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Landform: Volcanic Islands (Shield volcanoes)

Location: Hawaii is in the Pacific Ocean. It is part of the United States and consists of 137 islands, the largest of which is Hawai'i.

Type of Landform: Hawaii is a volcanic archipelago, meaning its landforms are primarily shaped by volcanic activity. The islands are mainly shield volcanoes, with broad, gentle slopes formed by eruptions of low-viscosity lava that can travel long distances.

How It Was Formed: Hawaii was formed by hotspot volcanism. In a hotspot, molten rock (magma) from deep within the Earth's mantle rises to the surface, creating volcanic eruptions. The Pacific tectonic plate moves over the stationary hotspot, which has resulted in a chain of volcanic islands. Like the Big Island of Hawaii, the islands in the southern part of the chain are still active and forming. As the magma reaches the surface, it creates layers of lava that build up the island over millions of years.

Type of Rock: The primary type in Hawaii is basalt, formed from solidified lava. Basalt is a fine-grained, dark-colored volcanic rock rich in iron and magnesium.

Age: The Hawaiian Islands vary in age depending on their position in the volcanic chain. The average age ranges from 400,000 years (Big Island) to 5.1 million years (Kauai), depending on the island.

Reference:

https://www.usgs.gov/geology-and-ecology-of-national-parks/geology-hawaii-volcanoes-national-park

Video:

https://youtu.be/dB-qilyUX2Q?si=GHSMUyrX_aUe4DZ_

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Sacramento - San Joaquin Delta - Amber Burks

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Sacramento - San Joaquin Delta - Amber Burks

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Landform: Delta

Location: The Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta is located in Northern California, where the Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers converge before flowing into the San Francisco Bay. It spans parts of Contra Costa, Solano, Sacramento, and San Joaquin counties and is positioned at the eastern edge of the San Francisco Bay Area.

Type of Landform: The Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta is a large, complex river delta, characterized by a network of channels, islands, wetlands, and floodplains. It is primarily made up of marshlands and low-lying areas where the rivers flow into the bay, creating an intricate system of waterways.

How It Was Formed: The Delta was formed through the deposition of sediment carried by the Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers over millions of years. During the last ice age, glacial meltwater and the rising sea levels contributed to the shaping of the region. The Delta's current form was influenced by the combination of riverine erosion, sediment deposition, and tidal forces. Over time, the rivers deposited fine silt, clay, and organic material, leading to the formation of the marshes and floodplains.

Type of Rock: The Delta itself is composed primarily of unconsolidated sedimentary materials, including silts, clays, and organic peat. These sediments are derived from the upstream rivers and have accumulated over time. While the area is not known for solid rock formations, the underlying geology consists of older sedimentary rock layers from the surrounding foothills and mountain ranges that form the base of the rivers.

Age: The Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta is relatively young in geological terms. The current form of the Delta began to take shape around 10,000 years ago, as the last ice age ended and sea levels rose. However, the formation of the river systems and the surrounding land began millions of years ago, during the tectonic activity that shaped California's landscape.

Video: https://www.usgs.gov/media/videos/what-delta

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Landform: The Vikos Gorge

Location: The Vikos Gorge is a gorge located in the region of Epirus, Greece. More specifically, the gorge lies on the southern slopes of Mount Tymphe (Tymfi), which is located in the Pindus Mountain Range of Northern Greece.

Type of landform: The Vikos Gorge is considered a gorge, which is a deep, narrow valley between hills or mountains. They are characterized by their steep and narrow rocky sides. Interestingly, The Vikos Gorge currently holds a world record for the deepest gorge in proportion to its width.

How it was formed: The Vikos Gorge was primarily formed through millions of years of erosion. After the creation of the Pindus Mountain Range, which occurred from the collision of the African and Eurasian plates, the Voidomatis River and Vikos Stream's continuous water flow cut through the limestone and sedimentary rock of the region. This caused a gradual deepening and widening of the rock, resulting in the formation of the gorge.

Type of rock: The Vikos Gorge primarily consists of sedimentary rocks. The upper layers of the Vikos Gorge consist of limestone, which is a porous and permeable type of sedimentary rock, and the lower layers consist of grey dolomite, which is similar to limestone, but a bit harder and denser. However, the porous and permeable nature of these two rocks likely contributed to the formation of the Vikos Gorge.

Age: The Vikos Gorge is estimated to be about 37-150 million years old. This is because the limestone and dolomite of the gorge date back to 150 million years ago, however, the actual gorge itself was carved over millions of years by the Voidomatis River.

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pWVK15Ko0m4

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Landform: Andes Mountain Range

Location: These mountains are found on the entire western coast of South America. From Colombia down to Argentina.

Type of landform: The Andes Mountains are considered a fold mountain or an orogenic belt of mountains. It includes volcanoes; like Cotopaxi, plateaus, and other landforms as well.

How it was formed: The Andes were formed by the tectonic plate activity between South America and the Nazca plates.

Type of rock: The Andes Mountains are one type of igneous rock: andesite. Which is also why they are named after it.

Approximate age: The Andes Mountains are around 25 million years “old”. It is said that with new technology available they could predict that it can be much older.

Video: https://youtu.be/BEK0s2vIJ-s

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Landform: Haleakalā Crater

Location: Haleakalā Crater is located on the island of Maui in Hawaii. It is situated within Haleakalā National Park in the southeastern part of the island.

