Topography

High school (ages 12+)
Geography

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/topography

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the scientific discipline?Geomorphology, a branch of physical geography and geology
2. What is the key endogenic processes?Plate tectonics (orogeny, rifting), volcanism, faulting
3. How does the Earth's surface change over time?Internal forces such as tectonic plates move and lift the land, while external forces like weathering, erosion, and deposition break it down and reshape it.
4. Why do mountains form?Mountains form when tectonic plates collide or pull apart, pushing the Earth's crust upward to create tall landforms.

Orogeny: The process of mountain formation, especially by folding and faulting of the Earth's crust.
Fluvial Processes: Geological processes associated with rivers and streams, including erosion, transport, and deposition.
Digital Elevation Model (DEM): A digital representation of the bare-earth surface, typically a raster grid of elevation values.
Rain Shadow Effect: A region having little rainfall because it is on the side of a mountain range that faces away from the prevailing winds.