Glossary of landforms

Landforms are categorized by characteristic physical attributes such as their creating process, shape, elevation, slope, orientation, rock exposure, and soil type.

Landforms by process[edit]

Landforms organized by the processes that create them.

Aeolian landforms[edit]

Aeolian landform – Landforms produced by action of the winds include:

Dry lake – Area that contained a standing surface water body
Sandhill – Type of ecological community or xeric wildfire-maintained ecosystem
Ventifact – Rock that has been eroded by wind-driven sand or ice crystals
Yardang – Streamlined aeolian landform

Coastal and oceanic landforms[edit]

Coastal and oceanic landforms include:

Abyssal fan – Underwater geological structures associated with large-scale sediment deposition
Abyssal plain – Flat area on the deep ocean floor
Archipelago – Collection of islands
Atoll – Ring-shaped coral reef
Arch – Arch-shaped natural rock formation
Ayre – Shingle beaches in Orkney and Shetland
Barrier bar – Natural submerged sandbank that rises from a body of water to near the surface
Barrier island – Coastal dune landform that forms by wave and tidal action parallel to the mainland coast
Bay – Recessed, coastal body of water connected to an ocean or lake
Baymouth bar – low and narrow strip of alluvial land made from sand or pebbles
Beach – Area of loose particles at the edge of the sea or other body of water
Raised beach – Emergent coastal landform
Beach cusps – Shoreline formations made up of various grades of sediment in an arc pattern
Beach ridge – Wave-swept or wave-deposited ridge running parallel to a shoreline
Bight – Shallowly concave bend or curve in a coastline, river, or other geographical feature
Blowhole – Hole at the top of a sea-cave which allows waves to force water or spray out of the hole
Channel – Type of landform in which part of a body of water is confined to a relatively narrow but long region
Cape – Large headland extending into a body of water, usually the sea
Calanque – Narrow, steep-walled inlet on the Mediterranean coast
Cliff – Tall, near vertical rock face
Coast – Area where land meets the sea or ocean
Continental shelf – Coastal and oceanic landform
Coral reef – Outcrop of rock in the sea formed by the growth and deposit of stony coral skeletons
Cove – Small sheltered bay or coastal inlet
Cuspate foreland – Geographical features found on coastlines and lakeshores
Dune system – Hill of loose sand built by aeolian processes or the flow of water
Estuary – Partially enclosed coastal body of brackish water
Firth – Scottish word used for various coastal inlets and straits
Fjard – Glacially formed, broad, shallow inlet
Fjord – Long, narrow inlet with steep sides or cliffs, created by glacial activity
Geo – Inlet, a gully or a narrow and deep cleft in the face of a cliff
Gulf – Large inlet from the ocean into the landmass
- List of gulfs
Headland – Landform extending into a body of water, often with significant height and drop
Inlet – Indentation of a shoreline
Island – Piece of subcontinental land completely surrounded by water
Islet – Very small island
Isthmus – Narrow strip of land connecting two larger land areas
Lagoon – Shallow body of water separated from a larger one by a narrow landform
Machair – Fertile low-lying grassy plain
Marine terrace – Emergent coastal landform
Mid-ocean ridge – Basaltic underwater mountain system formed by plate tectonic spreading
Oceanic basin – Geologic basin under the sea
Oceanic plateau – Relatively flat submarine region that rises well above the level of the ambient seabed
Oceanic ridge – An underwater mountain system formed by plate tectonic spreading
Oceanic trench – Long and narrow depressions of the sea floor
Peninsula – Landform surrounded more than half but not entirely by water
Ria – Coastal inlet formed by the partial submergence of an unglaciated river valley
River delta – Silt deposition landform at the mouth of a river
Salt marsh – Coastal ecosystem between land and open saltwater that is regularly flooded
Sea cave – Cave formed by the wave action of the sea and located along present or former coastlines
Seamount – Mountain rising from the ocean seafloor that does not reach to the water's surface
Seamount chains – Mountain rising from the ocean seafloor that does not reach to the water's surface
Shoal – Natural submerged sandbank that rises from a body of water to near the surface
Shore – Area where land meets the sea or ocean
Sound – A long, relatively wide body of water, connecting two larger bodies of water
Spit – Coastal bar or beach landform deposited by longshore drift
Strait – Naturally formed, narrow, typically navigable waterway that connects two larger bodies of water
Strandflat – Type of landform found in high-latitude areas
Stack – Geological landform consisting of a steep and often vertical column or columns of rock, and stump
Submarine canyon – Steep-sided valley cut into the seabed of the continental slope
Surge channel – Type of coastal landform
Tessellated pavement – Relatively flat rock surface that is subdivided into more or less regular shapes by fractures
Tidal marsh – Marsh subject to tidal change in water
Tide pool – Rocky pool on a seashore, separated from the sea at low tide, filled with seawater
Tombolo – Deposition landform in which an island is connected to the mainland by a sandy isthmus
Volcanic arc – Chain of volcanoes formed above a subducting plate
Wave-cut platform – Narrow flat area created by erosion

Cryogenic landforms[edit]

Blockfield – a surface covered by angular rocks, a landform result of periglaciation
Cryoplanation terrace – Formation of plains, terraces and pediments in periglacial environments
Earth hummocks – Small knoll or mound above ground
Kurum – Mantle of loose rocks moving by creeping on gentle slopes.
Lithalsa – Frost-induced raised land form in permafrost areas
Nivation hollow – Geomorphic processes associated with snow patches
Palsa – A low, often oval, frost heave occurring in polar and subpolar climates
Permafrost plateau – A low, often oval, frost heave occurring in polar and subpolar climates
Pingo – Mound of earth-covered ice
Rock glacier – Glacial landform
Solifluction lobes and sheets – Freeze-thaw mass wasting slope processes
Thermokarst – Irregular land surface of marshy hollows and small hummocks formed as permafrost thaws

Erosion landforms[edit]

Landforms produced by erosion and weathering usually occur in rocky or fluvial environments, and many also appear under those headings.

