FLUVIAL
AEOLIAN
GLACIAL
The Landform Atlas
"Every landscape is a record of forces acting through time."
The Master Classification
We have studied the internal energy that lifts the rock, and the external energy that breaks it down. Now, we catalogue the physical geometry produced by this engine. We must classify the scale and morphology of relief, moving agent by agent.
OBSERVE FORM
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IDENTIFY MATERIAL & STRUCTURE
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IDENTIFY DOMINANT AGENT
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RIVER
GLACIER
WIND
WATER
WAVE
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IDENTIFY EROSION / TRANSPORT / DEPOSITION
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EXPLAIN FORMATION & EVOLUTION
The 53 Domains of Morphology
Deconstructing Realm 06
DOMAIN 01
What is a Landform?
RELIEF
- Landform vs Landscape
- Relief & Topography
- Morphology & Scale
- Form vs Process
Major Relief Forms
- Mountains & Plateaus
- Plains & Basins
- Valleys & Escarpments
- First & Second Order Relief
Mountains
- Ranges, Systems, Belts
- Fold, Block, Volcanic
- Peaks, Ridges, Spurs
- Young vs Old Fold
Plateaus
- Intermontane, Piedmont
- Continental, Lava
- Tablelands & Escarpments
- Mesa & Butte
Plains
- Structural & Erosional
- Depositional (Alluvial)
- Coastal & Basin
- Loess & Outwash
Valleys
- River vs Glacial Valleys
- Rift & Structural Valleys
- Gorge, Canyon, Ravine
- Floor & Valley Sides
Slopes
CONVEX
FREE FACE
CONCAVE
- Convex, Straight, Concave
- Free Face & Debris Slope
- Slope Retreat
- Slope Stability
Drainage Basins
- Catchment & Watershed
- Water Divide
- Stream Order
- Basin Morphometry
Drainage Patterns
RADIAL
PARALLEL
- Dendritic, Trellis, Radial
- Antecedent & Superimposed
- Consequent vs Subsequent
- Geological Control
The Fluvial Landscape
- River as Geomorphic Agent
- Upper, Middle, Lower Course
- Erosion vs Deposition Zones
- Channel Evolution
Upper-Course Forms
- V-Shaped Valleys
- Interlocking Spurs
- Waterfalls & Rapids
- Gorges & Canyons
Middle-Course Forms
- Lateral Erosion Dominates
- Meanders & River Bends
- Pools & Riffles
- Channel Migration
Meanders
ERO
DEP
- Helicoidal Flow
- Outer-Bank Erosion (Cut Bank)
- Inner-Bank Depo (Point Bar)
- Neck Narrowing
Oxbow Lakes
- Meander Loop Cutoff
- Abandoned Channel
- Sediment Infilling
- Wetland Development
Floodplains
- Overbank Flooding
- Vertical vs Lateral Accretion
- Backswamps
- Floodplain Zonation
Natural Levees
- Flood Sediment Deposition
- Coarse Sediment Near Channel
- Crevasse Splays
- Artificial Embankments Contrast
Alluvial Fans
- Mountain Front Deposition
- Loss of Stream Gradient
- Coarse Sediment Apron
- Fan Coalescence (Bajada)
Deltas
- Sediment Supply vs Ocean Energy
- Distributaries
- Arcuate, Bird-Foot, Cuspate
- Wave vs Tide Dominated
River Terraces
- Abandoned Floodplains
- River Incision / Rejuvenation
- Strath vs Fill Terraces
- Paired vs Unpaired
Fluvial Deposition
- Alluvium
- Channel Bars
- Point Bars vs Mid-Channel
- Sedimentary Architecture
Braided Rivers
- Multiple Channels
- High Sediment Load
- Variable Discharge
- Anastomosing Contrast
Glacial Landforms
- Valley Glacier vs Ice Sheet
- Ice Caps
- Plucking & Abrasion
- Glacial Troughs
Glacial Erosional Forms
- Cirques, Arêtes, Horns
- U-Shaped Valleys
- Hanging Valleys
- Roche Moutonnée & Fjords
Glacial Deposition
- Till
- Lateral, Medial, Terminal Moraines
- Drumlins & Eskers
- Kettle Holes & Outwash Plains
Periglacial Landforms