Type of landform: The Haleakalā Crater is a volcanic caldera. A caldera is a large, bowl-shaped depression that forms when a volcano erupts and then collapses inward after the eruption empties the magma chamber beneath it. Despite being a "crater," the term caldera is more accurate because of the way it formed.

How it was formed:The Haleakalā Crater was formed through volcanic eruptions that built the shield volcano, followed by the collapse of the surface as the underlying magma chamber emptied, creating the large caldera that remains today.

Type of Rock: the rocks that make up the Haleakalā Crater are primarily basalt and basaltic andesite. These igneous rocks are the result of the volcanic processes that formed the crater and its surrounding landscape.

Age: The Haleakalā Crater (caldera) itself is about 500,000 to 600,000 years old.

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aTGTvq-i6mA

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Landform: Iao Valley

Location: Located in northwestern Maui, Hawaii (island), north of Wailiku. It is located on the eastern slope of the Puu Kukui mountain.

Type of Landform: Valley- and elongated, low paved area that runs between mountains or hills. They typically contain a running river, and thus most are formed by erosion of land over a long period.

How it was formed: It was formed by erosion of the caldera. It is a deep narrow gorge that is 5 miles long and has thick forests almost a mile high, that look like walls.

Type of rock: Volcanic rock

Age: The “Iao needle” as section of the Iao Valley is believed to be abou1.5 million years old,

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xsMQP_xSZgw

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Bahía Bioluminiscente (Puerto Mosquito Bay)

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Bahía Bioluminiscente (Puerto Mosquito Bay)

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Landform: Bahía Bioluminiscente (Puerto Mosquito Bay)

Location: It is located on the south side of Vieques, a small island off the southeast coast of Puerto Rico's main island.

Type of Landform: Mosquito Bay is a small, uninhabited bay.

How was it formed:

Mosquito Bay was formed by a combination of factors that allowed a unique ecosystem to thrive, including:

Dinoflagellates: A type of plankton that live in the bay's warm water and emit a bright blue light when disturbed. This causes the bay’s bioluminescence as  the water glows neon blue-green when disturbed by a paddle, boat, or body part, creating a "glow-in-the-dark" effect

Red mangrove trees: Provide nutrients for the organisms and protect them from erosion

Cool water: A key factor for the dinoflagellates' survival

Small opening to the ocean: Helps trap the organisms in the bay.

Type of Rock: The geology in Puerto Mosquito Bay is sedimentary deposits undivided Marine limestone, calcarenite, sandstone, shale, marl, chalk, sand, clay and alluvial landslide beach, dune, swamp, marsh and reef deposit

Age: There isn’t much information regarding when it was formed, but it was designated a national natural landmark in 1980.

Video:  https://youtu.be/6bp-nzOaK7Q

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Intelligent search from Bing makes it easier to quickly find what you’re looking for and rewards you.

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Peña de Bernal Queretaro, Mexico (Marlene Tello)

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Peña de Bernal Queretaro, Mexico (Marlene Tello)

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Landform: Peña de Bernal

With a height of about 350 meters above the surrounding landscape. Peña de Bernal is a distinctive, isolated peak that remains after the erosion process, while the area surrounding the monolith contains a diversity of geological formations.

Location:

The Peña de Bernal (Bernal Peak) is located in the Mexican state of Querétaro, in the small town of San Sebastián Bernal.

Type of landform:

The Peña de Bernal is considered to be a monolith which is a massive, isolated rock formation that is clearly visible from the surrounding landscape. The Peña of Bernal is one of the tallest monoliths in the world.

How it was formed:

Millions of years ago, a volcanic activity created the Peña de Bernal. It is specifically the remains of an old volcano's core that has been severely eroded as time passed. The Peña of Bernal is the eroded volcanic plug, or the hardened lava that was once deep beneath the surface. This large monolith stands tall above the surrounding countryside, the surrounding rock having eroded away.

Type of rocks:

The main component of the Peña de Bernal is dacite, a light-colored volcanic rock that is categorized as a leucocratic igneous rock since it was generated from magma. It is basically a volcanic plug constructed of dacite.
It was discovered that up to 80% of the rock's content was made up of crystals, with the other 20% being matrix glass. Plagioclase, orthopyroxene, hornblende, biotite, sanidine, quartz, iron-titanium oxides, apatite, and zircon were among the minerals that produced the crystals.

Approximate age:

Research the National Autonomous University of Mexico has determined that it was formed about 8.7 million years ago.

Video:

https://youtu.be/bSl9Uds7ZLE?si=Wlru1ADwlckDSSS9

Reference:

Conrad, J. (2023, January 17). PEÑA DE BERNAL MONOLITH. backyardnature. https://www.backyardnature.net/mexnat/qto/bernal.htm

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Landform: The Marble Caves is a type of natural rock formation that has been sculpted into marble walls over time. When light strikes against these walls, the pretty colors reflect which resemble marbles. These pillars were sculpted by the lake over the course of close to a million years.

Location: The Marble Caves are located in the General Carrera Lake in Chile. Calcium deposits have contributed to the pillars being formed.

Type of landform: The Marble Caves are a type of Karst landscape as the rocks and calcium have been disolved over time.

How was it formed: The region that surrounds the lake had been there for an estimated 200 million years. Over the course of years, melting glaciers and erosion of mountains deposited into the lake and deposits of calcium carbonate started to form in the lake. The deposits contain limestone.

Type of rock: the Marble Caves consist of limestone which is a type of sedimentary rock.

Approximate age: the limestone that has been deposited into the lake was deposited about 200-400 million years ago. The limestone over time has been broken down by heat and pressure.

