THE 27 TYPES OF RELIEF AND THEIR CHARACTERISTICS (WITH IMAGES) - GEOGRAPHY - 2025

The types of relief can be classified into land or continental relief, coastal relief, and underwater relief. They can also be classified according to location. The different shapes that the earth's crust has on the surface are called relief, either in the areas that are above sea level, as well as in those that are at the bottom of it.

The relief is basically the set of inequalities that constitute the ecosystems of the planet. These inequalities are not uniform and therefore a name is assigned to each one.

Most of the concavities or depressions of planet Earth are covered by water; Thanks to this phenomenon, oceans and seas were formed.

Types of relief and their characteristics

- Land or continental relief

The land or continental relief is one that is related to accidents and forms that exist on the surface of the Earth, that is, on the continents. This type of relief is found in 30% of the planet, since this is the space occupied by the continents on Earth.

The emerged relief, as it is also known, is located in all areas of the lithosphere that are not covered by the ocean. The following are the main landforms:

1- Mountains

These are natural elevations of the terrain that are characterized by their altitude and slope. This landform occupies almost a quarter of the planet's surface.

Most of the mountains that exist have been formed as a result of the bowing and folding of the earth's crust. This process is commonly known as deformation.

Mountains are made up of several parts. One of them is the foot, which is the lowest part. The top is the highest part and the slope or skirt is the sloping part of the mountain, which is located between the foot and the top. There are also valleys, which are the piece of land between two mountains. Mountains are grouped in different ways:

• Cordillera: it is a succession of large mountains that are linked together. The mountain ranges have emerged after the folding of some areas in which a large amount of sediment has accumulated. Once these are compressed, they are folded and ridges are created
• Sierra: The mountains appear in the same way as the mountain ranges. However, in this case it is a succession of smaller mountains
• System: a set of mountain ranges and mountain ranges is known as a mountain system

2- Hills or hills

The hills or hills are also natural elevations of the terrain. This type of geological formation has particular characteristics in terms of shape, height, etc., which allow it to be differentiated from others.

Unlike mountains, hills generally do not exceed 100 meters in height. They are also characterized by having an extensive base, but a slightly steep and rounded top.

Many specialists in the area have referred to the hills as deeply worn ancient mountains, either by water or wind erosion.

3- Plains

This form of relief is the one that is at a low altitude with respect to sea level. The plains can rise to 200 meters and even a little over 300 meters.

These are extensions of flat land or with slight undulations, which at some point come into contact with mountainous areas.

A plain is a field that has neither high nor low, which means that it is an equal surface throughout its extension.

Within the plains, there are those created by diastrophism, among which are the coastal plains and the interior plains. There are also those of geomorphological origin, which are sedimentary plains and plains on metamorphic rocks. Then there are the so-called vast plains.

4- Plateaus

Plateaus, also called plateaus, are large, slightly undulating flat land areas. They are higher than the plains and are usually between 200 and 5000 meters above sea level.

In addition to the height, the plateaus differ from the plains because the former are higher than the rest of the territory around them. This landform is born as a result of the erosion of ancient mountain systems or by the action of tectonic forces.

According to their location, plateaus can be classified in three ways. The first is the intramontana, which is one that is formed in conjunction with mountains and is also surrounded by them, either totally or partially.

The second is Piedmont, which includes those between the mountains and the ocean. Finally, there are the continental plateaus, which are the plateaus that rise abruptly, either from the coastal plains or from the sea.

5- Valleys

Valleys are those areas between mountain ranges where a river usually runs in the lower part. In fact, it is precisely because of the erosive action of this river course that the valleys are formed.

They can also be formed by tectonic movements or by the melting of a glacier. This landform is basically a terrain that is sunk in the terrain that surrounds it, which can be occupied by mountains or mountain ranges. There are at least eight types of valleys.

• U-shaped valley: it is the one that has been formed by the erosion of a glacier. Its bottom is concave and has steep walls.
• V-shaped valley - These are the youngest valleys. They are formed by the erosive action of a river.
• Blind valley: this type of valley is typical of karst lands. In them its waters penetrate the ground and the valley closes.
• Dead valley: this is the type of valley that does not follow any water course on its surface.
• Endorheic Valley: This is a type of valley that has no visible drainage.
• Longitudinal valley: it is one that is aligned parallel to the folds of the ground.
• Transverse valley: is one that is crossed perpendicular to the folds of the land.
• Suspended valley: it is a tributary valley of a glacier. Its essential characteristic is that when it retreats it leaves the mouth of the tributary hanging.

6- Depressions

Depressions are the different areas in which the land relief is located at a lower height than the surrounding regions.

In other words, these are regions of subsidence that are below sea level. The size and origin of depressions can be very varied.

7- Dunes

A dune is an accumulation of sand and are typical of the beach or the desert. They can be longitudinal, transversal, parabolic or star, among others.

- Coastal relief

Coastal relief is called those geographic features that are in the contact zone between land and sea. The coastal landscape usually has different shapes. They can be steep or flat. This type of relief is made up of the following forms:

1- Beach

It is the flat area by the sea. This is formed because the waves drag and deposit materials such as sand, stone or gravel on the low coasts.

2- Cliff

It is a vertical and steep coastal formation, composed of rock, which has been shaped by erosion of both the waves and the currents derived from it. Thus steps are formed against which the waves break.

3- Gulf

It is a part of the sea that enters the land. It is usually shaped like a bow or shell.

4- Bay

It is a land area where the sea, an ocean or lake enters. It is surrounded by dirt on all sides except for an opening. This is usually wider than the rest.