Arête – Narrow ridge of rock which separates two valleys
Badlands – Type of heavily eroded terrain
Bornhardt – A large dome-shaped, steep-sided, bald rock
Butte – Isolated hill with steep, often vertical sides and a small, relatively flat top
Canyon – Deep chasm between cliffs
Cave – Natural underground space large enough for a human to enter
Cirque – An amphitheatre-like valley formed by glacial erosion
Cliff – Tall, near vertical rock face
Chink, regional term in Central Asia for steep chalk and limestone escarpments and cliffs of height up to 350m, often around flat-top elevations
Cryoplanation terrace – Formation of plains, terraces and pediments in periglacial environments
Cuesta – Hill or ridge with a gentle slope on one side and a steep slope on the other
Dissected plateau – Plateaus area that has been severely eroded so that the relief is sharp
Erg – Broad area of desert covered with wind-swept sand
Etchplain – Plain where the bedrock has been subject to considerable subsurface weathering
Exhumed river channel – Ridge of sandstone that remains when the softer flood plain mudstone is eroded away
Fjord – Long, narrow inlet with steep sides or cliffs, created by glacial activity
Flared slope – Rock-wall with a smooth transition into a concavity at the foot zone
Flatiron – Steeply sloping triangular landform
Gulch – Deep V-shaped valley formed by erosion
Gully – Landform created by running water and/or mass movement eroding sharply into soil
Hogback – Long, narrow ridge
Hoodoo – Tall, thin spire of relatively soft rock usually topped by harder rock
Homoclinal ridge – Ridge with a moderate sloping backslope and steeper frontslope
Inselberg, also known as Monadnock – Isolated, steep rock hill on relatively flat terrain
Inverted relief – Landscape features that have reversed their elevation relative to other features
Lavaka – Type of gully, formed via groundwater sapping
Limestone pavement – Natural karst landform consisting of a flat, incised surface of exposed limestone
Mesa – Elevated area of land with a flat top and sides
Mushroom rock – Naturally occurring rock whose shape resembles a mushroom
Natural arch – Arch-shaped natural rock formation
Paleoplain - A buried erosion plain; a particularly large and flat erosion surface
Pediment – Very gently sloping inclined bedrock surface
Pediplain – Extensive plain formed by the coalescence of pediments
Peneplain – Low-relief plain formed by protracted erosion
Planation surface – Large-scale surface that is almost flat
Potrero – Long mesa that at one end slopes upward to higher terrain
Ridge – Long, narrow, elevated landform
Rôche moutonnée – Rock formation created by the passing of a glacier
List of rock formations
Strike ridge – Ridge with a moderate sloping backslope and steeper frontslope
Structural bench – Long, relatively narrow land bounded by distinctly steeper slopes above and below
Structural terrace – A step-like landform
Tepui – Table-top mountain or mesa in the Guiana Highlands of South America
Tessellated pavement – Relatively flat rock surface that is subdivided into more or less regular shapes by fractures
Truncated spur – Ridge that descends towards a valley floor or coastline that is cut short
Tor – Large, free-standing rock outcrop on a gentle hill summit
Valley – Low area between hills, often with a river running through it
Wave-cut platform – Narrow flat area created by erosion
Wind gap – Topographic gap made by a former waterway

Fluvial landforms[edit]

Fluvial – Sediment processes associated with rivers and streams landforms include:

Ait – Islands found on the River Thames and its tributaries in England
Alluvial fan – Fan-shaped deposit of sediment
Anabranch – A section of a river or stream that diverts from the main channel and rejoins it downstream.
Arroyo – Dry watercourse with flow after rain
Asymmetric valley – Valley that has steeper slopes on one side
Backswamp – Environment on a floodplain where deposits settle after a flood
Bajada – compound Alluvial fan
Bar – Natural submerged sandbank that rises from a body of water to near the surface
Bayou – Body of water in flat, low-lying areas
Bench – Long, relatively narrow land bounded by distinctly steeper slopes above and below
Braided channel – Network of river channels separated by small, and often temporary, islands
Canyon – Deep chasm between cliffs
Cave – Natural underground space large enough for a human to enter
Cliff – Tall, near vertical rock face
Cut bank – Outside bank of a water channel, which is continually undergoing erosion
Crevasse splay – Sediment deposited on a floodplain by a stream which breaks its levees
Confluence – Meeting of two or more bodies of flowing water
Drainage basin – Land area where water converges to a common outlet
Drainage divide – Elevated terrain that separates neighbouring drainage basins
Endorheic basin – Closed drainage basin that has no outflow
Entrenched meander – One of a series of curves in a channel of a matured stream
Epigenetic valley – Valley created by erosion and with little or no sympathy for bedrock structure
Esker – Long, winding ridge of stratified sand and gravel associated with former glaciers
Exhumed river channel – Ridge of sandstone that remains when the softer flood plain mudstone is eroded away
Floodplain – Land adjacent to a river which is flooded during periods of high discharge
Fluvial island – Exposed landmass within a river
Fluvial terrace – Elongated terraces that flank the sides of floodplains and river valleys
Gorge – Deep chasm between cliffs
Gully – Landform created by running water and/or mass movement eroding sharply into soil
Levee – Ridge or wall to hold back water
Marsh – Low-lying and seasonally waterlogged land
Meander – One of a series of curves in a channel of a matured stream
Misfit stream – River too large or too small to have eroded the valley or cave passage in which it flows
Narrows – Restricted land or water passage
Oxbow lake – U-shaped lake or pool
Point bar – Landform related to streams and rivers
Plunge pool – Depression at the base of a waterfall
Pothole – Natural bowl-shaped hollow carved into a streambed
Rapids – River section with increased velocity and turbulence
Riffle – Shallow landform in a flowing channel
River – Natural flowing watercourse
River delta – Silt deposition landform at the mouth of a river
River island – Exposed landmass within a river
Rock-cut basin – Cylindrical depression cut into stream or river beds
Shut-in – Type of rock formation found in Ozarks streams
Thalweg – Line of lowest elevation in a watercourse or valley
Towhead – Exposed landmass within a river
Shoal – Natural submerged sandbank that rises from a body of water to near the surface
Spring – A point at which water emenges from an aquifer to the surface
Strath – Large valley
Stream – Body of surface water flowing down a channel
Stream pool – Deep and slow-moving stretch of a watercourse
Swamp – A forested wetland
Valley – Low area between hills, often with a river running through it
Vale – Low area between hills, often with a river running through it
Wadi – River valley, especially a dry riverbed that contains water only during times of heavy rain
Waterfall – A point in a river or stream where water flows over a vertical drop
Watershed – Land area where water converges to a common outlet
Yazoo stream – Hydrologic term
V-shaped valley – Low area between hills, often with a river running through it

