Scribd
Upload
8 views

Lecture 3

This document discusses different types of volcanic and tectonic landforms. It begins by explaining how continental landforms are formed through endogenic processes within the Earth and exogenic processes at the surface. Volcanic landforms like stratovolcanoes and shield volcanoes are formed by different types of lava. Intrusive landforms like batholiths and sills are formed by cooling magma underground. Tectonic landforms include fold belts, ocean trenches, and ocean ridges formed by plate tectonics. Faults can produce landforms like grabens and horsts. The document also discusses how horizontal and inclined rock layers influence landforms.

Uploaded by

sliehm28
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
8 views

Lecture 3

This document discusses different types of volcanic and tectonic landforms. It begins by explaining how continental landforms are formed through endogenic processes within the Earth and exogenic processes at the surface. Volcanic landforms like stratovolcanoes and shield volcanoes are formed by different types of lava. Intrusive landforms like batholiths and sills are formed by cooling magma underground. Tectonic landforms include fold belts, ocean trenches, and ocean ridges formed by plate tectonics. Faults can produce landforms like grabens and horsts. The document also discusses how horizontal and inclined rock layers influence landforms.

Uploaded by

sliehm28
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 32

LECTURE 3:

VOLCANIC AND TECTONIC


LANDFORMS
INITIAL AND SEQUENTIAL LANDFORMS

 Continental landforms are the result of endogenic and


exogenic processes
 Endogenic process – works from within the Earth
 Produces initial landforms
 Uplifts/brings fresh rock to the surface
 Powered by earth’s internal energy
 Exogenic process – works at Earth’s surface
 Wears down initial landforms
 Creates sequential landforms
VOLCANIC ACTIVITY

 Volcano – conical or dome-shaped initial


landform that is built from lava emerging
through vents in the Earth’s surface
 Volcanism (volcanic activity) constructs
towering cones of imposing mountain
ranges as well as huge domes or plateaus of
volcanic rock
 frequent along subduction boundaries (“ring
of fire”), midocean spreading centres and
continental rifts
 Severe environmental hazard
TYPES OF VOLCANOES

 nature of volcanic eruption depends on the type of magma involved


 two main types of igneous rock (felsic and mafic) – each type builds a distinctive form of volcano
 Felsic lavas (rhyolite and andesite):
 thick and gummy, resisting flow
 Holds large amounts of gas – explosive eruptions
 doesn’t usually flow very far
 building up steep slopes
 Mafic lava (basalt):
 not very viscous and holds little gas
 eruptions of basaltic lava are usually quiet
 lava travels long distances to spread out in thin layers
EROSION OF STRATOVOLCANOES
EROSION OF SHIELD VOLCANOES
TYPES OF VOLCANOES

 Stratovolcanoes:
 formed by the emission of thick, gassy, felsic lavas and showers of tephra
 have steep slopes
 tend toward explosive eruptions
 Erosion of stratovolcanoes ultimately leaves a landscape of lava mesas, volcanic necks, and
dikes
 Shield volcanoes:
 result from eruption of basaltic (mafic) lavas
 lavas are more fluid and contain little gas – form broadly rounded domes
 As shield volcanoes become extinct and erode, their rounded forms are replaced by steep
canyons and sharp ridges
INTRUSIVE VOLCANIC LANDFORMS

 Volcanoes are extrusive landforms


 Intrusive landforms are formed when
magma cools within the crust
MAJOR INTRUSIVE LANDFORMS

 Batholith:
 Large rock masses formed due to cooling down and solidification of hot magma inside the earth
 Appear on the surface after weathering and erosion removes overlying materials
 form the core of large mountains
 Granitic
 Laccolith:
 large dome-shaped intrusive igneous rocks which are connected by a pipe-like conduit with the magma
 Lopolith:
 Saucer shape feature formed when the Magma moves upwards
 a portion of this magma moves in a horizontal direction where it finds a weak plane – forms lopolith
MINOR INTRUSIVE LANDFORMS

 Sill:
 form when magma intrudes between the rock
layers, forming a horizontal or gently-dipping
sheet of igneous rock
 Dyke:
 form as magma pushes up towards the surface
through cracks in the rock
 vertical or steeply-dipping sheets of igneous rock
TECTONIC LANDFORMS

 two basic forms of tectonic activity:


 compression occurs when lithospheric plates are squeezed together along
converging lithospheric plate boundaries
 extension happens along continental and oceanic rifting, where plates are
being pulled apart
 Each activity produces different landform types
FOLD BELTS

