Exploring Earth's Surface

Exploring Earth's Surface

8th Grade Science

Topography

The shape of the land that includes the area's elevation, relief, and landforms.

Elevation

The height above sea level of a point on Earth's surface.

Relief

The difference in elevation between the highest and lowest parts of an area.

Landform

A feature of topography, such as a hill or valley formed by the processes that shaped Earth's surface.

Landforms vary greatly in size and shape - there are three main types of landforms.

Plains

A landform made up of nearly flat or gently rolling land with low relief.

Costal Plain - plain that lies along a seacoast, low elevation and low relief.

Interior Plain - plain that lies away from a coast; low relief, and the elevation can vary.

Mountains

A landform with high elevation and high relief and usually occur as part of a mountain range.

Mountain range - group of mountains that are closely related in shape, structure, and age.

Mountain system - the different mountain ranges in a region (ex. Bitterroot Mountains are a range in Rocky Mountains)

Mountain belt - a larger unit of mountain ranges and mountain systems in a long, connected chain.

Plateaus

A landform that has high elevation and a more or less level surface.

Landform Regions

A large area of land where the topography is made up of mainly one type of landform (ex uplands, lowlands, or basin)

Multiple Choice

What is the difference between a coastal plain and an interior plain?

• A coastal plain lies along the coast and an interior plain lies away from the coast.
• A coastal plain has low relief and an interior relief has high relief

Multiple Choice

What landform is this?

• Plateau
• Mountain
• Coastal Plain
• Interior Plain

Multiple Choice

If the tallest point of a valley is 50 feet and the lowest point of a valley is 10 feet, what is the relief of the valley?

• 50 feet
• 10 feet
• 40 feet
• 60 feet

Multiple Choice

What is a landform?

• The height above and below sea level
• The difference between the highest and lowest parts of an area
• The land features
• When land forms after an earthquake

Multiple Choice

Distance east or west of the prime meridian, measured in degrees

• latitude

• longitude

• scale

• topography

Multiple Choice

Generally, the relationship between the portion of Earth being studied and Earth as a whole, specifically the relationship between the size of an object on a map and the size of the actual feature on Earth's surface.

• latitude

• scale

• longitude

• degree

Multiple Choice

A unit used to measure distances around a circle. One degree equals 1/360 of a full circle.

• degree

• length

• width

• height

Multiple Choice

Landform of flat land with low relief.

• plateau

• valley

• mountain

• plain

Multiple Choice

Distance north or south of the equator

• latitude

• longitude

• relief

• elevation

Multiple Choice

A two-dimensional, or flat, representation of Earth's surface or a portion of it.

• map

• elevation

• relief

• globe

Multiple Choice

Refers to the shape and elevation of land in a region.

• relief

• topography

• map

• plateau

Multiple Choice

A landform that has high elevation and a more or less level surface.

• plateau

• mountain

• plain

• valley

Multiple Choice

A landform with high elevation and high relief.

• valley

• Plain

• plateau

• mountain