Glossary of landforms

Landforms are categorised by characteristic physical attributes such as elevation, slope, orientation, stratification, rock exposure, and soil type.

Landform by process

Landforms organized by the processes that create them.

Aeolian landforms

Aeolian landforms are formed by the wind and include:

barchan blowout desert pavement desert varnish dune dreikanter

erg loess dry lake sandhill ventifact yardang

Coastal and oceanic landforms

Coastal and oceanic landforms include:

Coastal and oceanic landforms.

abyssal fan abyssal plain archipelago atoll arch ayre barrier bar and barrier island bay and gulf beach and raised beach beach cusps beach ridge bight blowhole channel cape calanque cliff coast continental shelf

coral reef cove cuspate foreland dune system estuary firth fjard fjord geo headland inlet island, islet isthmus lagoon machair marine terrace mid-ocean ridge ocean oceanic basin

oceanic plateau oceanic trench peninsula ria river delta salt marsh sea sea cave seamount shoal shore sound spit strait stack and stump submarine canyon surge channel tombolo volcanic arc wave cut platform

Erosion landforms

Landforms produced by erosion and weathering usually occur in coastal or fluvial environments, and many appear under those headings as well.

butte canyon cave cliff cuesta dissected plateau erg exhumed river channel gulch gully hogback

hoodoo inverted relief lavaka limestone pavement malpais monadnock mesa natural arch pediment pediplain

potrero ridge roche moutonnée rock formations shut-in structural bench structural terrace tea table tepui tor valley

Fluvial landforms

Fluvial landforms include:

ait alluvial fan anabranch arroyo and (wash) bar bayou bench braided channel Carolina Bay cave cliff drainage basin endorheic basin exhumed river channel

floodplain fluvial terrace gully island lacustrine plain lake natural levee marsh meander oasis oxbow lake peneplain dry lake pond

natural pool proglacial lake rapid riffle river rock-cut basin shoal spring stream swamp valley and vale wadi waterfall watershed

Mountain and glacial landforms

Mountain and glacial landforms include:

arête cirque crevasse corrie or cwm cove (mountain) dirt cone drumlin and drumlin field esker fjord fluvial terrace glacial horn glacier

glacier cave glacier foreland hanging valley hill kame kame delta kettle monadnock moraine and ribbed moraines moulin (geology) mountain mountain range

nunatak outwash fan and outwash plain pingo rift valley roche moutonnée sandur side valley summit trim line tunnel valley valley U-shaped valley

Slope landforms

Slope landforms include:

alas bluff butte cliff cuesta dale defile dell draw escarpment (scarp)

glen gully hill knoll mesa mountain pass plain plateau ravine

ridge rock shelter scree strath terrace and terracettes vale valley valley shoulder

Volcanic landforms

Volcanic landforms include:

caldera complex volcano crater lake cryovolcano geyser guyot lava dome lava flow and lava plain lava lake lava spine lava tube maar malpais mamelon mid-ocean ridge mud volcano oceanic trench pit crater

pseudocrater sand volcano shield volcano stratovolcano subglacial mound submarine volcano supervolcano vent volcanic cone volcanic craters (not impact craters) volcanic dam volcanic field volcanic group volcanic island volcanic plateau volcanic plug volcano