Impact landforms[edit]

Landforms created by extraterrestrial impacts – Collision of two astronomical objects – include:

Central peak – Large impact craters with uplifted centres
Complex crater – Large impact craters with uplifted centres
Cratered landscape
Ejecta blanket – Symmetrical apron of ejecta that surrounds an impact crater
Impact crater – Circular depression in a solid astronomical body formed by the impact of a smaller object
Impact crater lake – Lake formed within an impact crater
Simple crater – Circular depression in a solid astronomical body formed by the impact of a smaller object

Lacustrine landforms[edit]

Lacustrine – associated with lakes – landforms include:

Beach – Area of loose particles at the edge of the sea or other body of water
Raised beach – Emergent coastal landform
Carolina bay – Elliptical depressions concentrated along the Atlantic seaboard of North America
Dry lake – Area that contained a standing surface water body
Chott – dry lake in the Saharan area of Africa
Endorheic basin – Closed drainage basin that has no outflow
Lacustrine plain – Lakes filled by sediment
Lacustrine terraces – A step-like landform
Lake – Large body of relatively still water
Oasis – Fertile area in a desert environment
Oxbow lake – U-shaped lake or pool
Parallel Roads of Glen Roy – Nature reserve in the Highlands of Scotland with ancient shoreline terraces
Pond – Relatively small body of standing water
Proglacial lake – Lake formed by the action of ice
Salt pan, also known as salt flat – Flat expanse of ground covered with salt and other minerals

Mountain and glacial landforms[edit]

Mountain and glacial landform – Landform created by the action of glaciers – include:

Arête – Narrow ridge of rock which separates two valleys formed by glacial movement
Cirque – An amphitheatre-like valley formed by glacial erosion
Col – Lowest point on a mountain ridge between two peaks
Crevasse – A deep crack, or fracture, in an ice sheet or glacier
Corrie – An amphitheatre-like valley formed by glacial erosion or cwm
Cove (mountain) – Small valley in the Appalachian Mountains between two ridge lines
Dirt cone – Depositional glacial feature of ice or snow with an insulating layer of dirt
Drumlin – Elongated hill formed by glacial action and drumlin field – Elongated hill formed by glacial action
Esker – Long, winding ridge of stratified sand and gravel associated with former glaciers
Fjord – Long, narrow inlet with steep sides or cliffs, created by glacial activity
Fluvial terrace – Elongated terraces that flank the sides of floodplains and river valleys
Flyggberg – Isolated, steep rock hill on relatively flat terrain
Glacier – Persistent body of ice that is moving under its own weight
Glacier cave – Cave formed within the ice of a glacier
Glacier foreland – The region between the current leading edge of the glacier and the moraines of latest maximum
Hanging valley – A tributary valley that meets the main valley above the valley floor
Highland – Area of high elevation such as a mountainous region or elevated mountainous plateau
Hill – Landform that extends above the surrounding terrain
Inselberg, also known as monadnock – Isolated, steep rock hill on relatively flat terrain
Kame – Mound formed on a retreating glacier and deposited on land
Kame delta – Glacial melt water landform
Kettle – Depression or hole in an outwash plain formed by retreating glaciers or draining floodwaters
Moraine – Glacially formed accumulation of debris
- Rogen moraine, also known as Ribbed moraines – Landform of ridges deposited by a glacier or ice sheet transverse to ice flow
Moulin – Shaft within a glacier or ice sheet which water enters from the surface
Mountain – Large natural elevation of the Earth's surface
Mountain pass – Route through a mountain range or over a ridge
Mountain range – Geographic area containing several geologically related mountains
Nunatak – Landform within an ice field or glacier
Proglacial lake – Lake formed by the action of ice
Pyramidal peak, also known as Glacial horn – Angular, sharply pointed mountainous peak
Outwash fan – Type of sediment deposition by a melting glacier
Outwash plain – Plain formed from glacier sediment transported by meltwater
Rift valley – Linear lowland created by a tectonic rift or fault
Rôche moutonnée – Rock formation created by the passing of a glacier
Sandur – Plain formed from glacier sediment transported by meltwater
Side valley – Valley with a tributary to a larger river
Summit – Point on a surface with a higher elevation than all immediately adjacent points
Trim line – Clear line on the side of a valley marking the most recent highest extent of the glacier
Truncated spur – Ridge that descends towards a valley floor or coastline that is cut short
Tunnel valley – Glacial-formed geographic feature
Valley – Low area between hills, often with a river running through it
U-shaped valley – Valleys formed by glacial scouring

Slope landforms[edit]

Slope landforms include:

Bluff – Tall, near vertical rock face
Butte – Isolated hill with steep, often vertical sides and a small, relatively flat top
Canyon – Deep chasm between cliffs
Cliff – Tall, near vertical rock face
Col – Lowest point on a mountain ridge between two peaks
Cuesta – Hill or ridge with a gentle slope on one side and a steep slope on the other
Dale – Low area between hills, often with a river running through it
Defile – Narrow pass or gorge between mountains or hills
Dell – Small secluded hollow
Doab, also known as Interfluve – Land between two converging, or confluent, rivers, mainly in the Punjab
Draw – Terrain feature formed by two parallel ridges or spurs with low ground in between
Escarpment, also known as scarp – Steep slope or cliff separating two relatively level regions
Flat (landform) – Relatively level surface of land within a region of greater relief
Glen – Name for valley commonly used in Ireland, Scotland and the Isle of Man
Gully – Landform created by running water and/or mass movement eroding sharply into soil
Hill – Landform that extends above the surrounding terrain
Hillock, also known as Knoll – Small hill
Mesa – Elevated area of land with a flat top and sides
Mountain pass – Route through a mountain range or over a ridge
Plain – Expanse of land that is mostly flat and treeless
Plateau – Highland area, usually of relatively flat terrain
Ravine – Small valley, often due to stream erosion
Ridge – Long, narrow, elevated landform
Rock shelter – Shallow cave-like opening at the base of a bluff or cliff
Saddle – Land connecting two high points
Scree – Broken rock fragments at base of cliff
Solifluction lobes and sheets – Freeze-thaw mass wasting slope processes
Strath – Large valley
Summit – Point on a surface with a higher elevation than all immediately adjacent points
Terrace – A step-like landform
Terracette – Small natural step-arranged soil ridges on hillsides
Vale – Low area between hills, often with a river running through it
Valley – Low area between hills, often with a river running through it
Valley shoulder – Low area between hills, often with a river running through it

