Landscape Characteristics and Features: A Comprehensive Guide

1. Measuring Landscape Characteristics

2. Features such as mountains, valleys, and stream drainage patterns have distinctive shapes by which they can be identified

3. Gradient and Profile • Gradient = elevation (height)/distance (length) • Profile: shows the elevation, shape and slope of landscape features

4. Mountains, Plateaus and Plains • Mountains, plateaus and plains are categories of landscapes characterized by gradient, elevation and rock structure

5. Summary: • Mountain: High elevation, steep gradient, distorted or disturbed rock layers (faulting, folding, etc)

6. b. Plateau: High elevation, undistorted horizontal rock structure, fairly level slope

7. c. Plain: low elevation and level surface with little change in slope

9. Time and Landscape Stages • An area often experiences a time when the uplifting forces are dominant, followed by a long time when the leveling forces are dominant • Youth: Uplift dominant • Maturity: Leveling dominant

10. b. Old Age” Leveling still dominant but less effective due to low elevations = less potential energy c. Dynamic equilibrium: uplift and leveling are equal forces

11. Effects of Climate on Landscape Development • Arid climates: little vegetation to hold sediments in place, resulting in steeper slopes and sharp, angular landscape features (physical/mechanical weathering). Common in SW US

12. Humid climates: Vegetation holds sediments in place, so landscapes are smoother and more rounded (chemical weathering). Common in eastern US

13. Landscape features of glaciations: • Mountaintops and steep slopes without soil • Transported soil over large areas • Unsorted soil at and below the surface

14. d. Wide U-shape valleys e. Polish, striations, drumlins, moraines, Finger lakes and kettle lakes f. Disconnected stream drainage patterns