Dunes International School

Academic Session 2023-2024

Lesson 6 Major Relief Features of the Earth (Geography)

Name: __________________________ Subject: Social Studies
Grade 6

A. Define the following

Mountains: Huge land masses with steep slopes which rise more than 900 m above the main sea level
are called mountains.

Plateaus: Broad elevated flat land usually with steep sides and level surface are called plateaus.

Plains: Broad lowland either level or rolling with gentle slopes.

Folds: Crumpling of rock strata due to compression usually when two earth plates collide.

Erosion: Wearing away of the surface of land by various natural agents like wind, running water etc.

B. Distinguish Between;
1. Fold and faults:

Folds
Crumpling of rock strata due to compression
usually when two earth plates collide.
Faults
As plates move, the strain of the movement
sometimes causes brittle rock at plate
boundaries to crack. These cracks are called
faults.

2. Graben and horsts:

Horsts Rift Valley/Graben

Horsts represent a block pushed upward by the Rift valley or graben is a block that has
faulting. dropped due to the faulting.
C. Answer the following Questions:
1. What are the Major land forms on the earth surface?
Ans. The major land forms of the earth surface are mountains, plateaus and plains.

2. What are the significance of plateaus?

Ans. The Significance of plateaus are:
 Plateaus are rich store house of minerals.
 Plateaus have rich grazing grounds and help in sheep rearing.
 The black soil of lava plateau is ideal for the cultivation of crop like cotton.
 When the rivers flowing over plateaus flow from their edges to surroundings plains spectacular
waterfalls are formed.
 The plateau may have rich forest cover, which attracts tourists.

3. Mention the main types of plateaus with examples.

Ans: - Plateaus can be classified according to their shape, size, structure, origin and surroundings.
 Tectonic or continental plateau
 They are made on very of large scale tectonic upliftment. Or Tectonic plateaus are formed by
tectonic plates movements which cause uplift, and are normally of a considerable size, and a
fairly uniform altitude.
 Piedmont Plateau
 Piedmont plateaus are located at the foot of mountains. These are the plateau which are
boarded by a mountains on one side and by a sea or a plain on the other side, Example: Plateau
of Patagonia in Argentina and Colorado Plateau in North America.
 Intermontane plateau
These mountain completely or partly surrounded by a mountain. Some plateaus like the Bolivian
and Tibetan Plateaus and Plateau of Iran and the typical example of Intermontane plateau.
 Volcanic Plateau
They are formed by cooling and solidification of material coming out from volcanic cracks in the
Earth’s crust. Deccan plateau in India, Ethiopian plateau, Snake plateau of the USA.

4. How are most of the plains formed?

Ans: Most of the plains in the world are formed by deposition by rivers and tributaries. The rivers
erode the highlands from where they originate. They transport the load of eroded materials. As they
reach the middle and lower course they deposit the sand, silt and clay. Eg: The Indo- Gangetic-
Brahmaputra Plain.

5. Why the plains are densely populated?

Ans:
 Plains have flat lands for building houses.
 Agriculture flourishes best on plains.
 Building of towns and cities and development of transport network is also easier in plains
 The plains are, therefore the most densely populated regions of the world.

6. Explain the classification of mountain on the basis of their formation with the help of diagram.
Ans: - Fold Mountains: - When the layers of rocks are subjected to the horizontal, compressional forces,
they crumple and are uplifted. This forms a fold mountain. Eg: - The Himalayas and the Andes.

Block Mountains: - AS plates move, the strain of the movement sometimes causes brittle rock at
plate boundaries to crack. These cracks are called faults. When two faults are close together, the
chunk of crust between them can sometimes collapse to form rift valleys. The raised parts on
either side form mountains called Block Mountain.

Volcanic Mountains: - Earth’s crust through which molten magma flows out as lava. The magma
accumulates around the vent in layers forming a tall cone shaped volcanic mountain. Eg: - Mt Fuji Yama
in Japan, Kilimanjaro in Africa.
7. How mountains are importance to us? Write 5 points.
 Mountains ‘abodes of snow’. They are capped by glaciers. These glaciers are sources of
rivers.
 Mountains help in bringing rain.
 They protect the land adjoining them by acting as barriers against cold or hot winds.
 The slopes have rich pastures, help in livestock rearing.
 Mountains are rich store house of flora and fauna.
8. Mention different types of plains with examples.
 Structural plain: example: The central lowland of North America and Russian platform are
structural plains formed by tectonic forces.
 Depositional Plain: Example: The Indo- Gangetic Plain of India, Mississippi Basin
 Erosional Plain: Example: the West Siberian plain
9. What are the benefits of Plains?
 The first and foremost usefulness of plains is in agriculture.
 About 90% of world populations lives in plains.
 All the major civilization flourished in plains.
 Development of transport network and communication are easy on the plains