Landforms of the Earth and Internal Forces

We come across so many landforms such as mountains, plateau, plain, etc. But do you know how these landforms are formed? Let’s find out more about Landforms of the Earth and Internal Forces.

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Internal Forces That Cause Landform

The thing that causes a change in the Earth’s landforms is plate tectonics. Tectonic plates are huge slabs of rock and underneath all of the world’s landmasses and seas. These plates move occasionally. These movements may be undetectable or may cause natural disasters such as earthquakes and volcanoes. Over the years,  the amalgamation of these shifts reshapes the Earth’s surface, altering existing landforms and creating entirely new ones.

Earthquakes

The earth’s plate responsible for causing earthquakes is the crust of the changing earth. Most earthquakes occur along the edge of the oceanic and continental plates. The earth’s crust (the outer layer of the planet) is made up of several pieces, called plates. The plates under the oceans are called as oceanic plates and the rest are continental plates.

The plates are moved around by the motion of a deeper part of the earth (the mantle) that lies underneath the crust. These plates are always bumping into each other, pulling away from each other, or past each other. The plates usually move at about the same speed that your fingernails grow. Earthquakes usually occur where two plates are running into each other or sliding past each other. Earthquakes affect the landforms of the earth.

Browse more Topics under General Physical Geography

• What is Geography
• Landforms on Earth and External Processes
• Physical Features of Geography

Study Landforms on Earth and External Processes here. 

Questions For You

Q1. Statement I: There is a large-scale fluctuation of oil flow from oil wells prior to earthquakes.
Statement II: Tectonic stress accumulates to a certain level, the pore pressure within a deep oil-bearing stratum reaches its breaking strength causing oil to sprout along the oil wells.

1. Both statements are true and statement II is the correct explanation of statement I
2. Both the statements are true, but Statement I is not the correct explanation of Statement II
3. The statement I is true, but Statement II is false
4. The statement I is false, but Statement II is true

Sol: The correct answer is the option ”a”. There is a large-scale fluctuation of oil flow from oil wells prior to earthquakes. Tectonic stress accumulates to a certain level, the pore pressure within a deep oil-bearing stratum reaches its breaking strength causing oil to sprout along the oil wells.

Q2. Earthquakes are caused by ____________.

1. tectonism
2. earth revolution
3. earth rotation
4. denudation

Sol: The correct answer is the option ”a”. Tectonism refers to faulting, folding or structural changes on the surface of Earth or any other planet due to various internal forces. Earthquakes occur due to various reasons, rupture of the geological faults being one of them. Other reasons include landslides, volcanic eruptions, mine blasts etc.