Tectonic landforms[edit]

Landforms created by tectonic activity include:

Asymmetric valley – Valley that has steeper slopes on one side
Dome – Geological deformation structure
Faceted spur – Ridge that descends towards a valley floor or coastline that is cut short
Fault scarp – Small vertical offset on the ground surface
Graben – Depressed block of planetary crust bordered by parallel normal faults
Horst – Raised fault block bounded by normal faults
Mid-ocean ridge – Basaltic underwater mountain system formed by plate tectonic spreading
Mud volcano – Landform created by the eruption of mud or slurries, water and gases
Oceanic trench – Long and narrow depressions of the sea floor
Pull-apart basin – Type of basin in geology
Rift valley – Linear lowland created by a tectonic rift or fault
Sand boil – Cone formed by the ejection of sand on a surface from a central point

Volcanic landforms[edit]

Volcanic landforms include:

Caldera – Cauldron-like volcanic feature formed by the emptying of a magma chamber
Cinder cone – Steep hill of pyroclastic fragments around a volcanic vent
Complex volcano – Landform of more than one related volcanic centre
Cryptodome – Roughly circular protrusion from slowly extruded viscous volcanic lava
Cryovolcano – Type of volcano that erupts volatiles such as water, ammonia or methane, instead of molten rock
Diatreme – Volcanic pipe associated with a gaseous explosion
Dike – A sheet of rock that is formed in a fracture of a pre-existing rock body
Fissure vent – Linear volcanic vent through which lava erupts
Geyser – Natural explosive eruption of hot water
Guyot – Isolated, flat-topped underwater volcano mountain
Hornito – Conical structures built up by lava ejected through an opening in the crust of a lava flow
Kīpuka – Area of land surrounded by one or more younger lava flows
Lava – Molten rock expelled by a volcano during an eruption
Lava dome – Roughly circular protrusion from slowly extruded viscous volcanic lava
Lava coulee – Roughly circular protrusion from slowly extruded viscous volcanic lava
Lava field, also known as lava plain – Large, mostly flat area of lava flows
Lava lake – Molten lava contained in a volcanic crater
Lava spine – Vertical growth of solid volcanic lava
Lava tube – Natural conduit through which lava flows beneath the solid surface
Maar – Low-relief volcanic crater
Malpais – Rough and barren landscape of relict and largely uneroded lava fields
Mamelon – Rock formation created by eruption of relatively thick or stiff lava through a narrow vent
Mid-ocean ridge – Basaltic underwater mountain system formed by plate tectonic spreading
Pit crater – Depression formed by a sinking or collapse of the surface lying above a void or empty chamber
Pyroclastic shield – Shield volcano formed mostly of pyroclastic and highly explosive eruptions
Resurgent dome – Dome formed by swelling or rising of a caldera floor due to movement in the magma chamber beneath it
Rootless cone, also known as pseudocrater – Volcanic landform
Seamount – Mountain rising from the ocean seafloor that does not reach to the water's surface
Shield volcano – Low-profile volcano usually formed almost entirely of fluid lava flows
Stratovolcano – Type of conical volcano composed of layers of lava and tephra
Somma volcano – Volcanic caldera that has been partially filled by a new central cone
Spatter cone – Landform of ejecta from a volcanic vent piled up in a conical shape
Volcanic crater lake – Lake formed within a volcanic crater
Subglacial mound – Volcano formed when lava erupts beneath a thick glacier or ice sheet
Submarine volcano – Underwater vents or fissures in the Earth's surface from which magma can erupt
Supervolcano – Volcano that has erupted 1000 cubic km of lava in a single eruption
Tuff cone – Landform of ejecta from a volcanic vent piled up in a conical shape
Tuya – Flat-topped, steep-sided volcano formed when lava erupts through a thick glacier or ice sheet
Volcanic vent – Rupture in a planet's crust where material escapes
Volcanic cone – Landform of ejecta from a volcanic vent piled up in a conical shape
Volcanic crater – Roughly circular depression in the ground caused by volcanic activity
Volcanic dam – Natural dam produced directly or indirectly by volcanism
Volcanic field – Area of Earth's crust prone to localized volcanic activity
Volcanic group – Collection of related volcanoes or volcanic landforms
Volcanic island – Island of volcanic origin
Volcanic plateau – Plateau produced by volcanic activity
Volcanic plug – Volcanic object created when magma hardens within a vent on an active volcano
Volcano – Rupture in a planet's crust where material escapes

Weathering landforms[edit]

Weathering landforms include:

Bornhardt – A large dome-shaped, steep-sided, bald rock
Etchplain – Plain where the bedrock has been subject to considerable subsurface weathering
Flared slope – Rock-wall with a smooth transition into a concavity at the foot zone
Flute – in geology, process of differential weathering and erosion that produces a corrugated surface of ridges or flutes
Honeycomb weathering – Form of cavernous weathering and subcategory of tafoni
Inselberg – Isolated, steep rock hill on relatively flat terrain
Karst – Topography from dissolved soluble rocks
Nubbin – Small hill of bedrock with rounded residual blocks
Panhole – Depression or basin eroded into flat or gently sloping cohesive rock (Weathering pit)
Tafoni – Small to large indentations in vertical to steeply sloping granular rock
Tor – Large, free-standing rock outcrop on a gentle hill summit

Landforms by shape[edit]

Positive landforms[edit]

