Landforms of the United States

Landforms Landforms are features that make up the Earth’s surface. There are many kinds of landforms like deserts, mountains and valleys.

How are Landforms Made? Some landforms are created by the action of wind, water, and ice. The action physically changes the Earth’s surfaces, carrying and depositing soil, sand and other debris. Crustal movement and other tectonic activity inside Earth create landforms; mountains, faults, sinks, and volcanoes.

Bay A bay is a body of water that is partly surrounded by land.

Gulf A gulf is a part of the ocean (or sea) that is partly surrounded by land (it is usually larger than a bay).

Lake A lake is a large body of water surrounded by land on all sides.

Cape A cape is a pointed piece of land that sticks out into a sea, ocean, lake, or river.

Mouth The mouth of the river is the place where the river meets the sea or ocean.

Source A source is the beginning of a river. The photo is of Lake Ithaca, the source of the Mississippi River.

Tributary A tributary is a stream or river that flows into a larger river. The Missouri River is a tributary of the Mississippi River.

Mountain Range A mountain range is a series of mountains ridges alike in form, direction, and origin.

Plain Plains are flat lands that have only small changes in elevation.

Peninsula A peninsula is a body of land that is surrounded by water on three sides.

Valley A valley is a low place between mountains.

Delta A delta is a low, watery land formed at the mouth of a river. It is formed from the silt, sand and small rocks that flow downstream in the river and are deposited in the delta.

Island An island is a piece of land that is surrounded by water.

Now let’s see what you know! Get you response pads

Low land between hills or mountains A.valley B.desert C.bay D.plateau

[Enter question here] A.[Option 1] B.[Option 2] C.[Option 3] D.[Option 4]