YT: https://youtu.be/hIfurpJHW7s?si=eioqU2mLUpYSmqGy

MAT, M. (2023, February 27). The Marble Caves | Geology, Formation» GEOLOGYSCIENCE. Geology Science. https://geologyscience.com/gallery/geological-wonders/the-marble-caves/

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Sierra Madre Oriental, Mexico (Maria Mejia

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Sierra Madre Oriental, Mexico (Maria Mejia

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Landform

The Sierra Gorda is a mountainous region and a karst landform located in central Mexico. It is part of the Sierra Madre Oriental mountain range and spans portions of the states of Guanajuato, Querétaro, San Luis Potosí, and Hidalgo.

Location

The largest and most well-known portion of the Sierra Gorda is located in the northern part of Querétaro, covering municipalities such as Jalpan de Serra, Pinal de Amoles, Landa de Matamoros, Arroyo Seco, and Peñamiller. In San Luis Potosí, the Sierra extends into the southern part of the state. In Guanajuato, it includes the northeastern corner near Xichú and Victoria, while in Hidalgo, it reaches the western side of the state.

In the central part of Querétaro, the Sierra Gorda Biosphere Reserve spans nearly 384,000 hectares. Elevations in the region range from 300 to over 3,100 meters. The general coordinates of the Sierra Gorda are approximately 21° North latitude and 99° West longitude.

Type of Landform

The Sierra Gorda features diverse terrains, primarily characterized as a rugged mountain region with steep slopes and high elevations. Its most notable feature is its karst topography, primarily composed of limestone, a hard sedimentary rock mainly consisting of calcium carbonate or dolomite, which is also used as a building material.

Karst landscapes in the Sierra Gorda include:

Caves: For example, the Sótano de las Golondrinas (Cave of Swallows) in San Luis Potosí, one of the deepest pits in the world.

Sinkholes, underground rivers, and sharp rocky outcrops.

Canyons and Valleys: Notable examples include the Santa María, Moctezuma, and Escanela rivers, which carve out breathtaking sceneries.

Plateaus: Flat or gently sloping areas formed at higher elevations.

Semi-arid Zones: Found due to varying elevation levels within the region.

How It Was Formed

The Sierra Gorda was formed through tectonic activity during the Laramide Orogeny (about 80 to 40 million years ago). This mountain-building event is believed to have occurred when the Farallon Plate subducted beneath the North American Plate, causing the uplift of the region and the formation of the Sierra Madre Oriental mountain range.

Type of Rock

Limestone: A hard sedimentary rock composed mainly of calcium carbonate or dolomite. Over time, limestone undergoes karstification due to water erosion, leading to the formation of caves, sinkholes, and other karst features.

Video (The video is in Spanish, with English subtitles available): https://youtu.be/-vna1eF18OE?si=p9drLopqGqdqmvBs

Reference: Comisión Nacional de Áreas Naturales Protegidas (CONANP). (n.d.). Reserva de la Biósfera Sierra Gorda de Guanajuato. Retrieved November 14, 2024, from https://descubreanp.conanp.gob.mx/swb/conanp/ANP?suri=160#conoce

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The Piney Woods is a temperate coniferous forest eco-region with rolling terrain, flat valleys, and hilly areas. The region has a general slope from north to south, with elevations ranging from 600 feet above sea level in the north to 200 feet in the south.

Trees

The Piney Woods is made up of short leaf and Loblolly pines, as well as hardwoods like oak, elm, ash, and maple.

Soil

The Piney Woods has acidic, pale to dark gray sandy loams and sands that are highly productive.

Wildlife

The Piney Woods is home to a variety of wildlife, including the Pine Warbler, Brown-headed Nuthatch, Red-cockaded Woodpecker, River Otter, Gray Squirrel, Flying Squirrel, and Louisiana Black Bear.

National forests

The Piney Woods includes four national forests, including Sam Houston National Forest and Angelina National Forest.

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Landform: hot desert landform arid region

Location: it covers much of northwestern Mexican states, southwestern Arizona and southeastern California.

Type of Landform: The Sonoran desert receives very little rainfal. Only about 3-15 inches. It has a subtropical climate and the hottest part of the desert is found near the lower Colorado River. Not many plants can survive in this region. Its the only place in the world where the saguaro cactus grows in the wild. Lots of other cacti can be found here. Many of them bloom in late march through June. Animals that live here survive the harsh conditions with very little water. Despite the conditions it is the most diverse desert in North America.

How it was formed: thought to have formed 8 million years ago when the climate became drier and invited unique plants and animal adaptations to evolve.

Type of Rock: sedimentary, metamorphic, and igneous.

Age: 8 million years ago

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The Grand Prismatic Spring, located in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, USA, is the largest hot spring in the United States and third-largest in the world. This natural wonder is renowned for its vibrant colors and unique geological features.

Landform: Hot spring

Location: Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, USA (44.321°N, 110.837°W)

Type of Landform: Hydrothermal feature

Formation: Geological processes created a shallow, heated reservoir

Type of Rock:

Limestone which is Porous, permeable, reactive to acid

Dolomite which is similar to limestone, but harder and denser

Rhyolite which is Fine-grained, porous, resistant to weathering

Age: Estimated 10,000 to 12,000 years old Continuous activity: Spring has been active since formation.

Geological Context

The Grand Prismatic Spring is situated within Yellowstone's caldera, formed after a volcanic eruption approximately 640,000 years ago.