5- Peninsula

These are expanses of land that are surrounded by water on all sides except for one called the isthmus.

6- Cape

This is a small piece of land or peninsula that runs from the coast into the sea.

7- Albumen

These are saltwater lagoons that are separated from the sea by a cord of sand, but which in turn has communication with the sea, either through one or several points.

8- Island

This is an area of ​​land that can be more or less extensive. It is completely surrounded by water.

9- Archipelago

Oona Räisänen (Mysid) / Public domain

The archipelago is a group of islands close to each other within a certain extension of sea. In addition to islands, they can contain islets, keys or reefs. They can be continental archipelagos and oceanic archipelagos.

10- Narrow

It is a channel of water that connects two bodies of water that can be lakes, seas or oceans, which means that they are between two land masses.

11- Delta

This is a triangular territory that consists of several islands and that is formed at the mouth of a river.

12- estuary

It is about the deep mouths of the rivers, which make the sea penetrate into the interior of these.

13- Marsh

The marshes are areas of the humid type, some swampy, which are located below sea level. They may have been invaded by sea water or from an estuary.

14- Creek or stream

It is a stream of water that flows naturally. It has similarities with the river, but the cove has much less flow, being able to appear and disappear in certain weather seasons.

15- Estuary

NPS Photo / Public domain

Mouth of a wide river. Its main characteristic is that it is an area where salt water is mixed with sweet.

- Underwater relief

As in the surface areas of the Earth, the seabed also has geographical features. But unlike the continental relief, in the underwater relief, being protected by the waters, no erosive agents act that wear down the materials.

For this reason, in this type of relief other types of shapes stand out, such as rounded, level and others with gentle slopes.

1- Continental shelf

This is the natural region that goes from the superficial part of the water, that is, from sea level on the coastline to 200 meters deep. It is called the continental shelf because although it seems that the continents end up on the seashore, they do not.

These continue underneath to form a sloping socket that can be smooth or fast. It can be said that the underwater platform has great similarity with the continental relief that surrounds it.

2- Continental slope

After reaching its end, approximately 200 meters away, the continental shelf gives way to the continental slope. This descends to 3000 meters. The region where the continental slope is located is called the bathyal region.

3- Ocean basin

Also known as the abyssal basin, it forms most of the underwater relief, since it covers depths from 2000 to 6000 meters. From here, knowledge about the underwater relief begins to decline. It is believed to be a relief formed by plains, ocean ridges and volcanic islands.

4- Oceanic ridge

Also known as the submarine ridge, these are mountain ranges submerged in the sea that cover large areas. It is the area in which faults and extinct volcanoes are generated, which causes it to be a tectonically very active area.

The main ridges are the Central Indian, Central Atlantic, Central Pacific, Eastern Pacific or Hawaii.

5- Pits

They are very narrow cavities that can be more than 11,000 meters deep, as is the case in the Marianas. They are depressions that are located on the ocean floor, especially near areas where there are geological faults.

Types of relief according to the continent

The relief of America

The relief of the American continent is made up of mountain ranges, plains, massifs and plateaus. The highest peak is located in the Andes mountain range and is Aconcagua. The most important islands are Victoria, Greenland, Newfoundland, Baffin, Aleutians, Antilles and Tierra del Fuego.

Exercise

The following image belongs to a type of relief that borders South America passing through Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Bolivia, Peru, Colombia, Venezuela. What is it about?

Source: Andrew Shiva / Wikipedia

Reply

It is the Cordillera de los Andes, a type of continental relief.

The relief of Asia

The relief of the Asian continent presents mountains, plains, plateaus and depressions. In this area the mountains are young and high and the plateaus are very high. In the case of depressions, these are occupied by seas.

Exercise

The following image belongs to Bali, an Indonesian province in the Indian Ocean that is very attractive to international tourism. What kind of relief does the photo reflect?

Source: pixabay.com

Reply

It is a beach, a type of coastal relief.

The relief of Africa

The relief of Africa is formed by extensive depressions and plateaus, by massifs, rifts, plains and two great mountain ranges.

Exercise

Deserts occupy a large area of ​​the northern half of Africa. Some are of great beauty like the one in this photo located in Namibia. What kind of relief can we see in the image?

Source: pixabay.com

Reply

They are dunes, very typical of deserts and beaches.

The relief of Europe

The relief of Europe has three basic units. Plateaus and mountains in the north and in the center: the Great European Plain in the center; and young high-altitude mountains in the south.

Exercise

The following image is located in the Doñana Natural Park in Spain, a protected reserve of great environmental interest. In what type of relief do flamingos rest?

Source: pixabay.com

Reply

They are marshes, typical of the types of coastal relief.

The relief of Oceania

In this continent, the relief of Australia stands out, which is characterized by the MacDonnell and Hamersley Mountains, as well as by the Great Dividing Range. But there are also mountainous areas due to the volcanic origin of some islands.

Exercise

In Victoria, Australia we can find this wonder of nature formed from limestone. What type of relief are we talking about?

Source: pixabay.com

Reply

It is a cliff, a type of coastal relief.

The relief of Antarctica

This is the highest continent on the planet. Its relief is composed of mountains with volcanoes and plateaus.

Exercise

The relief in Antarctica is very limited, since it is completely covered by snow. Vinson is his highest point. What is it about?

Christian Stangl / CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)

Reply

It is a massif of continental type.

References

1. Guerrero, P. (2011). General geography. Hill. Recovered from geografia.laguia2000.com.
2. The forms of relief. The reliefs. (Without date). Recovered from profesorenlinea.cl.
3. The forms of relief I. Biology and Geology. (Without date). Recovered recursostic.educacion.es.