Mountains landforms are higher than the surrounding areas, and are characterized by a peak, e.g. the Himalayas.

Surprisingly, they are more frequently present in the oceans than in land. Mountains are formed due tectonic movements such as an earthquake or a volcanic eruption. A few are resulted due to erosion of the surrounding areas by the action of wind, water, or ice.

Plateaus or tablelands are large, highland flat areas, which are separated from the surrounding areas by a steep slope, e.g. the Tibetan plateau. Plateaus are formed due to various actions such as collision of the earth's tectonic plates and uplift of the earth's crust by the action of magma. Also, some of the tablelands are resulted due to lava flow from the volcanic eruption.

Plains are flat and broad land areas on the earth's surface, e.g. prairies, steppes, great plains of Central U.S. The elevation of these landforms are relatively low, when measured with reference to the mean sea level. Plains are formed due to sedimentation of the eroded soil from the hills and mountains, or due to the flowing lava deposited by the agents of wind, water, and ice.

Valleys are low-lying areas of land, situated between the hills or mountains, e.g. the California Central Valley. In most instances, they are formed by the actions of rivers and glaciers. Depending upon the shape, valley forms are classified as U-shaped or V-shaped valley. V-shaped valleys are formed by flowing water or rivers, whereas U-shaped valleys are formed by glaciers.

Hills are elevations of the earth's surface that have distinct summits, but are lower in elevation than mountains. Hills may be formed by a buildup of rock debris or sand deposited by glaciers and wind. Hills may be created by faults. Faults are a slight crack in the earth which can cause earthquakes. Hills are formed when these faults go slightly upward. The most famous hills in the world are the Loess hills. The Black Hills are also famous. You can find hills in low mountain valleys, valleys, plains, and even in your own backyard. Hills are also formed by deep erosion of areas that were raised by disturbances in the earth's crust. Erosion forms hills by carrying away all of the soil on a mountain, causing a hill to be left behind. Humans also make hills by digging soil up and dumping it in a giant pile. Volcanoes are also another way that hills are formed. Volcanoes form hills when they erupt. During the eruption, volcanic ash is spewed through the air; after the eruption, the lava or molten rock hardens and builds up a thick layer of lava rock. The ash falls on

the hardened lava causing a layer of ash to form on the hill. When rain falls, this layer of ash mixes with the rainwater to form black colored water. This black water will freeze causing the lava rock to crack and crumble and eventually erode to form a hill.

Different Kinds Of Landforms Mountains Mountains are areas higher than the surrounding areas which were formed due to the tectonic movements, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and even due to the erosion of the surrounding areas caused due to wind, water and ice. Mountains are found in the oceans and on land. Plateaus Plateaus are nothing but flat highlands that are separated from the surroundings due to steep slopes. Collisions of tectonic plates, magma action that causes the elevation in earths crust etc can all lead to the formation of plateaus. Valleys Valleys are flat areas between hills and mountains and are caused due to the actions of glaciers and rivers over millions of years. Valleys are divided into two kinds depending on their shape viz. V shaped valleys and U shaped valleys. V-shaped valleys are formed by the flowing rivers and U-shaped valleys are formed due to glaciers. Deserts The desert is a dry piece of land with little or no vegetation due to lack of adequate rainfall. They are found mainly in rain shadow areas. The desert is leeward of a mountain region with respect to the wind direction. The mountains block the wind resulting in lack of rain. Islands An island is a piece of land which is surrounded by water from all sides. Islands are formed either due to volcanic eruptions or due to hot spots in the lithosphere. Plains Plains are the landforms that form the flat or the low relief areas on the surface of the earth. This type of landform might be formed as a result of the sedimentation of eroded soil from the top of the hills and mountains or might be due to flowing lava. Rivers Rivers are natural flowing streams of fresh water descending from mountains flowing toward a lake, sea, ocean or another river. Occasionally, a river just flows into the ground or dries up entirely before reaching another water body. Oceans An Ocean is the biggest water body found on earth and is saline in nature. Oceans cover over 71% of the earths surface and also play an important role in controlling the weather and climate of the earth. Oceans originated due to continental drifts.

Loess Loess are deposits of salt mixed with little amount of sand and clay. Loess can be the result of wind or glacial activities. Glaciers Glaciers are slow moving huge bodies of ice which take shape due to the compression of the snow layers. Glaciers move depending on the pressure and gravity. There are two types of glaciers, the alpine glaciers which can be located in high mountains and the continental glaciers which can be located in cold Polar regions.