How it was Formed:

1. Magma heats groundwater, creating convection currents.

2. Heated water rises through fissures and fractures.

3. Minerals precipitate, creating colorful deposits.

Key Features

1. Largest hot spring in the USA (370 feet diameter).

2. Vibrant colors: Microorganisms and minerals (oxyhydroxides, silicates).

3. Water temperature: 160°F (71°C).

4. Depth: 121 feet (37 meters).

Geology

1. Rock layers: Limestone, dolomite, and rhyolite.

2. Hydrothermal alteration: Mineral-rich fluids altered surrounding rocks.

Ecological Significance

1. Unique ecosystem: Supports diverse microorganisms.

2. Thermophilic organisms: Adapted to extreme temperatures.

Video: https://youtu.be/05cPc-FrwXs?si=Pr1qQUJu-6W3ETYG

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Landform: Cascadas de Tamasopo

Location: Tamasopo is a municipality and town in the Mexican state of San Luis Potosí

Type of landform: The Cascada de Tamasopo is a waterfall located in the state of San Luis Potosí, Mexico. Specifically, it's situated near the town of Tamasopo. Geologically, it's part of the region known as the Huasteca Potosina, which is characterized by its lush vegetation, rivers, and waterfalls. The landform of Cascada de Tamasopo would be classified as a waterfall, a feature formed by the erosion of flowing water over geological formations, often creating dramatic natural scenery.

How it was Formed:

Geological Formation: Waterfalls often form where there is a sudden change in the landscape, such as a drop in elevation or a resistant layer of rock overlying softer rock.

Erosion: The formation of a waterfall usually begins with the erosion of the softer rock layers by flowing water, often from a river or stream. Over time, this erosion creates a steep drop or cliff.

Type of Rock: The specific type of rock at Cascada de Tamasopo would depend on the geological composition of the region. However, the Huasteca Potosina, where Cascada de Tamasopo is located, is characterized by limestone formations. Limestone is a sedimentary rock primarily composed of calcium carbonate, which can erode relatively easily over time, particularly through the action of flowing water.

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Pico de Orizaba (Citlaltépetl)/ Star Mountain- Jennifer Vazquez

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Pico de Orizaba (Citlaltépetl)/ Star Mountain- Jennifer Vazquez

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Landform: Pico de Orizaba

Location: Pico de Orizaba is located on the boundary between Puebla and Veracruz states, approximately 110 kilometers west of the port city of Veracruz on the Gulf Of Mexico

Type of Landform: At 5,636 meters above sea level, Citlaltepetl is North America’s highest volcano and third-highest mountain, the world’s 4th highest Volcanic Seven Summit, and the 3rd highest Seven Third Summit. This Star Mountain is also the world’s second-most prominent volcanic peak and the third-highest peak in North America after Denali and Mount Logan, with a prominence of 4,922 meters.

How it was Formed: The Star Mountain formed in three stages, with the final stage initiated approximately 16,000 years ago. The stage formed a stratovolcano, with the three volcanoes superimposed on each other to form Pico de Orizaba. The Torrecillas volcano formed about 650,000 to 250,000 years ago, followed by Espolon de Oro in 210,000 to 16,000 years ago. The current volcano, superimposed on the two earlier volcanoes, has existed for about 16,000 years.

Type of Rocks: The lava that formed the volcano contained dacitic and andesitic volcanic rocks and flowed after several explosive eruptions. The lava steadily flowed out of the volcano, resulting in the mountain’s cone shape. Pico de Orizaba is one of only three volcanoes in México that continue to support glaciers and is home to the largest glacier in Mexico, Gran Glaciar Norte. Orizaba has nine known glaciers: Gran Glaciar Norte, Lengua del Chichimeco, Jamapa, Toro, Glaciar de la Barba, Noroccidental, Occidental, Suroccidental, and Oriental. Snow on the south and southeast sides of the volcano melts quickly because of solar radiation, but lower temperatures on the northwest and north sides allow for glaciers. The insolation angle and wind redeposition on the northwest and north sides allow for constant accumulation of snow providing a source for the outlet glaciers.

Approximately how old? - about 16,000 years old.

Video: https://youtu.be/r407hiDc3Zs?si=0iZcx0T67SnqZq_u

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El Arco de Cabo San Lucas - Alejandra Garza

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El Arco de Cabo San Lucas - Alejandra Garza

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Landform: El Arco de Cabo San Lucas

Location: Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur, Mexico

Type of Landform: A rock formation that separates the Sea of Cortez and the Pacific Ocean.

How it was Formed: It is about 200 ft tall and was carved by natural sea currents thousand years ago. It was formed by natural erosion by the sanding stone perforation of water, salts, waves, and winds.

Type of Rock: El Arco is made up of mostly granite rock that result a contrast of colors and textures.

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Cerro de la Silla (Saddle Hill)- Alejandra Cantu

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Cerro de la Silla (Saddle Hill)- Alejandra Cantu

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Location: Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico

Type of Landform: Mountain

Fun Fact: Named for its distinctive saddle-shaped profile when viewed from the west, it is a well-known symbol of the city of Monterrey. Set aside as a natural monument by the Mexican government in 1991, the mountain, or hill, as mountains are often referred to in Mexico, is a popular recreational area and is often climbed by hikers who take a 5.3 km trail to reach the top. The ascent is considered to be fairly difficult, taking approximately 3 hours to complete. A panoramic view of the city of Monterrey can be seen from the top.

