Landforms

How are landforms made?

Landforms are natural structures found on Earth's surface. They often take thousands of years to change through slow processes such as weathering, erosion, and deposition. Some can change more quickly due to earthquakes, volcanoes, and avalanches.

Valleys can be shaped like a "U" or a "V" and may be found in between mountains. Valleys are formed by glaciers, rivers, and streams.

Valleys

Multiple Choice

A wide, round-bottom valley is shown. This valley was most likely formed by which of the following?

• tornadoes

• glacial movement

• flash flooding

• deposition by the wind

Multiple Choice

Read the characteristics of the valley. What was it most likely formed by?

• a slow moving glacier

• thunderstorms

• heavy winds

• moving water

Multiple Choice

The diagram shows a V-shaped valley. The valley did not exist thousands of years ago. How was this valley formed?

• sediment being deposited by slow-moving water

• riverbanks being eroded by fast-moving water

• earthquakes causing the ground to split open

• glaciers moving sediment to a new location

When a river deposits the sediments that have been flowing in it at the mouth of a river, a delta forms. Deltas are shaped like a triangle with sediments gathered at the end of a river. Deltas get many of the sediments from weathered rocks along a river.

Deltas are also made by water erosion.

Multiple Choice

Which model best represents the formation of a delta?

• A student carefully placed pieces of gravel in a hill.

• A student sets up a tray of sand and blows through a strat to form a hill of sand.

• A student pours water into a stream table filled with dirt and observes sediments getting deposited at the end of the table in a triangular shape.

• A student packs damp sand in a tray then scrapes a large ice cube along the bottom.

Multiple Choice

A diagram of a delta is shown. Which process best describes the formation of this delta?

• The erosion of sediments in the ocean.

• The weathering of rocks by glaciers.

• The deposition of sediments carried by the ocean.

• The deposition of sediments carried by the river.

Multiple Choice

A photograph of a river delta is shown. Which statement correctly describes the delta in the photograph?

• Deposition is causing the delta to become narrower over time.

• Deposition is causing the delta to become bigger over time.

• Erosion is causing the delta to become smaller over time.

• Erosion is causing the delta to become wider over time.

Canyons are often created by rivers that slowly weather rocks and erode the sediments. Canyons have steep sides with a narrow channel on each side of a river.

Canyons

Multiple Choice

While on a field trip, students observed a canyon

and wrote this list of observations.

This canyon was most likely formed by –

• flooding

• wind

• massive glaciers

• volcanic activity

Multiple Choice

A canyon with tall, vertical sides is shown. Which of the following most likely led to the formation of this canyon?

• rapidly moving water

• hurricane

• burrowing animals

• volcanic activity

Sand dunes are usually formed on beaches and in deserts due to wind erosion. They are hills of sand.

Multiple Choice

While on a field trip, students observed sand dunes and wrote this list of

observations.

This sand dune was most likely formed by –

• flooding

• wind

• massive glaciers

• volcanic activity

Summary

Although noticeable changes often take

thousands of years, landforms are constantly

being formed all around us.