Bornhardt – A large dome-shaped, steep-sided, bald rock
Cinder cone – Steep hill of pyroclastic fragments around a volcanic vent
Cryptodome – Roughly circular protrusion from slowly extruded viscous volcanic lava
Dome – Geological deformation structure
Drumlin – Elongated hill formed by glacial action
Granite dome – Rounded hills of bare granite formed by exfoliation
Hillock – Small hill
Inselberg – Isolated, steep rock hill on relatively flat terrain
Lava dome – Roughly circular protrusion from slowly extruded viscous volcanic lava
Lava spine – Vertical growth of solid volcanic lava
Mesa – Elevated area of land with a flat top and sides
Mogote – Steep-sided residual hill of limestone, marble, or dolomite on a flat plain
Nubbin – Small hill of bedrock with rounded residual blocks
Tor – Large, free-standing rock outcrop on a gentle hill summit
Tower karst
Tuya – Flat-topped, steep-sided volcano formed when lava erupts through a thick glacier or ice sheet
Palsa – A low, often oval, frost heave occurring in polar and subpolar climates
Pingo – Mound of earth-covered ice
Pyroclastic shield – Shield volcano formed mostly of pyroclastic and highly explosive eruptions
Resurgent dome – Dome formed by swelling or rising of a caldera floor due to movement in the magma chamber beneath it
Seamount – Mountain rising from the ocean seafloor that does not reach to the water's surface
Shield volcano – Low-profile volcano usually formed almost entirely of fluid lava flows
Stratocone – Type of conical volcano composed of layers of lava and tephra
Stratovolcano – Type of conical volcano composed of layers of lava and tephra
Volcanic cone – Landform of ejecta from a volcanic vent piled up in a conical shape
Volcanic island – Island of volcanic origin

Depressions[edit]

Caldera – Cauldron-like volcanic feature formed by the emptying of a magma chamber
Cave – Natural underground space large enough for a human to enter
Cenote – Natural pit or sinkhole that exposes groundwater underneath
Cirque – An amphitheatre-like valley formed by glacial erosion
Crevasse – A deep crack, or fracture, in an ice sheet or glacier
Deflation hollow – Depressions in a sand dune ecosystem caused by the removal of sediments by wind
Doline – Geologically-formed topological depression
Gnamma – Depression or basin eroded into flat or gently sloping cohesive rock
Graben – Depressed block of planetary crust bordered by parallel normal faults
Honeycomb weathering – Form of cavernous weathering and subcategory of tafoni
Impact crater – Circular depression in a solid astronomical body formed by the impact of a smaller object
Joint valley – Landscape originates from the erosion of joints in the bedrock, leaving out small plateaus or ridges in between. Common in Fennoscandia.
Kettle – Depression or hole in an outwash plain formed by retreating glaciers or draining floodwaters
Lagoon – Shallow body of water separated from a larger one by a narrow landform
Lake – Large body of relatively still water
Lava lake – Molten lava contained in a volcanic crater
Maar – Low-relief volcanic crater
Nivation hollow – Geomorphic processes associated with snow patches
Oxbow lake – U-shaped lake or pool
Panhole – Depression or basin eroded into flat or gently sloping cohesive rock
Pothole – Natural bowl-shaped hollow carved into a streambed
Plunge pool – Depression at the base of a waterfall
Pond – Relatively small body of standing water
Pull-apart basin – Type of basin in geology
Quarry – A place from which a geological material has been excavated from the ground
Rift – Part of a volcano where a set of linear cracks form
Sea cave – Cave formed by the wave action of the sea and located along present or former coastlines
Sinkhole – Geologically-formed topological depression
Sor – closed, drainless depression
Tafoni – Small to large indentations in vertical to steeply sloping granular rock
Thermokarst – Irregular land surface of marshy hollows and small hummocks formed as permafrost thaws
Volcanic crater – Roughly circular depression in the ground caused by volcanic activity
Volcanic dam – Natural dam produced directly or indirectly by volcanism

Flat landforms[edit]

Abyssal fan – Underwater geological structures associated with large-scale sediment deposition
Abyssal plain – Flat area on the deep ocean floor
Bench – Long, relatively narrow land bounded by distinctly steeper slopes above and below
Butte – Isolated hill with steep, often vertical sides and a small, relatively flat top
Continental shelf – Coastal and oceanic landform
Cryoplanation terrace – Formation of plains, terraces and pediments in periglacial environments
Dissected plateau – Plateaus area that has been severely eroded so that the relief is sharp
Etchplain – Plain where the bedrock has been subject to considerable subsurface weathering
Floodplain – Land adjacent to a river which is flooded during periods of high discharge
Fluvial terrace – Elongated terraces that flank the sides of floodplains and river valleys
Inselberg plain – Isolated, steep rock hill on relatively flat terrain
Lacustrine terrace – A step-like landform
Lava field, also known as lava plain – Large, mostly flat area of lava flows
Oceanic basin – Geologic basin under the sea
Oceanic plateau – Relatively flat submarine region that rises well above the level of the ambient seabed
Outwash fan – Type of sediment deposition by a melting glacier
Outwash plain – Plain formed from glacier sediment transported by meltwater
Paleoplain - A buried erosion plain; a particularly large and flat erosion surface
Pediplain – Extensive plain formed by the coalescence of pediments
Peneplain – Low-relief plain formed by protracted erosion
Plain – Expanse of land that is mostly flat and treeless
Planation surface – Large-scale surface that is almost flat
Plateau – Highland area, usually of relatively flat terrain
Polje – Type of large plain found in karst regions
Raised beach, also known as Marine terrace – Emergent coastal landform
River delta – Silt deposition landform at the mouth of a river
Salt marsh – Coastal ecosystem between land and open saltwater that is regularly flooded
Salt pan – Flat expanse of ground covered with salt and other minerals
Sandur – Plain formed from glacier sediment transported by meltwater
Strandflat – Type of landform found in high-latitude areas
Strath – Large valley
Swamp – A forested wetland
Table – Raised landform with a flat top
Tidal marsh – Marsh subject to tidal change in water
Tepui – Table-top mountain or mesa in the Guiana Highlands of South America
Volcanic plateau – Plateau produced by volcanic activity
Wave-cut platform – Narrow flat area created by erosion

Landforms, alphabetic[edit]