How it formed: This mountain was formed by an inactive karst of folded and faulted mountains. It has four peaks, they are (from north to south): Pico Antena, Pico Norte, Pico Sur, and Pico la Virgen; the last one being the lowest one at 1750 m., and Pico Norte the highest at 1820 m.When viewed from the west, the ridges and peaks resemble a saddle.

Types of Rock: The Cerro de la Silla is made up of sedimentary rock and metamorphic rock. It also houses limestone, calcite, and pyrite at its northern base.

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UquG-H7Fetk (English subtitles available)

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Marietas Islands- La playa del Amor (Beach of Love)

Playa del Amor, commonly known as the Hidden Beach, is a feature of one of the Marieta Islands. Beach is invisible from the outside and is only accessible through a long water tunnel that links the beach to the Pacific Ocean. There is approximately six feet of space above water level, so visitors can arrive at the beach by swimming or kayaking. The islands remain uninhabited but are frequently visited by tourists who come to enjoy the diverse marine wildlife and the unique tropical Eden of Playa del Amor.

Located: located some 22 nautical miles west of Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, at the mouth of Banderas Bay.

Landform: Island

How it Formed: Formed by volcanic activity and erosion. The Marietas Islands were originally formed many thousands of years ago by volcanic activity, and are completely uninhabited. The islands are about an hour-long boat ride west-northwest from the coast of Puerto Vallarta or a 15-minute boat ride from the resort area of Punta Mita and are visited daily by hundreds of tourists. However, visitors cannot legally set foot on the islands.

In the early 1900s, the Mexican government began conducting military testing on the islands since they were uninhabited. Many bombings and large explosions took place on the islands causing caves and rock formations to be created. After a massive international outcry, started by scientist Jacques Cousteau in the late 1960s, the government eventually decided to declare the islands a national park and therefore protected against any fishing, hunting or human activity.

Type of rocks:

The structure of the islands and the famous beach is composed of two types of volcanic rocks. The interior is made up of "explosive rocks" which erode quickly and the exterior "shell" is made up of a more resilient form of rock which can withstand erosion to a greater degree. This does not mean that the island is not susceptible to erosion. According to various studies carried out in 2014 it has been estimated that the island only has a few thousand more years before it will erode away. However, the rate of erosion is being accelerated by human impact

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QmYEI-1miLU

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Landform: Mt.Hakusan

Located: Nishiwaki, Hyogo Prefecture, Japan- along the borders of Gifu and Ishikawa, on the island of Honshu.

Type of Landform: A complex andesitic-dacitic stratovolcano. Although, Mount Haku was thought to be active 300,000 to 400,000 years ago with the most recent eruption happening in the year 1656. In addition, there are hot springs located at the foot of Mt. Haku.

How was it formed: It was formed on a high basement of sedimentary rocks in a region of snowfall that has aid to erosional dissection. Since Mount Haku is a stratovolcano then the eruption aided the formation of Mount Haku with the highly viscous magma not being able to flow freely far from where it erupted thus building up in layers forming that familiar cone-shaped volcano.

Types of rocks: Mount Haku is made of mostly andesite or basaltic andesite and dacite. Andesite or basaltic andesite is formed by a subduction zone where one tectonic plate slides between a second plate. Meanwhile, dacite is formed by the rapid solidification of lava.

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0JUWADoS050

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Located in Albuquerque, New Mexico (east in Bernalillo and Sandoval county) Fun fact: I was born in Bernalillo County. Mountain range just due south of the southern terminus of the Rocky Mountains, and are part of the Sandia-Manzano Mountains. The mountains were built by a phenomenon known as rifting, consisting of a single north-south ridge, which rises to two major summits: Sandia Crest and South Sandia Peak, 9,702 ft (2,957 m). The range measures approximately 17 miles (27 km) north-south, and the width in the east-west direction varies from 4 to 8 miles (6.4 to 12.9 km). The Sandias were uplifted in the last ten million years as part of the formation of the Rio Grande Rift. The core of the range consists of Sandia granite, with a U-Pb age of 1453±12 million years. There is also some metamorphic rock of age 1.60 billion years. This is topped by a relatively thin layer of sedimentary rock of Pennsylvanian age. The limestone contains marine fossils including crinoids, brachiopods, gastropods, horn corals, and bryozoans. However, most of the fossils are too small for the human eye to detect. Potassium-feldspar crystals embedded within the Sandia granite give the mountains their distinct pink color. You can visit the Sandia Mountains and they have many activities you can participate in but in my opinion, it is most beautiful during sunset and sunrise. This is when the colors pop the most and I miss waking up to it in the mornings.

https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/cibola/recarea/?recid=71051

https://youtu.be/Q4KFMB35SGg?si=P24zJPKGBHrmGjjE

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·      Landform: Ko’olau Range

·      Located: Oahu, Hawaii, US – along O’ahus windward coast and rises behind the leeward coast city of Honolulu.

·      Type of landform: Fragmented remnant of the eastern or windward shield volcano of the Hawaiian island of O’ahu.

·      How was it formed: It is the western half of the original volcano that was destroyed in prehistoric times when the entire eastern half slid in the Pacific Ocean. It’s remains now lie in fragmented pieces strewn 100 miles over the ocean floor to the northeast of O’ahu. The Ko’olau Range is what is left over after the slide.

·      Types of rocks: Ko’olau Range is made mostly of Tholeiitic Basalt.  This rock that is formed at mid-ocean ridges and makes up much of the oceanic crust. Since this range was once an underwater volcano that rose above sea -level this is not surprising.

·      The Approximate Age: 1.7 Million years - Over the last 500,000 years tiny eruptions have happened which caused the creations of Diamond Head, Koko head, and Punchbowl crater to name a few.

