5.
Landforms of the Earth
Q.A. Answer the following Questions
1. What are plains?
Ans: Plains are extensive flat areas of low altitude.
2. What is Orogenesis?
Ans: The process of mountain building that occurs on large scale. Literally,
the birth of a mountain.
3. Name the different types of Mountains. Describe each of them with
examples.
Ans: Mountains are often classified according to their mode of formation,
viz.,
a) Fold Mountains
b) Block Mountains
c) Residual Mountains
a) Fold Mountains:
The term fold is a reference to the way in which such mountains have
been formed.
The movements which have resulted in mountain building were horizontal
movements, the effect of which was to cause the crust of the Earth to
wrinkle.
High mountain chains such as the Himalayas, Andes, Alps, and Rockies are
fold mountain systems.
Types → Young fold Mt.
Types → Old fold Mt.
b) Block Mountains:
Sometimes movement of the Earth's crust causes cracks or faults.
Where such movement leaves a block of higher land standing between
two areas of lower land, the highland is known as a 'Block Mountain'.
Ex: The Vosges and Black Forest, Vindhya and Satpura in India.
c) Residual Mountains:
When an area of highland remains standing above the general level after
rivers or other natural agents have lowered the surface of the surrounding
area, called Residual Mt.
Ex: Nilgiri, Helvellyn Mt.
4. What are Plateaus?
Ans: An extensive almost flat topped region.
5. Name the various types of plateaus with examples
Ans:
Types of Plateaus
a) Intermontane Plateau
Example – Plateau of Tibet
b) Volcanic Plateau
Example – Deccan Plateau of India
6. State a few advantages of plains.
Ans:
1. Construction of settlements of land surface, rails, roads etc. is easy on
flat and soft surface.
2. Fertile soils of alluvial plains are granaries of the world.
3. Most of the plains provide fine climate and fertile land.
7. Explain the types of depositional plains.
Ans:
Depositional Plains:
They are formed by the deposition of sediments on a large scale.
Types of Depositional Plains:
1. Alluvial Plains
2. Glacial Deposits
3. Loess Plains
4. Lacustrine Plains
8. State the main uses of mountains.
Ans:
Main Uses of Mountains:
i) Mountains are effective climatic barriers and the climates of regions on
either side of a high mountain range are very different.
ii) The swift streams of mountains are frequently sources of hydro-electric
power, especially in countries which have no coal such as Norway.
iii) Mountains provide abundance of minerals.
iv) The lumbering industry is also flourished on the mountains.
9. Differentiate between intermontane plateau and volcanic plateaus.
Ans:
Intermontane Plateau
Volcanic Plateau
10. Define a plain. How does it differ from a plateau?
Ans:
Plain:
Plains are extensive flat areas of low altitude.
Plains have a completely level or nearly level surface as compared to
plateau, which has elevated altitude, with flat tops.
11. What are Mountains?
Ans: A portion of land surface is rising considerably above the surrounding
either as a single eminence area or in a range of chain is known as
mountain.
12. State any two characteristics of young fold mountains?
Ans:
Two characteristics of young fold mountains:
1. Mountain building appears to have proceeded more actively at some
periods than others.
2. During an earlier period of folding (the Carboniferous), the Pennines,
Appalachians were uplifted.
13. How are young fold mountains useful? State one example.
Ans: The swift streams of mountains are frequently sources of hydro-
electric power.
14. How are alluvial plains formed?
Ans: Alluvial plains are formed by gradual accumulation of silt brought
down by rivers.
15. Give an example each of the following:
i) Fold Mountain → The Himalayas
ii) Block Mountain → The Vosges
iii) Volcanic Plateau → Deccan Plateau
iv) Structural Plain → The Great Plains of USA
Q.B. Define :-
1. Intermontane Plateaus: The plateau surrounded and enclosed by
mountains is called Intermontane Plateau.
2. Block Mountains: Sometimes movement of the Earth's crust causes
cracks or faults, leaving a block of higher land, known as 'Block Mountain'.
Q.D. Give Reasons :-
1. Plateaus are called Tablelands.
Ans: Because plateaus have an elevated tract of relatively flat top surface.
2. Residual Mountains are called the Mountains of Denudation.
Ans: Because these mountains have lowered down the surface due to
denudation.
3. The alluvial plains are called the granaries of the world.
Ans: Because of fertile soil, easy irrigation facilities, alluvial material.
4. The Plateau of Tibet is called the intermontane plateau.
Ans: Because it is enclosed by mountains almost from all sides.
5. The old fold mountains are much lower and less rugged than young fold
mountains.
Ans: Because the process of weathering and denudation is more on old
fold mountains.
6. North Western Deccan is an example of Lava Plateau.
Ans: Because it has been formed by the volcanic eruption.