 When plates collide, the plates are squeezed


together at the boundary – crust crumples,
creating folds
 folds create a set of alternating anticlines (up-
arching bends) and synclines (troughs)
 Young fold mountains ( <100 million years old)
– highest, most impressive ranges; eg:
Himalayas
 Old fold mountains (formed 250 million years
ago or more) – mark formerly active plate
boundaries and tend to be lower and more
eroded; eg: Appalachians and Urals
OCEAN TRENCHES

 form at two kinds of convergent plate


boundaries: where a continental and oceanic
plate converge, or where two oceanic plates
converge
 oceanic plates are denser than continental
plates – plunge beneath them (subducts)
 at an oceanic/oceanic boundary, whichever
plate is denser – the older, cooler plate –
subducts beneath the other
 subduction forms an undersea trench – long,
narrow valleys and include the deepest areas of
the ocean
 deepest ocean trench – Mariana Trench (11km)

http://www.deepseachallenge.com/the-expedition/mariana-trench/
OCEAN RIDGES

 At divergent boundaries, plates move


away from each other – creating new crust
as magma is pushed up from the mantle
 movement of the tectonic plates transports
the newly formed crust away from the
crest of the ridge in both directions
 Eg: Mid-Atlantic Ridge
FAULTS AND FAULT LANDFORMS

 Fault – fracture created in the brittle rocks of


the Earth’s crust, as different parts of the crust
move in different directions
 Active fault – movement was recent
 Many tectonic forms result directly from
faulting
 helpful to classify them according to the type
of fault involved – dip-slip/normal faults,
strike-slip/transcurrent faults and
thrust/reverse faults
NORMAL FAULT LANDFORMS

 crust is pulled apart and overlying


(hanging-wall) block moves down with
respect to the lower (foot wall) block
[divergent boundaries]
 creates fault scarps, grabens, and horsts
 Rift Valley of East Africa – example of
extension and normal faulting at a
continental scale. Continental lithosphere
is beginning to rupture and split apart in
the first stage of forming a new ocean
basin.
STRIKE-SLIP FAULT LANDFORMS

 crustal blocks move in a horizontal direction


(sideways past each other) [transform
boundaries]
 Most famous active strike-slip fault – San
Andreas fault
 Appears as a straight, narrow scar
 In some places this scar is a trench-like
feature, and elsewhere it is a low scarp
REVERSE FAULT

 crust is compressed and the hanging-wall block moves up and over the footwall block [convergent
boundaries]
 When compression is severe (continent-continent collision) – rock layers can ride over each other on a low-
angle overthrust fault
 Repeated faulting can produce a great rock cliff hundreds of meters high
LANDFORMS AND ROCK STRUCTURE

 rock structure controls the locations of uplands and lowlands, as well as the routes of streams and rivers
 affects landforms – different types of rocks are worn down by erosion at different rates (some rock types are
easily eroded, while others are more resistant)
 weak rocks form valleys
 strong rocks form hills, ridges, and uplands
LANDFORMS OF HORIZONTAL STRATA

 In arid regions of horizontal strata,


resistant rock layers produce
vertical cliffs separated by gentler
slopes on less resistant rocks
 Plateaus, mesas, and buttes are
formed
PLATEAU

 area of highland, usually consisting of


relatively flat terrain that is raised
significantly above the surrounding area,
often with one or more sides with steep
slopes
MESA

 an isolated, flat-topped hill or


mountain with steep sides that is
smaller in area than a plateau
BUTTE

 butte is also a flat-topped hill with steep sides, though smaller in area than a mesa
 rule of thumb – mesa has a top that is wider than its height, while a butte has a top that is
narrower than its height
CONICAL HILL

 landform with a distinctly conical Smaller Larger


shape
 usually isolated or rises above
other surrounding foothills, and is
often, but not always, of volcanic
origin Conical hill Butte
 circular base and smooth sides (pointed butte)
with a gradient of up to 30°
LANDFORMS OF INCLINED STRATA

 Large areas of South Africa have tilted or inclined sedimentary rock


 Inclined strata are layers of rock below the Earth’s surface which tilt at an angle
 occurs when strata is subjected to stress (either compression, tension, volcanic
intrusion or tectonic movement) and they become tilted relative to their original
(horizontal) position
 Faulting or folding causes the strata to be tilted
 Inclined strata give rise to a different class of topographical forms
DIP AND SCARP SLOPES

 Generally harder and softer strata alternate


 As a result of the continued erosion, difference in
resistance of the different layers causes homoclinal
ridges
 softer layers will be removed more easily than the
harder layers – forming ridges (homoclinal ridges)
 steeper slope, soft rock layer – scarp slope
 gentle slope, resistant rock layer – dip slope
TYPES OF HOMOCLINAL RIDGES

 Homoclinal ridges are classified according to the angle of the dip slope
 type of homoclinal ridge depends on the gradient at which the layers dip
CUESTA BASINS AND DOMES

 hill or ridge with a gentle slope on one side, and a steep slope on the other
 can form basin-shaped or dome-shaped structures
 Basin – scarp slope will face the outside and the dip slope will face the inside
 Dome – scarp slope faces the inside and the dip slope faces the outside
HELPFUL VIDEOS

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ix2exmIx8k
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NQ3OTRwCyRw

You might also like