Features of earth`s surface

grade 3 science lesson

3. The crust is a layer of rock on
the outer surface of Earth .
The crust covers all of Earth.
The crust has different shapes,
like mountains, hills, and valleys.

Landform is a solid feature of
Earth`s crust.
Landforms

4. Landforms are constantly changing.
Changes happen quickly. During
landslides, rocks and earth move
rapidly down a slope.
Changes happen slowly.
Mountains can take millions of
years to form.

5. Butte landform

6. Bodies of water are another
type of feature found on
Earth`s surface.
Moving water is one of many
forces that can shape landforms.
Features on Earth`s
Surface

7. Rivers can act like saws, cutting
through rock.
Flooding rivers deposit
sediments on their banks.
Ocean waves break apart rocks
and move sand.

8. Glacier is a large, moving body of
ice. It forms in cold places where
snow and ice pile up year after
year. It slowly moves downhill.
Glacier

9. Valley is a low, narrow area
between hills or mountains.
Rivers and glaciers can cut
valleys into the land.
Valley

10. Plateau is a plain that is higher
than the land around it.
Platea
u

11. Volcano is an opening in Earth`s
crust. Pressure inside Earth can
force hot, melted rock up
through the volcano.
Volcano

12. Mountain is a landform high
above the land around it. Some
mountains form when blocks of
rock are pushed up or drop down
along cracks in Earth`s crust.
Mountain

13. Lake forms when the flow of
water slows enough to fill an
area.
Lake

14. Hill is a high place on Earth`s
surface, but not as high as a
mountain. Hills often have
rounded tops.
Hill

15. Plain is a large, mostly flat area.
Plain

16. River is a large natural stream of
water.
River

17. The coast is land next to the
ocean. The movement of ocean
water helps shape the coastline.
Coast

18. The ocean is the salt water that
covers almost three-fourths of
Earth`s surface.
Ocean

19. Rapid changes
to Earth`s
surface

20. Mantle is the layer below
Earth`s crust from which
volcanoes begin.
Magma forms is the melted
rock.

Volcanoes

21. Magma collects in a pocket called
a magma chamber.
Magma pushes up through weak
spots in the crust.
Magma erupts through a bowl-
shaped crater.
Lava is the magma that flows onto
Earth`s surface.
The lava cools and hardens,
forming igneous rock.
1
2
3
4

22. Flowing lava can burn everything in its path.

24. 4 Lava 3 Crater
2 magma pushes upward crust
1 Magma chamber

25. Earthquakes

26. Earth`s crust is broken into
large sections or parts. These
parts move very slowly.
Sometimes parts of the
crust can shift suddenly.
The sudden shift can send
vibrations through Earth.
These vibrations may shake
the ground in all directions.

27. Most earthquakes happen along
faults, or large cracks in the
crust.
An Earthquake`s shaking can
make new cracks appear in
Earth`s surface.
It can also cause landslides.