You can visit the range one a ATV tour while on the island of Oahu. It is breathtaking to see in person!

https://www.kualoa.com/about/

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Mount Bulusan is located on the island of Luzon in the Philippines. Mount Bulusan is a stratovolcano, also known as Bulusan Volcano. A stratovolcano is an explosive and dangerous volcano. It was formed approximately 40,000 years ago. The peak elevation is 1,565 m above sea level and has a diameter of 15km. Around the mountain, there are four craters and four hot springs. Bulusan is known for its sudden eruptions and has erupted 15 times since 1885. It is the fourth most active volcano in the Philippines. The most recent eruption was in June 2022. When it erupts, the farms near the volcano evacuate, and schools are closed when the eruption is expected to be more destructive. There are different types of Igneous volcanic rocks at Mount Bulusan. Igneous rocks are formed through the cooling and solidification of magma or lava. They vary from basalt to dacite but are mainly andesites.

Video- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s1AaIFzANgc

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The Taebeak Mountains are a mountain range that stretches across North Korea and South Korea. These mountains form the main ridge of the Korean Peninsula. Almost 250 million years ago the North China and South China terrains collided. This made the terrains fold up and upthrust a first version of the Taebaek Mountains. During this time, the mountain range was as high as the Himalayas, but erosion quickly started to ground the mountains. The name in Korean references the green color many of the rocks have due to the presence of the mineral chlorite. The hills and plain are composed of the Nogam formation. This is because as the mountains wore down, sandstones, shale, and conglomerates filled basins, forming what today is known as the nogam formation.

https://youtu.be/Q18PmAflzno

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Tuvalu turns to the metaverse as rising seas threaten existence | Reuters

Tuvalu is a country island in the Pacific Ocean. It is located between Hawaii and Australia and was initially home to the Polynesians. In 2018 approximately 11,500 people were recorded residing on the island, which is also 25.6 square kilometers long. The capital of Tuvalu is known as Funafuti, in which a majority of the country's population resides. Tuvalu is one of the smallest countries in the world and due to it slowly becoming submerged, it’s becoming smaller and smaller every day. It is predicted that by 2100, the sea level will rise 55 inches and wipe out Tuvalu all together, there’s not much we can do to stop this as it’s already set in motion. However, the main cause for this is climate change altogether. In 1997 Tuvalu became very strict on their laws regarding emissions, this might have slowed down the issue of rising sea levels but much more needs to be done if these issues and more want to be stopped before it is too late.

Composition

Tuvalu is mainly composed of coral debris eroded from encircling reefs and pushed up onto the islands by the winds and waves. It’s mainly a sedimentary surface close to the ocean area. Tuvalu is the cultivated coconut woodland, which covers 43% of the land. It probably has variety of rocks; igneous and metamorphic it was not stated specifically. But is mainly composed of coral debris.

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Located: 50 miles Southeast of the city of Cuzco, Peru

Type of landform: A geologic fold.

How was it formed: This mountain was formed by weathering, environmental conditions, and sedimentary deposits over time, the mountain's unique mineralogy created a marbling effect and gave rise to the colorful layers visible on its slopes.

Types of rocks: The colorful stripes on Rainbow Mountain are due to different mineral deposits and sediments that were originally deposited horizontally but were later folded and uplifted. The vivid hues, including reds, greens, and yellows, are a result of several minerals.

1. Clay Rich- Iron

2. Iron Rich Clay-Mudstone-Sand

3. Clay Rich in Chlorite

4. Clay with Silicates and Iron

5. Magnesium Rich Conglomerate

6. CaCO3 Rich in Mudstone (Marl)

7. Sulfur Rich Sandstone

The Approximate Age: Of Rainbow Mountain is not quite established. The rock layers in this region are believed to be in 66 million years ago the young side in geological terms. But for the actual mountain 20 million years.

https://youtu.be/1T9dBNkiTvw?si=j92lzLBDfeA1SSsr

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Location: Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan

Mount Hakone is located around 30 km ESE from Mount Fuji.

Type of landform: Active Stratovolcano

Approximate age: 400,000 years

How was it formed: Firstly, we have to explain what a caldera is to understand this volcano. Calderas form when magma chambers are partially emptied during large eruptions and the land surface subsides and the area above the shallow magma reservoir collapses. Mount Hakone has double calderas. It was formed by two massive eruptions 180,000 and 60,000 – 49,000 years ago when the pyroclastic flows were caused by numerous large-scale eruptions and resulted in the formation of calderas.

Type of rocks: Ingenuous rocks, Basaltic to andesitic composition

A video link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=73Jn2houTEA

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The Hornocal Mountains- Kimberly Balderas 

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The Hornocal Mountains- Kimberly Balderas 

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Serranias de Hornocal or the Hornocal Mountains are located in Jujuy Province in Argentina.

Facts: The Hornocal Mountains are part of the Quebrada de Humahuaca valley, which is a UNESCO World Heritage site. The peaks reach an elevation of 15,620 feet (4761 meters) above sea level.

Landform, Age, and Rock type: The landform is a mountain range and it is said to have been formed 600 million years ago underwater. Over time, due to erosion, the built-up various sediment layers have been exposed. The Serranias de Hornocal are made of sedimentary rocks, specifically limestone. Limestone is made up mostly of calcium carbonate (chalk) or dolomite (translucent mineral). Limestone is commonly composed of fossilized debris like tiny fossils and shell fragments. The different color variations within the limestone are a result of the historical changes in sea levels. The colors and patterns of the limestone formation are known as Yacorite, a Mesozoic formation. That means that the sediments were most likely deposited during the Mesozoic Era which was when Pangea existed. The mountain range was most likely formed as a result of tectonic plate collision.

