The core is composed of two layers : the • Below the upper mantle is the lower

inner and outer cores. mantle that extends from 670 to 2900
• The entire core is about 7,000 km in kilometers below the Earth’s surface.
diameter. This layer is hot and elastic. The
• In general, temperature of the core higher pressure in this layer causes the
ranges between 4000°C – 6000°C. formation of minerals that are different
• Occupying the centre of the earth this from those of the upper mantle.
layer is also called centrosphere. The lithosphere is a layer that includes
The mantle is almost 2900 kilometers thick the crust and the upper most portion of
and comprises about 83% of the Earth’s the mantle.
volume. It is composed of several different • The topmost part of the lithosphere
layers. consists of crust.
• The top layer of the upper mantle, 100 to • Solid rocks form the crust.
200 kilometers below surface, is called • Two types of crust can be identified :
the asthenosphere. oceanic crust and continental crust.

Chapter-5 : Landforms of the Earth

(A) VERY SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS 14. About 250 million years ago all the earth’s
1. Landforms are natural features of the land was a single super continent called
landscape, natural physical features of the Pangaea, which was surrounded by a large
ocean.
earth’s surface, for example, valleys, plateaus,
15. The Nilgiris, the Ginar
mountains, plains, hills, loess, or glaciers.
16. A rift valley is formed when the crustal blocks
2. (i) Epeirogenic or vertical movement between two parallel faults, fall.
(ii) Orogenic or Horizontal movement 17. A Horst is formed when the crustal blocks
3. They are caused by compressional and between two parallel faults get uplifted.
tensional forces acting on the surface of the 18. Read the following features carefully and
Earth. The resultant folds and faults create identify the type of landform.
mountains of varying origin. 18. (a) Plateau.
4. The plateau of Tibet which is the highest (b) Block mountains
plateau of the world. 19. sandstones, shales and limestones.
5. It is a plateau produced by volcanic activities. 20. The Plateau of Tibet
6. Young fold mountains and Old fold mountains. 21. The Deccan plateau and The Columbia
7. The Alps and the Himalayas plateau in Oregon and Washington.
8. Plate tectonic 22. Plateaus can be classified on the basis of their
situation, shape, structure, origin and climate.
9. • Vosges and Black forest mountains 23. The best basis to classify plateaus is their
bordering the faulted Rhine Rift valley in situation or location.
Europe. 24. Canadian shield, Plateau of Tibet.
• Salt range of Pakistan. 25. These are formed by the endogenetic forces.
10. (i) Intermontain plateau: The plateaus 26. The depositional plains are formed as a result
which are partly or fully enclosed by of deposition of sediments in lowlands such as
mountains and hills from all sides are depressions, lakes and sea floor.
known as intermontane plateaus. 27. Rivers, glaciers and wind.
(ii) Volcanic plateau: It is a plateau produced 28. Alluvial plains.
by volcanic activities. 29. Loess plains.
11. Volcanic plateaus 30. The plains of North America and the plains of
North West Europe.
12. (i) Pacific Plate (ii) Eurasian Plate
31. Lacustrine plains.
13. Indian and Eurasian

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(B) DEFINE THE FOLLOWING GEOGRAPHICAL 2. Mountains differ from one another in respect
TERMS of their age, height, location, process of
1. A portion of land surface rising considerably formation, shape and structure etc.
above the surrounding country either as a 3. (i) Fold mountains
single eminence or in a range or chain. (ii) Black mountains
2. Fold mountains are mountains formed from (iii) Residual mountains
the folding of the earth’s crust.
4. • These are extensive upland areas
3. A plateau is an elevated tract of relatively flat
characterised by flat and rough top
land, usually limited on atleast one side by a
steep slope falling abruptly to lower land to its surface.
surrounding areas. • Some plateaus have thick covers of
4. A relatively flat and a low-lying land surface basaltic lava whereas some are entirely
with least difference between its highest and composed of sedimentary rocks.
lowest points is called a plain. • Most of plateaus have a tabular shape.
5. A horst is an elevated part of the earth’s crust 5. (i) A plain is a broad area of relatively flat
that rises between two faults. A horst is higher land.
than the land around it. (ii) Plains can be classified into structural,
6. Graben a depressed segment of the crust of the emotional and depositional on the basis
earth or a celestial body (such as the moon) of their formation.
bounded on at least two sides by faults.
(iii) They cover more than 1/3 of the world’s
(C) READ THE INFORMATION AND WRITE A land area.
SINGLE TERM
(G COMPARE AND CONTRAST
1. Epeirogenic movements
2. Folding 1.
3. Intermontain plateau Mountain Plateau
(D) GIVE REASON (i) A large natural (i) An elevated
elevation of landform that rises
1. It is called a tilted plateau because its slope is
the earth’s sharply above the
tilted towards the east.
surface rising surrounding area
2. The rivers and streams cut deep valleys and
abruptly from the on atleast one
canyons in a plateau region and change its
surrounding level. side.
smooth topography into a dissected plateau.
3. Volcanic plateaus are sometimes called basalt (ii) On the basis of (ii) On the basis of
plateaus because these are formed by large origin or mode their situation
volumes of basaltic magma. of formation plateaus can be
4. The inclined or tilted strata becomes flat mountain can classified into
through continuous wearing down. be classified intermontane,
generally into fold, piedmount,
(E) ARRANGE THE FOLLOWING IN CORRECT block, volcanic continental.
SEQUENCE and residual
1. (iii), (i), (ii) mountains.
(iii) The Himalayas (iii) Deccan Plateau,
(F) SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS Rocky and Malwa Plateau,
1. (a) The Great Plain of North America Appalachian Plateau of Tibet
(b) Plains of North West China are some of are some of the
(c) Coastal Plain of Belgium the important important plateau
(d) Plains of New Zealand mountains of the of the world.
world.

