naturalGeomorphologicFeature

natural geomorphologic feature

A geomorphologic feature produced by the natural dynamics.

drainagePattern

drainage pattern

The configuration or arrangement of stream courses in an area, including gullies or first-order channelized flow areas, higher order tributaries, and main streams.

constructionalFeature

constructional feature

Site of a landform that owes its origin, form, position, or general character to depositional (aggradational) processes, such as the accumulation of sediment

destructionalFeature

destructional feature

Site of a landform that owes its origin, form, position, or general character to the removal of material by erosion and weathering (degradation) processes resulting from the wearing-down or away of the land surface.

degradationFeature

degradation feature

A geomorphologic feature resulting from the wearing down or away, and the general lowering or reduction, of the Earth's surface by natural processes of weathering and erosion, and which may infer the processes of transportation of sediment.

relic

relic

A landform that has survived decay or disintegration, or one that has been left behind after the disappearance of the greater part of its substance such as a remnant island.

exhumedFeature

exhumed feature

Formerly buried landforms, geomorphologic surfaces, or paleosols that have been re-exposed by erosion of the covering mantle.

buriedFeature

buried feature

Landforms, geomorphologic surfaces, or paleosols covered by younger sediments.

pediment

pediment

A gently sloping erosional surface developed at the foot of a receding hill or mountain slope, commonly with a slightly concave-upward profile, that cross-cuts rock or sediment strata that extend beneath adjacent uplands.

erosional

erosional features

A land surface shaped by the action of erosion, especially by running water.

hill

hill

A generic term for an elevated area of the land surface, rising at least 30 metres to as much as 300 metres above surrounding lowlands, usually with a nominal summit area relative to bounding slopes, a well-defined, rounded outline and slopes that generally exceed 15 percent.

interfluve

interfluve

A geomorphologic component of hills consisting of the uppermost, comparatively level or gently sloped area of a hill; shoulders of back wearing hill slopes can narrow the upland or merge resulting in a strongly convex shape.

crest

crest

A geomorphologic component of hills consisting of the convex slopes (perpendicular to the contour) that form the narrow, roughly linear top area of a hill, ridge, or other upland where shoulders have converged to the extent that little or no summit remains; dominated by erosion, slope wash and mass movement processes and sediments

headSlope

head slope

A geomorphologic component of hills consisting of a laterally concave area of a hillside, especially at the head of a drainage way, resulting in converging overland water flow.

sideSlope

side slope

A geomorphologic component of hills consisting of a laterally planar area of a hillside, resulting in predominantly parallel overland water flow. Contour lines generally form straight lines.

noseSlope

nose slope

A geomorphologic component of hills consisting of the projecting end (laterally convex area) of a hillside, resulting in predominantly divergent overland water flow; contour lines generally form convex curves.

freeFace

free face

A geomorphologic component of hills and mountains consisting of an outcrop of bare rock that sheds rock fragments and other sediments to, and commonly stands more steeply than the angle of repose of, the colluvial slope immediately below; most commonly found on shoulder and back slope positions, and can comprise part or all of a nose slope or side slope.

baseSlope

base slope

A geomorphologic component of hills consisting of the concave to linear slope (perpendicular to the contour) which, regardless of the lateral shape, is an area that forms an apron or wedge at the bottom of a hillside dominated by colluvial and slope wash processes and sediments

mountain

mountain

A generic term for an elevated area of the land surface, rising more than 300 metres above surrounding lowlands, usually with a nominal summit area relative to bounding slopes and generally with steep sides (greater than 25 percent slope) with or without considerable bare-rock exposed.

mountaintop

mountaintop

A geomorphologic component of mountains consisting of the uppermost, comparatively level or gently sloped area of mountains, characterized by relatively short, simple slopes composed of bare rock, residuum, or short-transport colluvial sediments.

mountainslope

mountainslope

A part of a mountain between the summit and the foot.

mountainflank

mountainflank

A geomorphologic component of mountains characterized by very long, complex back slopes with comparatively high slope gradients and composed of highly-diverse colluvial sediment mantles, rock outcrops or structural benches.

mountainbase

mountainbase

A geomorphologic component of mountains consisting of the strongly to slightly concave colluvial apron or wedge at the bottom of mountain slopes.

depression

depression

Any relatively sunken part of the Earth's surface; especially a low-lying area surrounded by higher ground.

plain

plain

Any flat area, large or small, at a low elevation; specifically an extensive region of comparatively smooth and level or gently undulaing land, having few or no prominent surface irregularities but sometimes having a considerable slope, and usually at a low elevation with reference to surrounding areas.

tectonicStructural

tectonic and structural features

Geomorphologic landscapes and landforms related to regional or local bedrock structures, or crustal movement; and geomorphologic landscapes and landforms related dominantly to water erosion but excluding perennial, channel flow (i.e. fluvial, glaciofluvial), or eolian erosion.

volcanic

volcanic features

Geomorphologic landscapes and landforms related to the deep seated (igneous) processes by which magma and associated gases rise through the crust and are extruded onto the earth's surface and into the atmosphere.

hydrothermal

hydrothermal features

Geomorphologic landscapes and landforms related to hydrothermal processes.

erosionSurface

erosion surface

Geomorphologic landscapes and landforms related dominantly to water erosion but excluding perennial channel flow (i.e. fluvial, glaciofluvial) or eolian erosion.

slopeGravitational

slope and gravitational features

Geomorphologic landscapes and landforms related to slope environments; geomorphologic landscapes and landforms developed under the action of the gravitational force.

nivalPeriglacialPermafrost

nival, periglacial and permafrost features

Geomorphologic landscapes and landforms related to snow, non-glacial, cold climate environments; geomorphologic landscapes and landforms occurring in the vicinity of glaciers and ice sheets; geomorphologic landscapes and landforms related to ground, soil, or rock that remains at or below 0° C for at least two years.

glacial

glacial, glaciofluvial, glaciolacustrine and glaciomarine features

Geomorphologic landscapes and landforms related to to glacial, glaciofluvial, glaciolacustrine and glaciomarine environments.

eolian

eolian features

Geomorphologic landscapes and landforms related to wind-dominated environments.

marineLittoralCoastalWetland

marine, littoral and coastal wetlands features

Geomorphologic landscapes and landforms related to wave or tidal dynamics developed in marine, shallow marine, near-shore and littoral zone environments, and those related to vegetated and / or shallow wet areas

karstChemicalWeathering

karst and chemical weathering features

Geomorphologic landscapes and landforms dominated by mineral dissolution, and commonly, subsurface drainage.

alluvialFluvial

alluvial and fluvial features

Geomorphologic landscapes and landforms dominantly related to concentrated water flow (channel flow).

lacustrine

lacustrine features

Geomorphologic landscapes and landforms related to inland permanent water bodies (lakes).

impact

impact features

Geomorphologic landscapes and landforms related to the impact of extraterrestrial material on the Earth's surface.