There are two main factors that influence the formation of different forms of the surface, say, on different sides of the earth's crust. Thus, many influences have been shared, which explain why the Earth's relief is very diverse. But first, let's figure out what the concept of "relief" carries.

The term "relief" and its meaning

This word is of French origin, or some sources explain it by translating the classics from Latin, and it is used for several industries - construction, art. But in all senses, its meaning is the same - it is a set of irregularities. For sculpture, these irregularities are artificially created by man; in construction, the human hand also makes efforts to create one form or another. But on a planetary scale, man occupies the third place of honor among the forces that influence why the Earth's relief is very diverse.

Relief groups, or what categories do certain formations belong to

To begin with, let's remember what forms there are on the earth's surface. All types of land relief are divided into positive and negative. The positive ones include any elevations above the imaginary horizontal plane, the negative - on the contrary, below it. That is, the first group includes mountains, hills, mounds, plateaus. To the second group - depressions, crevices, valleys, beams. And now more about the diversity of the Earth's relief, namely, what creates it.

First place - internal forces of the earth

These forces have a scientific name - endogenous. What is their impact?

Initially, the relief of the entire surface of the Earth was subjected to intense influence of internal forces. Earthquakes, volcanic eruptions are their most obvious manifestations, which, if you carefully study the studies of anthropologists, previously very intensively changed the landscapes of the Earth, and even now quite often subject the earth's crust to collapse, and, consequently, to new formation of the surface.
In addition, lithospheric plates are in constant slow motion, which also affects the creation of relief. Why is the Earth's relief diverse in terms of internal forces? Because in connection with all the processes under the earth's crust, its changes occur outside. This is how mountains, ocean depressions, plains and uplands appear. Lithospheric plates (seven large and dozens of small ones) move, collide, move apart, forming the highest mountains (Alps, Himalayas, etc.) or deep depressions on land and under water (the Mariana Trench is the most striking example).

What we are seeing now is the result of plate movements over many millions or even billions of years, corrected by the following type of impact on the relief.

Second place - external forces of the earth

The scientific name for these forces is exogenous. Why is the Earth's topography so diverse due to these influences?

The sun, wind, precipitation - all these everyday phenomena are directly related to the formation of one form or another of the surface. All formations that have arisen under the influence of internal forces begin to transform also because of them. So, the sun heats the mountain peaks. Substances, minerals, which are present in the composition of mountains, have different thermal conductivity and other physical properties. As a result, as they expand unevenly, they lose strong bonds with each other, stratifying, dismembering and, in the end, turning into sand. And if we add to this the effect of water, which in warm weather penetrates into all the smallest cracks, and when the temperature drops, it turns into ice, which, accordingly, expands and pushes the cracks apart, aggravating them, this eventually leads to the same destruction. That is why the relief of the Earth is very diverse, because these processes occur every minute throughout the Earth.

Do not forget about the effect of rivers, lakes, oceans on the adjacent zones. So, the coasts can both increase and decrease every year, depending on the direction of the waters. It may be subtle, but it still happens.

Third place - man

It is classified as an external force, but I would like to single out this influence in a separate category. The development of technology gives a person an equivalent opportunity to go into space and climb deep into the earth's crust (the main thing is that the funding is good, space is still winning here). The extraction of resources (oil, gas, ores, rock salt, other minerals) is increasingly changing the once familiar landscapes. Drainage of swamps, deforestation, creation of reservoirs, and other influences on the diversity of the Earth's relief can change the microclimate of certain areas, forcing animals to look for completely different habitats. And this happens everywhere, and it is far from always possible to call this influence useful. If in the case of wind it is impossible to call him to account - this is an element, then a person, as a rational being, it would seem, should understand the destructiveness of his actions, and make reasonable decisions. Seemingly.

And what is the result

As a result, it turns out that the modern relief of the Earth is the result of the interaction of all these forces, and they continue daily, continuously, and even right now, while your eyes are reading this long phrase, to act, slowly but surely changing the outlines of our planet. And perhaps, after a few hundred years, descendants will be very surprised to find an old relief map, for example, for 1995, what the world was like at that time.

The main reason for this diversity is the mutual influence of internal (endogenous) and external (exogenous) processes on the surface of the planet. In turn, the catalyst of these processes, ultimately, is the energy of the Sun.

The essence of endogenous processes is the displacement of the earth's crust, which can be both vertical and horizontal. These movements not only change the general structure of the earth's crust, but also create new landforms.

While endogenous processes form the relief of the planet (act as builders), exogenous processes hone and decorate it, being some kind of "sculptors" of earthly forms. They act on the surface of the Earth from the outside, through the weathering of rocks, the work of surface and ground waters, wind and gravity. It is important to note that these processes have occurred and are constantly occurring on our planet.

Denudation and accumulation are the main processes of relief formation

Now that you already know why the Earth's relief is very diverse, you can describe in more detail the processes that are responsible for this. We will talk about denudation and accumulation, which are connected dialectically.