Video link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YKyyDDzfV5M

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Location: Iztaccíhuatl is a 5,230m dormant volcanic mountain in Mexico located on the border between the State of Mexico and Puebla within Izta-Popo Zoquiapan National Park.

Type of landform: Volcanic Mountain

Approximate age: The volcano began to form about 900,000 years ago

How was it formed: Iztaccihuatl developed in two stages. Approximately 600,000 to 900,000 years ago, the older phase built a sizable shield volcano including a summit caldera. On the shield's sides, cones and lava flows erupted. Most of the material from the younger phase (less than 600,000 years ago) is composed of pyroclastic material and lava flows that erupted from Iztaccihuatl's peak and the volcano's sides. The last known eruption was 80,000 years ago.

Type of rocks: Iztaccihuatl is a stratovolcano made of layers of viscous lava flows, flow breccias, and tephra. Andesite and dacite are the common rock types which are two types of extrusive igneous rocks.

Video link: https://youtu.be/9ZkBQZXOr4s?si=b1aQx_HT8AmNoWzP

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Vanessa Lopez-The Sierra Tarahumara in Chihuahua, Mexico

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Vanessa Lopez-The Sierra Tarahumara in Chihuahua, Mexico

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Location: Chihuahua, Mexico

Type of Landform- Contains a number of both canyons and rivers. The canyons located in this area are- Urique Canyon, Sinforosa Canyon, Copper Canyon, Tararecua Canyon, Batopilas Canyon, and Oteros Canyon. At the bottom of these canyons, you can find rocks which fall off these canyons which consist primarily of explosive volcanic ash flows, ash falls, and mud. These rocks can be between 20 to 40 million years old which matches the landforms age! These rocks mostly fall under a sedimentary and igneous rock category. This location is considered one of the most remote parts in northwestern Mexico as well as contains the highest waterfalls. Given its great area coverage (approximately 26,000 square miles), the temperatures in the Sierra Tarahumara range from -20 degrees fahrenheit to 113 degrees fahrenheit throughout the year. Although this area is beautiful and can be tempting to travel in, it is known this area is reserved for indigenous groups who have lived here for generations. Even during the period of Spaniard exploration, indigenous people were known to live in the area and preferred to keep themselves apart from more modern-living groups. To this day, indigenous groups who live in the area are described as ‘hostile’ and ‘unwelcoming’ towards travelers or outsiders. Many of the indigenous groups believe this landform was created because a giant walked around and caused the ground to crack- however, many geologists believe volcanic rocks varying in age slowly uplifted while being transformed in shape by the land’s rivers.

Link about the Sierra Tarahumara- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jp6woLYCP-Q

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Popocatépetl Volcano in Mexico - Yazmin Vigil

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Popocatépetl Volcano in Mexico - Yazmin Vigil

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Popocatépetl is an active stratovolcano located on the border of Mexican states of Mexico and Puebla. The volcano named Popocatépetl, meaning “smoking mountain” in Aztec, measures approximately 17,802 feet above sea level, making the Popocatépetl volcano the second largest volcano in Mexico after Citlaltepetl. The Popocatépetl volcano has been erupting since 2004 and it is still ongoing till this day.

The Popocatépetl volcano is a 730,000-year-old stratovolcano that began to form from an ancestral volcano named Nexpayantla, which collapsed in an eruption leaving behind a caldera, a large depression that forms after a volcano erupts, collapses, and magma is expelled where the next volcano named El Fraile began to form. About 50,000 years ago, El Fraile collapsed due to an eruption, and since then, the Popocatépetl volcano began to form.

Popocatépetl is a stratovolcano composed of igneous rocks from andesitic magma that has cooled and solidified. Andesites erupts at temperatures between 900 and 1100 ° C, has a moderate viscosity forming thick lava flows, and is fine-grained. The Popocatépetl volcano has numerous interlayered lava flow and pyroclastic deposits.

Videos:

https://youtu.be/rNHpIMmxnN8?si=l17LDlOET6k8qNGc

https://youtu.be/D7wDzrNCxW0?si=FD5CntEYFvQPZBRq

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Gran Cenote is located near Tulum on the Yucatán Peninsula, Mexico. It’s one of Mexicos most famous cenotes. It is formed when limestone bedrock from the Yucatán Peninsula dissolves and creates a sinkhole, exposing the groundwater underneath. It has stalactites, stalagmites and all the other cave type rock formations. Fish and turtles swim around this 2,000 feet deep formation. It’s made up of several cenotes that meander along the jungle floor and are connected by wooden walkways. The Gran Cenote is approximately 12,000 years old, because it was a part of the reason that region of Mexico was settled, along with similar limestone-surrounded ground waterways.

https://youtu.be/sJM8M7ZjnIE?si=vUluNZ-qQjRWqgbk

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Undulating Sand Dunes Thar Desert India : Chaney

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Undulating Sand Dunes Thar Desert India : Chaney

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Name of the Landform and Location: Undulating Sand Dunes Thar Desert India

Undulating sand dunes in the Thar (Great Indian) Desert. The desert presents an undulating surface, with high and low sand dunes separated by sandy plains and low barren hills, or bhakars, which rise abruptly from the surrounding plains. The dunes are in continual motion and take on varying shapes and sizes.

