Landforms
Land on Earth comes in many shapes. Different types of raised and lowered areas exist. Mountains soar high above plains and valleys. Some mountains have flat tops while others are sharp and jagged. All of these are types of landforms.
What is a volcano?
A volcano is an opening in the Earth's crust where magma and gasses rise to the surface. When magma reaches the surface it is called lava. Volcanoes usually form mountains. They usually form at the boundaries of tectonic plates.
What is weathering?
Weathering happens when rocks on Earth’s surface break apart or change without moving anywhere.
What causes an earthquake?
Faults are cracks in the earth’s crust. Earthquakes are caused when the ground along two faults shifts suddenly. The shaking caused by this shift will spread out through the earth. This causes the surface to shake, shift, or buckle.
What are fossils?
They are the remains or traces of plants or animals that lived long ago.
What are different landforms?
Specifically, some landform types are: mountains, smooth and flat or narrow and deep valleys, flat topped plateaus (mesas and buttes), flat low plains.
What determines the way a volcano erupts?
The type of volcanic eruption that happens depends on the way tectonic plates interact and on the thickness of the magma and the amount of gasses trapped underground. Some volcanoes are explosive and some are gentle.
What is erosion?
Erosion is the movement of soil and rock by wind, water, ice, and gravity. Erosion moves material from one place to another.
How do earthquakes change the surface of the earth?
Earthquakes over time can cause mountains to rise up. Earthquakes can cause land along faults to shift and move. If an earthquake is powerful enough, this movement can cause a lot of damage to buildings in the area.
What are some different types of fossils?
The types of fossils include animal body remains, imprints, casts, and organisms preserved in amber. There are also trace fossils, which include footprints, trails, and burrows made long ago by organisms.
What are features of some landforms?
Raised areas can be sharp, high mountains, low smooth mountains and hills, flat topped mountains. Low areas can be narrow and deep valleys, or smooth, shallow valleys, or flat plains with rivers running through them.
How do scientists classify volcanoes?
In a shield volcano, flowing lava builds up new layers of land as it becomes solid on the sides of the volcano. In a cinder volcano, small rocks explode out of the top and rain down around the volcano. In a composite volcano both of these types of eruptions happen in turns over days or years.
What is deposition?
Deposition occurs when eroded materials stop moving and begin to build up. Eroded materials are called sediments.
How are tsunamis related to earthquakes?
Tsunamis are caused by earthquakes on the ocean floor or near the edge of the ocean. The sudden shaking causes a wave to form which can travel quickly across the ocean. In the shallow water near the shore the water builds up to a huge wave.
How do fossils form?
Fossils form in many ways. However, they are generally created when a living organism dies and is then quickly covered by layers of sediment. In time, the sediment around the organism turns into rock. In some cases, hard parts of the organism, such as bones and teeth, are preserved or turned into rock themselves as minerals replace living cells. In other cases, the shape of the organism is preserved, but the organism itself decays or dissolves. Because of the way sedimentary rock forms, most fossils are found in layers of sedimentary rock.
How are landforms formed?
All landforms are formed either by constructive forces that build up the land, such as mountains being pushed up, or destructive forces that wear away land, such as running water, freezing water, wind, and sometimes chemical weathering. It often takes thousands and even millions of years for landforms to change, although earthquakes and severe weather can change landforms quickly.
How do volcanoes change Earth's surface?
Flowing lava from volcanoes can cause new land to form. Volcanoes can also erupt with explosions that cause rocks and ash to cover land. Volcanoes can also blast away the top or side of a volcanic mountain.
How do erosion and deposition cause the Earth’s features to change?
Erosion breaks down rock and soil on Earth's surface and moves it to another place. Deposition causes sediment to build up into new landforms.
What was your favorite mystery science lesson and why?
**answers may vary
How is the age of a fossil determined?
If scientists know the age of a layer of rock, they know that fossils contained within that layer are the same age.
***THIS IS NOT A LANDFORM QUESTION- List the different types of natural disasters. (at least 5)
earthquakes, volcanoes, tsunamis, droughts, sand storms, hurricanes, wind storms, floods, etc
Where are volcanoes most likely to form?
Along the ring of fire.
Draw what erosion & deposition look like
**Drawing
What was your favorite exploration on discovery education and why?
**answers may vary
What can fossils tell us about Earth’s past?
They can tell us when in Earth’s history certain organisms lived. They can also give us information about what those organisms were like, and the environment in which they lived.