Abîme – Geographical term referring to vertical shaft in caves
Abyssal fan – Underwater geological structures associated with large-scale sediment deposition
Abyssal plain – Flat area on the deep ocean floor
Ait – Islands found on the River Thames and its tributaries in England
Alluvial fan – Fan-shaped deposit of sediment
Anabranch – A section of a river or stream that diverts from the main channel and rejoins it downstream.
Arch – Arch-shaped natural rock formation
Archipelago – Collection of islands
Arête – Narrow ridge of rock which separates two valleys
Arroyo – Dry watercourse with flow after rain
Atoll – Ring-shaped coral reef
Ayre – Shingle beaches in Orkney and Shetland
Badlands – Type of heavily eroded terrain
Bajada – compound Alluvial fan
Bar – Natural submerged sandbank that rises from a body of water to near the surface
Barchan – Crescent-shaped dune
Barrier bar – Natural submerged sandbank that rises from a body of water to near the surface
Barrier island – Coastal dune landform that forms by wave and tidal action parallel to the mainland coast
Bay – Recessed, coastal body of water connected to an ocean or lake
Baymouth bar – low and narrow strip of alluvial land made from sand or pebbles
Bayou – Body of water in flat, low-lying areas
Beach – Area of loose particles at the edge of the sea or other body of water
Beach cusps – Shoreline formations made up of various grades of sediment in an arc pattern
Beach ridge – Wave-swept or wave-deposited ridge running parallel to a shoreline
Bench – Long, relatively narrow land bounded by distinctly steeper slopes above and below
Bight – Shallowly concave bend or curve in a coastline, river, or other geographical feature
Blowhole – Hole at the top of a sea-cave which allows waves to force water or spray out of the hole
Blowout – Depressions in a sand dune ecosystem caused by the removal of sediments by wind
Bluff – Tall, near vertical rock face
Bornhardt – A large dome-shaped, steep-sided, bald rock
Braided channel – Network of river channels separated by small, and often temporary, islands
Butte – Isolated hill with steep, often vertical sides and a small, relatively flat top
Calanque – Narrow, steep-walled inlet on the Mediterranean coast
Caldera – Cauldron-like volcanic feature formed by the emptying of a magma chamber
Canyon – Deep chasm between cliffs
Cape – Large headland extending into a body of water, usually the sea
Carolina bay – Elliptical depressions concentrated along the Atlantic seaboard of North America
Cave – Natural underground space large enough for a human to enter
Cenote – Natural pit or sinkhole that exposes groundwater underneath
Channel – Type of landform in which part of a body of water is confined to a relatively narrow but long region
Cirque – An amphitheatre-like valley formed by glacial erosion
Corrie – An amphitheatre-like valley formed by glacial erosion or cwm
Cliff – Tall, near vertical rock face
Coast – Area where land meets the sea or ocean
Col – Lowest point on a mountain ridge between two peaks
Complex crater – Large impact craters with uplifted centres
Complex volcano – Landform of more than one related volcanic centre
Confluence – Meeting of two or more bodies of flowing water
Continental shelf – Coastal and oceanic landform
Coral reef – Outcrop of rock in the sea formed by the growth and deposit of stony coral skeletons
Cove – Small sheltered bay or coastal inlet
Cove (mountain) – Small valley in the Appalachian Mountains between two ridge lines
Crevasse splay – Sediment deposited on a floodplain by a stream which breaks its levees
Crevasse – A deep crack, or fracture, in an ice sheet or glacier
Cryovolcano – Type of volcano that erupts volatiles such as water, ammonia or methane, instead of molten rock
Cuesta – Hill or ridge with a gentle slope on one side and a steep slope on the other
Cuspate foreland – Geographical features found on coastlines and lakeshores
Cut bank – Outside bank of a water channel, which is continually undergoing erosion
Dale – Low area between hills, often with a river running through it
Defile – Narrow pass or gorge between mountains or hills
Dell – Small secluded hollow
Delta, River – Silt deposition landform at the mouth of a river
Desert pavement – Type of desert earth surface
Diatreme – Volcanic pipe associated with a gaseous explosion
Dike – A sheet of rock that is formed in a fracture of a pre-existing rock body
Dirt cone – Depositional glacial feature of ice or snow with an insulating layer of dirt
Dissected plateau – Plateaus area that has been severely eroded so that the relief is sharp
Doab – Land between two converging, or confluent, rivers, mainly in the Punjab
Doline – Geologically-formed topological depression
Dome – Geological deformation structure
Drainage basin – Land area where water converges to a common outlet
Drainage divide – Elevated terrain that separates neighbouring drainage basins
Draw – Terrain feature formed by two parallel ridges or spurs with low ground in between
Drumlin – Elongated hill formed by glacial action
Dry lake – Area that contained a standing surface water body
Dune – Hill of loose sand built by aeolian processes or the flow of water
Dune system – Hill of loose sand built by aeolian processes or the flow of water
Ejecta blanket – Symmetrical apron of ejecta that surrounds an impact crater
Endorheic basin – Closed drainage basin that has no outflow
Erg – Broad area of desert covered with wind-swept sand
Escarpment – Steep slope or cliff separating two relatively level regions (scarp)
Esker – Long, winding ridge of stratified sand and gravel associated with former glaciers
Estuary – Partially enclosed coastal body of brackish water
Exhumed river channel – Ridge of sandstone that remains when the softer flood plain mudstone is eroded away
Faceted spur – Ridge that descends towards a valley floor or coastline that is cut short
Fault scarp – Small vertical offset on the ground surface
Firth – Scottish word used for various coastal inlets and straits
Fissure vent – Linear volcanic vent through which lava erupts
Fjard – Glacially formed, broad, shallow inlet
Fjord – Long, narrow inlet with steep sides or cliffs, created by glacial activity
Flat – Relatively level surface of land within a region of greater relief
Flatiron – Steeply sloping triangular landform
Floodplain – Land adjacent to a river which is flooded during periods of high discharge
Foothills – Hills before a mountain range
Fluvial island – Exposed landmass within a river
Fluvial terrace – Elongated terraces that flank the sides of floodplains and river valleys
Foiba – Type of deep natural sinkhole
Geo – Inlet, a gully or a narrow and deep cleft in the face of a cliff
Geyser – Natural explosive eruption of hot water
Glacial horn – Angular, sharply pointed mountainous peak