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 2. Plain Mountain
Young Fold Mountain Old Fold Mountain (ii) On the basis (ii) On the basis of
(i) These mountains (i) These mountains of mode of origin or mode
been formed been formed long formation, plain of formation
relatively recently. ago. can be classified mountain can
(ii) They are higher (ii) They are lower into structural be classified
than the old fold than the young
and Depositional generally into
mountains. fold mountains.
(iii) They have pointed (iii) They have plains. fold, block,
peaks. rounded peaks. v o l c a n i c
(iv) They have more (iv) They have gentle and residual
rugged features slopes. mountains.
like steeper (iii) The Great Coastal (iii) The Himalayas
slopes and deeper
plains of the USA, Rocky and
valleys.
(v) Andes, Rokies, (v) The Appalachians, The Indo Ganga Appalachian
Apls and the Urals and plains are some are some of
Himalayas the, Aravalis are examples. the important
are examples examples of old mountains of the
of young fold fold mountains.
world.
mountains. 5.
3.
Epeirogenic Movement Orogenic Movement
Intermontane Plateau Volcanic Plateau
(i) These movements (i) These movements
(i) These plateaus (i) These plateaus act along the act on the surface
are partially or are formed by
radius of the Earth. of the Earth.
fully enclosed by volcanic eruptions
mountains and that slowly build (ii) These are called (ii) These are called
hills from all sides. up over time from radial /horizontal horizontal
(ii) e.g. The Plateau of the resulting lava movements. movement.
Tibet, the Bolivian (iii) These movement (iii) These movements
plateau of the (ii) The Columbia form continents. build mountains.
Andes, plateaus of plateau in (iv) Their direction
Mexico, Mongolia Oregon, the
may be towards
and Tarim basin Parana plateau
in Argentina, (subsidence) or
Deccan plateau in away (uplift) from
India. the centre of the
4. Earth.
Plain Mountain 6.

(i) A relatively flat (i) A large natural Fold Mountain Block Mountain
and a low-lying elevation of (i) These mountains (i) These mountains
land surface with the earth’s are formed from are formed due
least difference surface rising the folding of the to faulting in the
between its abruptly from the
earth’s crust. ground surface.
highest and lowest surrounding level.
points.

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 Fold Mountain Block Mountain work is mainly done by rivers, glaciers,
wind, sea waves and volcanic eruptions.
(ii) The folding of (ii) The faulting of e.g. The Indo – Ganga plains and the
these mountains these mountains is plains of North.
occurs when caused by tensile
2. (a) • Block mountains are formed due to
two plates move and compressive
faulting in the ground surface.
towards each forces motored
other. These by endogenetic • The faulting is caused by tensile
plates can be both forces coming and compressive forces motored
continental, or a from within the by endogenetic forces coming from
continental and an earth. within the earth.
oceanic plate. (iii) In the process of • If there are two parallel faults, the
(iii) The movement formation, if there crustal block between them may either
of two plates are two faults, rise to produce a horst-block mountain
causes one to the crustal block or fall to produce a rift valley or a
go under, or between them graben.
collide and forces may either rise to (b) (i) Vosges and Black forest mountains
sedimentary produce a horst bordering the faulted Rhine Rift
rocks upwards block mountain valley in Europe.
into a series of fall to produce (ii) Salt range of Pakistan.
folds leading to a rift valley or a (iii) Sierra Navada mountain of California
formation of these graben. (USA).
mountains.
(c) (i) These mountains are formed by the
(iv) e.g. The Alps, the
combined processes of uplifting,
Himalayas
faulting, and tilting.
(H) STRUCTURED QUESTIONS (ii) These mountains have distinctive
1. (i) (a) Structural plains layers of rock that lie slightly slanted.
(b) Depositional plains (iii) These mountains have flat tops,
steep and small slope towards the rift
(ii) • These plains are formed by the
valley but slope on the other side is
endogenetic forces.
long and gentle.
• These are either formed due to
3. (a) The mountains which are subjected
upliftment or subsidence of
to weathering and erosion for a long
continental shelf.
time, are lowered down and are called
• The Great Coastal Plains of USA Residual or Dissected mountains.
(between the Appalachian and the
(b) They owe their present form to erosion
Atlantic Ocean) and the Malabar
by different agents such as river, wind,
Coastal Plains of India are formed due
glacier, etc.
to the upliftment of continental shelf
whereas the vast plains of Russia and (c) • Nilgiri Hills
the central lowlands of Australia have • RajMahal
been formed due to subsidence of the 4. (a) It was an extensive sea stretching along
continental shelf. the latitudinal area of the Himalayas.
(iii) The depositional plains are formed as (b) • A round this period, the super
a result of deposition of sediments in continent Pangaea began to gradually
lowlands such as depressions, lakes and split into different land masses and
sea floor. Most plains of the world are move apart in different directions.
depositional plains. The depositional

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