EARTHS LANDFORMS(GEOLOGY

AND TECTONIC FORCES)

EARTHS LANDFORM

The word tectonic derived from the Greek

word tekton, which means "builder." Tectonic A recognizable, naturally formed feature on
process build landforms mainly by causing the the Earth's surface. Landforms have a
uplift or subsidence of rock material-blocks, characteristic shape and can include such large
layers, or slices of the Earth's crust, molten features as plains, plateaus, mountains, and
lavas, and even large masses that include the valleys, as well as smaller features such as
entire crust and uppermost part of the hills, eskers, and canyons.Tectonic plate
planet's mantle. In some areas, these movement under Earth can create landforms
processes create and maintain high elevations by pushing up mountains and hills.
such as mountains and plateaus.
What is the importance of landforming
processes and landform features?
•1.Influence on ecosystems: Landform features such
as mountains, valleys, and rivers play a crucial role in
shaping ecosystems and biodiversity. They provide
habitats for various plant and animal species, and
their unique characteristics contribute to the
diversity of life on Earth.
•2. Impact on human settlement and development: Landform features
greatly influence where people choose to live and how they develop the
land. Flat plains are often suited for agriculture, while mountains provide
opportunities for tourism and recreation. Understanding landforming
processes helps planners make informed decisions about urban
development and infrastructure.
•3. Water resources: Landform features
control the distribution and availability of
water resources. Rivers, lakes, and wetlands
are formed through landforming processes
and are essential for drinking water,
irrigation, and hydroelectric power
generation.
4. Geological and
archaeological significance:
Landform features provide
valuable information about
Earth's geological history and
can reveal important
geological formations and
artifacts. They also contribute
to the study of past human
civilizations and ancient
cultures.
•5. Climate and weather patterns: Landform
features such as mountains, plateaus, and
coastlines influence local climate and weather
patterns. They can affect temperature,
precipitation, and wind patterns, leading to
diverse microclimates and weather conditions
in different areas.
Four Major Types of Landforms
 Mountains
•They usually have
steep, sloping sides and
sharp or rounded
ridges, and a high
point, called a peak or
summit. Most geologists
classify a mountain as a
landform that rises at
least 1,000 feet (300
meters) or more above
its surrounding area.
 Plains
A plain, commonly known as
flatland, is a flat expanse of
land that generally does not
change much in elevation,
and is primarily treeless.
Plains occur as lowlands
along valleys or at the base
of mountains, as coastal
plains, and as plateaus or
uplands.
 Plateaus
A plateau, also called a
high plain or a tableland,
is an area of a highland
consisting of flat terrain
that is raised sharply
above the surrounding
area on at least one side.
Often one or more sides
have deep hills or
escarpments.
 Hills
A hill is a piece of land
that rises higher than
everything surrounding it.
It looks like a little bump
in the Earth. Since they
are higher than
everything around them,
hills are good places to
get a nice view. Hills are
easier to climb than
mountains.
GEOLOGIC TIME
•The geologic time scale
is the “calendar” for
events in Earth history. It
subdivides all time into
named units of abstract
time called—in
descending order of
duration—eons, eras,
periods, epochs, and
ages.
EARTHS HISTORY
 Earth formed about 4.54 billion
years ago by accretion from the
solar nebula, a disk-shaped mass of
dust and gas left over from the
formation of the Sun, which also
created the rest of the Solar System.
Initially, Earth was molten due to
extreme volcanism and frequent
collisions with other bodies.
CONTINENTAL DRIFT
• The continental drift
hypothesis (introduced
by Alfred Wegener in
1912) states that at
one point in time, all
of the continents were
joined together as one
large mass of land,
then the land spread
apart and drifted into
their current positions.
CAUSES OF CONTINENTAL DRIFT
• Continental drifts are caused
by the spreading of the
seafloor. When tectonic
plates, also known as massive
slabs of rocks, move, this
causes the landmasses, or
continents, to drift and move
apart from one another.
The evidences of continental
drift theory
 Fossils
Scientists also found a fossilized
remain of a whale on the Andes and
the Himalayas. These are places
that are thousands of meters high
above the sea level and hundreds of
kilometers away from the nearest
shores. There are also corals,
brachiopods, clams, gastropods and
even shark teeth. This also indicates
that this great mountain ranges
must have once originated from the
depths of the sea.
Rocks

When magnetite, a kind of

igneous rocks are formed,
they align with the
magnetic field of the
Earth. But there are many
of these that are not
aligned, pointing to
possibility of drifting.
Coal Deposits

•The presence of coal indicates that the

continent was once inhabited by many
organisms. It also gives a clue that
Antarctica was once located near the
equator where abundant animal and
plant organisms could be found.
 Jigsaw Fit
The jigsaw fit is a term used in the
continental drift theory of Alfred
Wegener to describe the way that
the coastlines of certain continents
seem to fit together like pieces of a
puzzle. When the continents are
rearranged to fit together, their
coastlines align seamlessly, as if
they were once interconnected.
MECHANICS OF
PLATE
TECTONICS
• Tremendous heat and pressure
within the earth cause the hot
magma to flow in convection
currents. These currents cause
the movement of the tectonic
plates that make up the earth's
crust.
What are the different
types of plate tectonic
boundaries?
*There are three kinds of plate tectonic boundaries: divergent, convergent,
and transform plate boundaries.Here are three kinds of plate tectonic
boundaries: divergent, convergent, and transform plate boundaries.

1.Divergent boundary- occurs when

two tectonic plates move away
from each other. Along these
boundaries, earthquakes are
common and magma (molten rock)
rises from the Earth’s mantle to the
surface, solidifying to create new
oceanic crust. The
Mid-Atlantic Ridge is an example of
divergent plate boundaries.
•2. Convergent Boundary-
When two plates come together, it is
known as a convergent boundary. The
impact of the colliding plates can cause
the edges of one or both plates to
buckle up into a mountain ranges or one
of the plates may bend down into a
deep seafloor trench. A chain of
volcanoes often forms parallel to
convergent plate boundaries and
powerful earthquakes are common
along these boundaries
• 3 . Transformation plate boundaries- One of the most
famous transform plate boundaries occurs at the
San Andreas fault zone, which extends underwater.
Natural or human-made structures that cross a
transform boundary are offset — split into pieces
and carried in opposite directions. Rocks that line
the boundary are pulverized as the plates grind
along, creating a linear fault valley or undersea
canyon. Earthquakes are common along these
faults. In contrast to convergent and divergent
boundaries, crust is cracked and broken at
transform margins, but is not created or destroyed.
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