Glacier cave – Cave formed within the ice of a glacier
Glacier foreland – The region between the current leading edge of the glacier and the moraines of latest maximum
Glacier – Persistent body of ice that is moving under its own weight
Parallel Roads of Glen Roy – Nature reserve in the Highlands of Scotland with ancient shoreline terraces
Glen – Name for valley commonly used in Ireland, Scotland and the Isle of Man
Gorge – Deep chasm between cliffs
Graben – Depressed block of planetary crust bordered by parallel normal faults
Gulch – Deep V-shaped valley formed by erosion
Gulf
Gully – Landform created by running water and/or mass movement eroding sharply into soil
Guyot – Isolated, flat-topped underwater volcano mountain
Hanging valley – A tributary valley that meets the main valley above the valley floor
Headland – Landform extending into a body of water, often with significant height and drop
Highland – Area of high elevation such as a mountainous region or elevated mountainous plateau
Hill – Landform that extends above the surrounding terrain
Hillock – Small hill
Hogback – Long, narrow ridge
Homoclinal ridge – Ridge with a moderate sloping backslope and steeper frontslope
Hoodoo – Tall, thin spire of relatively soft rock usually topped by harder rock
Horst – Raised fault block bounded by normal faults
Impact crater – Circular depression in a solid astronomical body formed by the impact of a smaller object
Inlet – Indentation of a shoreline
Interfluve – Land between two converging, or confluent, rivers, mainly in the Punjab
Inverted relief – Landscape features that have reversed their elevation relative to other features
Island – Piece of subcontinental land completely surrounded by water
Islet – Very small island
Isthmus – Narrow strip of land connecting two larger land areas
Kame delta – Glacial melt water landform
Kame – Mound formed on a retreating glacier and deposited on land
Karst – Topography from dissolved soluble rocks
Karst fenster – Unroofed portion of a cavern which reveals part of a subterranean river
Karst valley – Topography from dissolved soluble rocks
Kettle – Depression or hole in an outwash plain formed by retreating glaciers or draining floodwaters
Kīpuka – Area of land surrounded by one or more younger lava flows
Knoll – Small hill
Lacustrine plain – Lakes filled by sediment
Lagoon – Shallow body of water separated from a larger one by a narrow landform
Lake – Large body of relatively still water
Lava dome – Roughly circular protrusion from slowly extruded viscous volcanic lava
Lava – Molten rock expelled by a volcano during an eruption
Lava lake – Molten lava contained in a volcanic crater
Lava field, also known as lava plain – Large, mostly flat area of lava flows
Lava spine – Vertical growth of solid volcanic lava
Lava tube – Natural conduit through which lava flows beneath the solid surface
Lavaka – Type of gully, formed via groundwater sapping
Levee – Ridge or wall to hold back water, natural
Limestone pavement – Natural karst landform consisting of a flat, incised surface of exposed limestone
Loess – Sediment of accumulated wind-blown dust
Lacustrine terraces – A step-like landform
Maar – Low-relief volcanic crater
Machair – Fertile low-lying grassy plain
Malpaís – Rough and barren landscape of relict and largely uneroded lava fields
Mamelon – Rock formation created by eruption of relatively thick or stiff lava through a narrow vent
Marine terrace – Emergent coastal landform
Marsh – Low-lying and seasonally waterlogged land
Massif – The principal mass of a mountain
Meander – One of a series of curves in a channel of a matured stream
Mesa – Elevated area of land with a flat top and sides
Mid-ocean ridge – Basaltic underwater mountain system formed by plate tectonic spreading
Mogote – Steep-sided residual hill of limestone, marble, or dolomite on a flat plain
Monadnock – Isolated, steep rock hill on relatively flat terrain
Moraine – Glacially formed accumulation of debris
Moulin – Shaft within a glacier or ice sheet which water enters from the surface
Mountain – Large natural elevation of the Earth's surface
Mountain pass – Route through a mountain range or over a ridge
Mountain range – Geographic area containing several geologically related mountains
Mud volcano – Landform created by the eruption of mud or slurries, water and gases
Mushroom rock – Naturally occurring rock whose shape resembles a mushroom
Natural arch – Arch-shaped natural rock formation
Nunatak – Landform within an ice field or glacier
Oasis – Fertile area in a desert environment
Oceanic basin – Geologic basin under the sea
Oceanic plateau – Relatively flat submarine region that rises well above the level of the ambient seabed
Oceanic ridge – An underwater mountain system formed by plate tectonic spreading
Oceanic trench – Long and narrow depressions of the sea floor
Outwash fan – Type of sediment deposition by a melting glacier
Outwash plain – Plain formed from glacier sediment transported by meltwater
Oxbow lake – U-shaped lake or pool
Paleoplain - A buried erosion plain; a particularly large and flat erosion surface
Panhole – Depression or basin eroded into flat or gently sloping cohesive rock
Pediment – Very gently sloping inclined bedrock surface
Pediplain – Extensive plain formed by the coalescence of pediments
Peneplain – Low-relief plain formed by protracted erosion
Peninsula – Landform surrounded more than half but not entirely by water
Pingo – Mound of earth-covered ice
Pit crater – Depression formed by a sinking or collapse of the surface lying above a void or empty chamber
Plain – Expanse of land that is mostly flat and treeless
Plateau – Highland area, usually of relatively flat terrain
Playa lake – Area that contained a standing surface water body
Plunge pool – Depression at the base of a waterfall
Point bar – Landform related to streams and rivers
Polje – Type of large plain found in karst regions
Pond – Relatively small body of standing water
Pothole – Natural bowl-shaped hollow carved into a streambed
Potrero – Long mesa that at one end slopes upward to higher terrain
Proglacial lake – Lake formed by the action of ice
Pseudocrater – Volcanic landform
Pull-apart basin – Type of basin in geology
Quarry – A place from which a geological material has been excavated from the ground
Raised beach – Emergent coastal landform
Rapids – River section with increased velocity and turbulence
Ravine – Small valley, often due to stream erosion
Ria – Coastal inlet formed by the partial submergence of an unglaciated river valley
Ridge – Long, narrow, elevated landform
Riffle – Shallow landform in a flowing channel
Rift valley – Linear lowland created by a tectonic rift or fault
River – Natural flowing watercourse
River delta – Silt deposition landform at the mouth of a river
