Landforms are natural features on solid surface of the planet Earth that make up the terrain such as Oceans, Plains, Plateaus and Mountains.
Several related landforms together make
up landscapes, (large tracts of earth’s surface).
Each landform has its own physical shape,
size, materials and is a result of the action of
certain geomorphic processes and agent(s). Landforms once formed may
change in their shape, size and nature slowly
or fast due to continued action of geomorphic
processes and agents.
Due to changes in climatic conditions and
vertical or horizontal movements of landmasses, either the intensity of processes or the
processes themselves might change leading to
new modifications in the landforms.
A
landmass passes through stages of development
somewhat comparable to the stages of life —
youth, mature and old age.
There are major 3 types of Landforms:
A) First-Order Landforms (Continental & Oceans)
B) Second-Order Landforms (Plains, Plateaus & Mountains)
C) Third-Order Landforms (Volcanoes, Rivers, Glacier, Desert, etc.)
There are 2 types of Forces responsible for formation of Landforms:
a) Endogenic [Earthquake, Volcanic eruptions, Landslides, etc.]
b) Exogenic [Erosion, Winds, Sea Waves, etc.]
Endogenic and Exogenic forces are the geomorphic processes that bring changes in the earth’s surface internally and externally. Earth's surface is not flat as it goes through a lot of formation and deformation. The main reason why the earth's crust is so uneven is because of the influence of external and internal forces, known as exogenic and endogenic forces, respectively.
