usually less salty than the open ocean, so they often have unique ecological characteristics.
The area in a river or stream where a mountain or hill descends to a coastal plain. Usually, a fall zone will have rapids or a waterfall, making it difficult for boats to navigate.
General terms for animals (Fauna) and plants (Flora)
A steep-sided estuary that is caused by the sea flooding a narrow glacial valley.
The flat land next to a river or stream that is periodically flooded.
Massive, slow moving ice sheets created by layers of packed snow. Most of the polar areas of the Earth are covered by glaciers, but during the Ice Ages, more areas were covered. The movement of glaciers can create certain land forms, such as cirques, fjords, and others.
A very large bay
A sheltered area where boats can be protected from the weather. A harbor can be natural or man-made, or a combination of both.
A region with high elevation, sometimes a plateau in a mountainous area.
A landform that is higher than the area around it. A hill has less elevation and isn't as steep as a mountain.
Land that is completely surrounded by water.
A narrow strip of land that connects two land masses, with water on both sides.
A shallow coastal area that is sheltered from the ocean by a coral reef or sandbar. Lagoons often have fresh water flowing into them.
A large body of water surrounded by land on all sides. Lakes are usually fresh water, but can sometimes be salty.
An area of land with low elevation
A type of fine, sandy soil created by glaciers grinding rocks. Loess is particularly vulnerable to erosion.
A flat-topped hill with steep sides.
An area of land with high elevation and steep sides.
The summit, or highest point, of a mountain.
A group of mountains.
The area where a river flows into a larger body of water.
A major body of water with high salinity. 70% of the Earth's surface is covered by ocean.
Movement of water in specific areas of the oceans. Ocean currents can be affected by the relative temperature of the water, the gravitational pull of the moon, or the relative salinity of the water.
A U-shaped lake that is formed when a river changes its course or an offshoot of a river changes its course. Oxbows are also called bayous.
An area of land that has water on three sides.
Acharacteristic of a place occurring naturally such as a landform, body of water, climate pattern or resource.
A large, flat area of land, usually with low elevation.
A flat area of land with high elevation.
A small body of water with land on all sides. Ponds are smaller than lakes and are usually man-made.
A waterway that flows from high to low elevation.
A large body of salty water that is either connected to an ocean or is an inland lake with no water flowing out of it.
Land lying next to a sea or ocean.
The average height or elevation of the ocean. When measuring elevation, sea level is zero.
A large ocean inlet or bay, or a narrow channel between two islands.
A narrow passage of water through two land masses that connects two larger bodies of water.
A stream or river that flows into another, larger waterway.
A low area between two hills or mountains. A valley is usually long and narrow.
An opening in the Earth's crust that periodically allows hot gases, ash, and molten rock to erupt from under the surface.
An area of land with high saturation of water: a swamp or marsh.
Absolute location is the exact coordinates of a place on Earth. Relative location is the location of an object or area in relation to something else.
Examples:
The process in which a person from one culture adopts elements of another culture. In areas where one group has colonized another, acculturation is a two-way process, although the colonizing culture is usually dominant, with the colonized group adopting more of the culture of the colonizers than the other way around.
The process by which the wind shapes and erodes landforms. The term Aeolian comes from the Greek god of winds, Aeolus.
The layer of gases that surrounds the Earth (or any other planet).
The imaginary line that runs through the Earth around which the planet rotates.
The amount of variation and number of different life forms in an area. Areas with high biodiversity have more varied life forms. Biodiversity is generally thought to be a sign of ecological health.
A map in which the actual area of land is not used-- instead, the map is used to display another measurement, like population. The actual shape of the land area is distorted in order to display a different measurment. Here are some examples of cartograms.
The line in a continent separating two watersheds. On one side of the continental divide, water drains to an ocean, and on the other side, water drains to the other ocean.
The cutting down of forested areas to make way for other types of land use, such as agriculture, mining, or urban or suburban areas. Deforestation generally leads to environmental degredation.
A process of land degredation in which arable land turns into desert. Desertification is generally caused by poor farming techniques or poor land stewardship.
The latitude line at the center of the Earth.
A 24-hour period that has equal amounts of daylight and night. The equinox happens once in the Spring and once in the Fall.
The area of the Earth where people live.
The value of all goods produced in a country over a certain period of time. Gross Domestic Product is one way to express the level of economic activity in a country.
Half of the earth, normally in reference to the Eastern, Western, Northern, or Southern hemisphere.
The amount of water vapor in the atmosphere. Humidity is expressed by a percentage. When it is raining, humidity is at 100%.
Sometimes referred to as the water cycle, it is the continuous movement of water through different parts of the Earth and atmosphere.
The number of live infants who die under a year of age, per 1,000 births.
The amount of solar energy that hits the earth at a particular area of the world. Insolation is affected by the angle at which the Earth tilts away from or towards the Sun.
The diversion of water from a waterway for other uses, such as farming.
The average expected age of death in a country.
A widespread common language that is spoken outside of its community of native speakers.
A coordinate based on a meridian that shows a location's East-West position.
The rocky outer shell of a planet. The Earth's crust and surface is called the lithosphere.
The distance north or south from the Earth's equator. Latitude is measured in degrees.
The area of molten rock under the Earth's crust
The ratio between the distance on the map and the real distance in the area the map represents. For example, 1 inch: 1 mile could be a scale for a map.
A longitudinal line with a number based on its distance from the Prime Meridian.
A statute mile is 5,280 feet. This is the common measurment for distance that we use in the United States. A nautical mile is slightly larger, at 6,076 feet, or 1.151 statute miles.
The longitudinal line at zero degrees, which runs through central Britain. The equator's position is based on the earth's widest point, while the placement of the Prime Meridian is arbitrary.
A circle of latitude with a number based on its distance from the Equator.
The total national income of a country divided evenly between the population. Percapita income is an indicator of the economic activity in a country, but is not an accurate expression of actual individual income.
The movement and interaction of the plates underlying the Earth's crust.
An area with low population density. Rural areas often depend on farming, mining, logging, or other industries for jobs and economic activity.
A somewhat densely populated area outside of an urban area. Suburban areas are usually dependent on the nearby urban area for jobs and economic activity. Suburban residents often commute into the city to work or shop.
An area of the Earth that uses the same standard time. Time zones are measured by their distance from Greenwich Mean Time, which is located on the Prime Meridian.
A latitude line at 23.5 degress north of the Equator. The sun appears directly overhead at noon on the June solstice because of the Earth's tilt toward the sun at this time of year.
A latitude line at 23.5 degrees south of the Equator. The sun appears directly overhead at noon on the December solstice because of the Earth's tilt toward the sun at this time of year.
The area around the Equator between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn.
An area of high population density. Urban areas usually need to import food and other resources from rural or suburban areas to support their population. Large cities are urban areas.
A region in which water drains into a particular area or body of water.
The current state of the atmosphere: pressure, humidity, wind speeds, and precipitation all make up the weather in an area