River island – Exposed landmass within a river
Rôche moutonnée – Rock formation created by the passing of a glacier
Rogen moraine – Landform of ridges deposited by a glacier or ice sheet transverse to ice flow
Rock formations
Rock shelter – Shallow cave-like opening at the base of a bluff or cliff
Rock-cut basin – Cylindrical depression cut into stream or river beds
Saddle – Land connecting two high points
Salt marsh – Coastal ecosystem between land and open saltwater that is regularly flooded
Salt pan – Flat expanse of ground covered with salt and other minerals (salt flat)
Sand boil, also known as sand volcano – Cone formed by the ejection of sand on a surface from a central point
Sandhill – Type of ecological community or xeric wildfire-maintained ecosystem
Sandur – Plain formed from glacier sediment transported by meltwater
Scowle – Type of landscape feature
Scree – Broken rock fragments at base of cliff
Sea cave – Cave formed by the wave action of the sea and located along present or former coastlines
Seamount – Mountain rising from the ocean seafloor that does not reach to the water's surface
Shield volcano – Low-profile volcano usually formed almost entirely of fluid lava flows
Shoal – Natural submerged sandbank that rises from a body of water to near the surface
Shore – Area where land meets the sea or ocean
Shut-in – Type of rock formation found in Ozarks streams
Side valley – Valley with a tributary to a larger river
Sinkhole – Geologically-formed topological depression
Sound – A long, relatively wide body of water, connecting two larger bodies of water
Spit – Coastal bar or beach landform deposited by longshore drift
Spring – A point at which water emenges from an aquifer to the surface
Stack – Geological landform consisting of a steep and often vertical column or columns of rock and stump
Strait – Naturally formed, narrow, typically navigable waterway that connects two larger bodies of water
Strandflat – Type of landform found in high-latitude areas
Strath – Large valley
Stratovolcano – Type of conical volcano composed of layers of lava and tephra
Stream pool – Deep and slow-moving stretch of a watercourse
Stream – Body of surface water flowing down a channel
Strike ridge – Ridge with a moderate sloping backslope and steeper frontslope
Structural bench – Long, relatively narrow land bounded by distinctly steeper slopes above and below
Structural terrace – A step-like landform
Subglacial mound – Volcano formed when lava erupts beneath a thick glacier or ice sheet
Submarine canyon – Steep-sided valley cut into the seabed of the continental slope
Submarine volcano – Underwater vents or fissures in the Earth's surface from which magma can erupt
Summit – Point on a surface with a higher elevation than all immediately adjacent points
Supervolcano – Volcano that has erupted 1000 cubic km of lava in a single eruption
Surge channel – Type of coastal landform
Swamp – A forested wetland
Tepui – Table-top mountain or mesa in the Guiana Highlands of South America
Terrace – A step-like landform
Terracette – Small natural step-arranged soil ridges on hillsides
Tessellated pavement – Relatively flat rock surface that is subdivided into more or less regular shapes by fractures
Thalweg – Line of lowest elevation in a watercourse or valley
Tidal marsh – Marsh subject to tidal change in water
Tide pool – Rocky pool on a seashore, separated from the sea at low tide, filled with seawater
Tombolo – Deposition landform in which an island is connected to the mainland by a sandy isthmus
Tor – Large, free-standing rock outcrop on a gentle hill summit
Tower karst – Topography from dissolved soluble rocks
Towhead – Exposed landmass within a river
Trim line – Clear line on the side of a valley marking the most recent highest extent of the glacier
Truncated spur – Ridge that descends towards a valley floor or coastline that is cut short
Tunnel valley – Glacial-formed geographic feature
Turlough – Type of seasonal or periodic lake found in limestone areas of Ireland
Tuya – Flat-topped, steep-sided volcano formed when lava erupts through a thick glacier or ice sheet
U-shaped valley – Valleys formed by glacial scouring
Uvala – Toponym for a closed karst depression
Vale – Low area between hills, often with a river running through it
Valley – Low area between hills, often with a river running through it
Valley shoulder – Low area between hills, often with a river running through it
Ventifact – Rock that has been eroded by wind-driven sand or ice crystals
Volcanic arc – Chain of volcanoes formed above a subducting plate
Volcanic cone – Landform of ejecta from a volcanic vent piled up in a conical shape
Volcanic crater – Roughly circular depression in the ground caused by volcanic activity
Volcanic crater lake – Lake formed within a volcanic crater
Volcanic dam – Natural dam produced directly or indirectly by volcanism
Volcanic field – Area of Earth's crust prone to localized volcanic activity
Volcanic group – Collection of related volcanoes or volcanic landforms
Volcanic island – Island of volcanic origin
Volcanic plateau – Plateau produced by volcanic activity
Volcanic plug – Volcanic object created when magma hardens within a vent on an active volcano
Volcanic vent – Rupture in a planet's crust where material escapes
Volcano – Rupture in a planet's crust where material escapes
Wadi – River valley, especially a dry riverbed that contains water only during times of heavy rain
Waterfall – A point in a river or stream where water flows over a vertical drop
Watershed – Land area where water converges to a common outlet
Wave-cut platform – Narrow flat area created by erosion
Wetland – Land area that is permanently, or seasonally saturated with water
Yardang – Streamlined aeolian landform

v t e Earth's landforms
List of landforms
Mountainous	Butte Hill Flat Mountain Mountain range Plateau Ridge Table Valley
Continental plain	Ice sheet Plain Steppe Tundra
Fluvial	Alluvial fan Beach Canyon Cave Channel Cliff Lake Island Levee Floodplain Meander Oasis Pond Rapids River River delta River mouth Strait Swamp Valley Waterfall
Glacial	Arête Cirque Esker Glacier Ice field Fjord Tunnel valley
Oceanic and coastal landforms	Atoll Bay Cape Channel Coast Continental shelf Coral reef Estuary Island Isthmus Lagoon Mid-ocean ridge Oceanic trench Peninsula Seamount Volcanic island
Volcanic	Caldera Geyser Guyot Lava dome Lava field Mid-ocean ridge Submarine volcano Volcanic crater Volcanic crater lake Volcanic dam Volcanic island Volcanic plateau Volcanic plug Volcano Wall rock
Aeolian	Desert Dry lake Dune Sandhill Tundra
Artificial	Artificial island Artificial reef Bridge Building Canal Dam Ditch Land reclamation Levee Polder Quarry Reservoir Road Tunnel
See also: Geographical feature