Denudation is understood as the totality of all processes that are aimed at the destruction of rocks. The main driving force of denudation is gravity (universal gravity). Mountain landslides, mudflows, the movement of large glaciers and the flow of rivers - all this, one way or another, is connected with it. Denudation seeks to level the relief of the territory as much as possible.

Accumulation is the opposite process, which consists in the accumulation of rock particles in certain areas of the Earth's surface. Nevertheless, denudation and accumulation are closely and inextricably linked. As a result of accumulation processes, plains, terraces, deltas, dunes, coastal spits, and the like are formed on the Earth's surface.

Genetic landform types

As a result of endogenous processes, the following types of relief are formed:

• tectonic;
• volcanic.

Among the main types of relief of exogenous origin (genesis) should be distinguished:

• fluvial relief (river valleys, beams, ravines, gullies, etc.);
• glacial (eskers, moraine ridges and plains, kams, "ram's foreheads", etc.);
• coastal or abrasive (marches, spits, abrasion shores, beaches, etc.);
• gravitational (landslides, landslides, screes);
• eolian (dunes, dunes);
• karst (caves, funnels, karst mines);
• suffusion (pods, "steppe saucers");
• anthropogenic (relief created by human activity: quarries, mines, embankments, waste heaps, dams, etc.).

All these numerous landforms create that motley and unique pattern of our planet.

Finally

After reading our article, the question of why the Earth's relief is very diverse will no longer be able to drive you into a dead end. The appearance, the drawing of our planet, was created over millions of years. The formation of the main forms of the earth's relief is based on various processes, such as endogenous (internal) and exogenous (external).

There are many natural components that the geography of the Earth studies in detail. Relief is one of them. Our planet is beautiful and unique! Its appearance is the result of a whole complex of various processes.

Why is the Earth's relief so diverse? We will try to answer this question as clearly as possible in this article.

Why is the relief varied? The main reason

Deep underwater gorges and the highest peaks, huge flat plateaus and swampy depressions, wide endless plains and hilly hills - all this can be found on the surface of our wonderful planet. Let's try to answer a simple question: why is it so diverse?

The main reason for this diversity is the mutual influence of internal (endogenous) and external factors on the surface of the planet. In turn, the catalyst for these processes, ultimately, is the energy of the Sun.

The essence of endogenous processes is the displacement of the earth's crust, which can be both vertical and horizontal. These movements not only change the general structure of the earth's crust, but also create new landforms.

While endogenous processes form the relief of the planet (act as builders), exogenous processes hone and decorate it, being some kind of "sculptors" of earthly forms. They act on the outside, through the weathering of rocks, the work of surface and underground waters, wind and gravity. It is important to note that these processes have occurred and are constantly occurring on our planet.

Denudation and accumulation are the main processes of relief formation

Now that you already know, you can describe in more detail those processes that are guilty of this. We will talk about denudation and accumulation, which are connected dialectically.

Denudation is understood as the totality of all processes that are aimed at the destruction of rocks. The main driving force of denudation is gravity (universal gravity). Mountain landslides, mudflows, the movement of large glaciers and the flow of rivers - all this, one way or another, is connected with it. Denudation seeks to level the relief of the territory as much as possible.

Accumulation is the opposite process, which consists in the accumulation of rock particles in certain areas of the Earth's surface. Nevertheless, denudation and accumulation are closely and inextricably linked. As a result of accumulation processes, plains, terraces, deltas, dunes, coastal spits, and the like are formed on the Earth's surface.

Genetic landform types

As a result of endogenous processes, the following types of relief are formed:

• tectonic;
• volcanic.

Among the main types of relief of exogenous origin (genesis) should be distinguished:

• fluvial relief (river valleys, beams, ravines, gullies, etc.);
• glacial (eskers, moraine ridges and plains, kams, etc.);
• coastal or abrasive (marches, spits, abrasion shores, beaches, etc.);
• gravitational (landslides, landslides, screes);
• eolian (dunes, dunes);
• karst (caves, funnels, karst mines);
• suffusion (pods, "steppe saucers");
• anthropogenic (relief created by human activity: quarries, mines, embankments, waste heaps, dams, etc.).

All these numerous landforms create that motley and unique pattern of our planet.

Finally

After reading our article, the question of why the Earth's relief is very diverse will no longer be able to drive you into a dead end. The appearance, the drawing of our planet, was created over millions of years. The formation of the main forms of the earth's relief is based on various processes, such as endogenous (internal) and exogenous (external).

Every schoolchild knows that there are mountains, plains, plateaus, canyons, caves, deserts, hills and valleys on our planet, which are collectively called ...

Why the Earth's relief is very diverse: main factors, examples

By Masterweb

Every schoolchild knows that there are mountains, plains, plateaus, canyons, caves, deserts, hills and valleys on our planet, which are collectively called the word "relief". The question of why the Earth's relief is very diverse is discussed in this article.