- Permafrost Environments
- Frost Heave & Ice Wedges
- Patterned Ground
- Pingos & Solifluction Lobes
Aeolian Landforms
- Wind Erosion (Deflation/Abrasion)
- Yardangs & Ventifacts
- Deflation Hollows
- Desert Pavement
Sand Dunes
- Barchan (Crescent)
- Transverse & Longitudinal
- Parabolic & Star Dunes
- Dune Migration
Loess Landscapes
- Wind-Blown Silt Deposition
- Loess Plateaus
- Deep Gully Erosion
- Agricultural Significance
Karst Landforms
- Limestone / Soluble Bedrock
- Sinkholes (Dolines) & Uvalas
- Caves & Caverns
- Tower Karst
Subterranean Karst
- Underground Streams
- Speleothems (Stalactites/mites)
- Karst Aquifers
- Surface-Subsurface Connectivity
Coastal Landforms
- Rocky vs Sandy Coasts
- Wave Energy & Refraction
- Marine Terraces
- Coastal Erosion vs Deposition
Wave-Cut Features
- Sea Cliffs & Shore Platforms
- Wave-Cut Notches
- Sea Caves & Arches
- Stacks & Stumps
Beaches
- Foreshore & Backshore
- Berms
- Sand vs Shingle Beaches
- Seasonal Beach Change
Spits & Bars
- Longshore Drift Deposition
- Recurved Spits
- Bay Bars & Offshore Bars
- Tombolos connecting islands
Lagoons
- Enclosed Coastal Water
- Barrier Islands & Sand Spits
- Salinity Variation
- Lagoon Sedimentation
Estuaries
- Drowned River Valleys
- Tidal Influence & Mixing
- Mudflats & Salt Marshes
- Estuary vs Delta
Marine Deposition
- Longshore Sediment Transport
- Sediment Budget
- Beach Ridges
- Barrier Systems
Tectonic Landforms
- Fault Scarps & Rift Valleys
- Horsts & Grabens
- Fold Mountains
- Tilted Blocks & Basins
Structural Landforms
- Cuestas & Hogbacks
- Homoclinal Ridges
- Mesas & Buttes
- Structural Benches
Volcanic Landforms
- Shield & Composite Cones
- Cinder Cones & Lava Domes
- Calderas & Maars
- Lava Plateaus & Necks
Erosional Surfaces
- Pediments & Pediplains
- Peneplains & Etchplains
- Inselbergs & Bornhardts
- Planation Surfaces
Desert Landforms
- Pediments & Wadis
- Bajadas & Playas
- Salt Flats
- Desert Pavement
Mountain-Basin Systems
- Mountain Fronts
- Alluvial Fans to Bajadas
- Intermontane Basins
- Sediment Transfer
Landscape Evolution
- Initial Relief → Uplift
- Weathering → Erosion
- Relief Reduction
- Polycyclic Landscapes
Classification
FLUVIAL
GLACIAL
AEOLIAN
COASTAL
- Structural vs Tectonic
- Fluvial, Glacial, Aeolian
- Karst, Coastal, Volcanic
- Periglacial
Anthropogenic Landforms
- Mine Pits & Waste Dumps
- Quarries & Embankments
- Canals & Dams
- Land Reclamation
Landform-Climate
- Humid vs Arid Landscapes
- Glacial & Periglacial Zones
- Tropical & Temperate Terrain
- Climatic Geomorphology
Landform-Lithology
- Resistant vs Weak Rock
- Differential Erosion
- Limestone Karst vs Granite Relief
- Bedding & Joint Control
Landform-Tectonics
- Uplift & Subsidence
- Crustal Warping
- Faulting & Folding
- River Incision & Terraces
Landform-Hydrology
- Runoff & Infiltration
- Discharge & Channel Form
- Sediment Load & Flooding
- Groundwater & Karst Drainage
Landform-Biogeography
- Relief & Vegetation
- Altitude & Ecological Zonation
- Slope & Soil
- Biome-Terrain Feedback
Landform-Human
- Settlement on Plains
- Mountain & Coastal Settlements
- Transport Corridors
- Hazard Exposure
The Great Landform Atlas
- Structure → Rock → Climate
- Agent → Process → Form
- Landscape → Human Use
- Civilisational Significance
Exit Portal
We have catalogued the solid architecture of the planetary surface. But Earth is not merely a dry rock. Over 70% of this surface is covered, shaped, and governed by a single molecule. We must now dive into the hydrosphere.