What is meant by the word "relief"?

Our planet has three important components: lithosphere, atmosphere and hydrosphere. Before analyzing the question for schoolchildren of the 7th grade, why the Earth's relief is very diverse, it is necessary to define this concept.

So, the word "relief" means a set of forms of the upper part of the lithosphere of our planet (the earth's crust), which are both on land and form the bottom of the oceans and seas. The branch of geology that studies all these forms is called the science of geomorphology. The main object of its study is the surface of continents and islands. However, she also studies the seabed with its seamounts, plains and depressions.

What types of relief are there?

Considering the question of why the relief of the Earth is very diverse, a few words should be said about what it happens to be.

First of all, it is a macrorelief, that is, huge areas on the surface of the planet that have a certain characteristic. Here are the following types:

• Plains. Vast expanses of the planet's surface, which are characterized by small elevation differences (several tens of meters). Plains, as a rule, are located low above sea level (up to 200 m). An example is the East European Plain, which is also called the Russian Plain.
• The mountains. When asked why the Earth's relief is so diverse, most people think of mountains. They represent areas of land and the ocean floor, which are raised to a great height (several kilometers) relative to the surrounding area. An example of this type of relief are the mountains of the Caucasus or the Himalayas.
• Plateau. These are also huge terrestrial spaces that have a wavy relief. They are located at altitudes of about 1000 m above sea level and often share mountain ranges. Plateaus are formed by rocks, this fact distinguishes them from the plains, which, as a rule, are of sedimentary origin. A striking example of this type of macrorelief is the Central Siberian Plateau.

There is also the concept of "relief of a given area", which implies the presence in the area under consideration of depressions, ravines, canyons, valleys, beaches, hills, hills, and so on.

Why is the Earth's relief so diverse?

So, the main types of relief observed on our planet were briefly listed above. But why are there plains, mountain ranges and ridges, why are certain areas cut by ravines, while others are smooth and have no hills?

Answering briefly why the Earth's relief is very diverse, it should be said that this fact is associated with the result of the action of internal (endogenous) and external (exogenous) processes.

Endogenous processes include processes that occur inside the Blue Planet, that is, these are the movements of magma and the displacement of lithospheric plates, which manifest themselves on the surface in the form of volcanic eruptions and earthquakes. This is the most powerful source of relief formation, which largely determined the appearance of our planet.

Exogenous processes are usually divided into three types:

• atmospheric;
• hydrospheric;
• biospheric.

The influence of the atmosphere on the relief includes the effect of wind and daily temperature fluctuations. Both processes are destructive or erosive in nature. A striking example of the influence of wind on the terrain is the movement of sand dunes in deserts.

Hydrospheric, that is, due to the action of water. There are many examples here: the appearance of ravines during the flow of rivers, the formation of alluvial deposits, the modification of the coastline due to the influence of the seas and oceans, the formation and movement of glaciers on the land surface, and others.

If you look closely at the physical map of the Earth, you will notice that the land areas are highlighted in different shades of brown and green. This is because the planet is diverse. In order to be able to distinguish the mountains from the plains, and the jungle from the desert, color selection is applied.

What is relief? This term refers to the totality of land irregularities, that is, everything that the earth's surface consists of. There are three main relief forms - convex, concave and flat. Fields and plains have a flat relief, hills, mountains - convex, pits - concave. The relief of the planet throughout its existence is changing under the influence of various factors or their combination..jpg" alt="(!LANG:height of the earth's relief" width="300" height="204" srcset="/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/vysota-relefa-zemli-300x204.jpg 300w,/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/vysota-relefa-zemli.jpg 628w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px">!}

How relief is formed

In different parts of the planet, the thickness of the earth's crust is not the same. The formation of relief is influenced by processes occurring both underground and above its surface. Altitude differences can be significant - for example, the difference between the Mariana Trench and Mount Everest, located in the Himalayas, is more than twenty kilometers.

Internal factors affecting the formation of relief

Endogenous processes are called processes occurring inside the earth's mantle. These processes manifest themselves on the surface in different ways - sometimes as destructive, sometimes as creative. The processes occurring inside the planet form mainly large landforms. As a result, deep faults and folds are formed. They influence the height and shape of mountains, the distribution of seas and land.

Tectonic processes are movement in the depths of the planet. According to research, the planet's lithosphere consists of separate plates. These plates are in constant motion relative to each other. As a result of these movements, uneven terrain occurs.

External factors

There are a lot of factors influencing the formation and change of the relief. Main:

• weathering;
• influence of solar radiation;
• temperature difference;
• movement of glaciers;
• the impact of water flows.

Weathering is divided into chemical and physical. Thanks to these processes, the surface of the land is continuously updated.

External processes, which are also called exogenous, are caused by the arrival of solar radiation on the Earth. They can be both constructive and destructive.

Destructive processes are the destruction of rocks, the influence of wind, the movement and melting of glaciers, the impact of water on soils and rocks.