Is it igneous, sedimentary, metamorphic?
Sand dunes are made of rocky sediment worn down by wind and collision with other sand particles. Sediment is important because it often enriches the soil with nutrients. Areas rich in sediments are often also rich in biodiversity

Approximately how old?
The surface consists of aeolian (wind-deposited) sand that has accumulated over the past 1.8 million years. Undulating sand dunes in the Thar (Great Indian) Desert.

What type of landform is it and how is it formed?
Sand dunes are comparable to other forms that appear when a fluid moves over a loose bed, such as subaqueous “dunes” on the beds of rivers and tidal estuaries and sand waves on the continental shelves beneath shallow seas. Dunes are found wherever loose sand is windblown: in deserts, on beaches, and even on some eroded and abandoned farm fields in semiarid regions, such as northwest India

A video link about the landform
https://youtu.be/1h1LYh63IFc

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Helan Shan Mountain Ranges Gobi Desert China

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Helan Shan Mountain Ranges, Gobi Desert Chin: Chaney Clements

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Helan Shan Mountain Ranges, Gobi Desert Chin: Chaney Clements

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Name of the Landform and Location :Helan Shan Mountain Ranges Gobi Desert China.

The Helan Mountains, frequently called Alashan Mountains in older sources, are an isolated desert mountain range forming the border of Inner Mongolia's Alxa League and Ningxia. They run north-south parallel to the north-flowing Yellow River in the Ordos Loop section.

Is it igneous, sedimentary, metamorphic?
Most fold mountains are composed primarily of sedimentary rock and metamorphic rock formed under high pressure and relatively low temperatures. Many fold mountains are also formed where an underlying layer of ductile minerals, such as salt, is present. Fold mountains are the most common type of mountain in the world.

Approximately how old?
10-12 Million years old

What type of landform is it and how is it formed? Mountain range and I could not find anywhere of how it was formed.

A video link about the landform:
https://youtu.be/sR__pPppcJQ

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Location:  Sierra Nevada of California
Upper Yosemite Fall is the highest waterfall in Yosemite National Park, dropping a total of 2,425 feet from the top of the upper fall to the base of the lower fall. The flow of the falls is variable, with maximum flow reached in May and June; it diminishes greatly in years of little precipitation. The falls are one of the park’s most scenic and popular attractions.
Type of landform and how it is formed: They were formed by creeks tumbling into the Yosemite Valley over the edges of hanging tributary valleys (valleys whose brooks or rivers flow into greater ones) which eroded more slowly than the glacial- and river-carved Yosemite Valley and were left “hanging” above it into the Merced River below.
Most of the rocks in Yosemite are granitic, a type of plutonic igneous rock formed when molten magma cools underground slowly.
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vViCZqPRKJU&ab_channel=LifeisGoodTravel
Viviana Rosales

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The White Sands dune field: Chaney Clements

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The White Sands dune field: Chaney Clements

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Name of the Landform and Location:

The White Sands dune field, including portions in both the missile range and national monument, is situated within the Tularosa Basin between the San Andres and Sacramento mountains.

Is it igneous, sedimentary, metamorphic?
The Tularosa part of the rift valley is home to White Sands National Monument, the largest gypsum dune field in the world. ... Gypsum is a common mineral found in sedimentary rocks (rocks formed from layer upon layer of sediment laid down by wind or water).

Approximately how old?
The Tularosa Basin is one of nine basins along the Rio Grande rift. In general, each basin is made up of half grabens (down-dropped blocks) that formed as a result of the pulling apart of Earth’s crust. Crustal movement along the rift exposed Precambrian (4.6 billion–542 million years ago) and Paleozoic (542 million–251 million years ago) rocks on the edge of the Tularosa Basin in the uplifted Sacramento Mountains to the east and the San Andres Mountains to the west. These same rock units underlie the basin. When crustal movement exposed the strata along the graben perimeter, meteoric waters (derived from precipitation) began dissolving the soluble evaporite rocks, such as gypsum, and transporting the solutes (dissolved material) into the basin (Allmendinger and Titus 1973).

What type of landform is it and how is it formed?
The sands of White Sands National Monument are formed from gypsum, a soft mineral often left behind when water bodies evaporate. Although gypsum is a fairly common mineral, it is rarely found as sand because it easily dissolves in water, and rivers generally carry dissolved gypsum to the sea.

A video link about the landform:
https://youtu.be/wjwNzjMkdMY

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Location: Florida
The Everglades is a subtropical wetland ecosystem spanning two million acres across central and south Florida. During the wet season, Lake Okeechobee overflows, releasing water into a very slow-moving, shallow river dominated by sawgrass marsh—dubbed the "river of grass." The water flows southward, passing through diverse habitats, including cypress swamps, wet prairie, and mangroves, until it reaches Everglades National Park and eventually Florida Bay.
This Everglades has been around for 5,000 years! The original Everglades used to reach all the way from the Orlando area to Florida Bay.

Primarily consisting of limestone, the bedrock geology of Everglades National Park has responded over time to the ongoing processes of weathering, erosion, compaction of organic sediments, unique hydrologic conditions, and episodes of sea-level rise and fall to produce the landscapes we see today.

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BDHWpkcpvPo&ab_channel=GoTraveler
Viviana Rosales

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Location: Bear Butte is a geological laccolith feature located near Sturgis, South Dakota, United States, that was established as a State Park in 1961. As well as an important landmark and religious site for the Plains Indians tribes long before Europeans reached South Dakota.

Type of landfrom and how is it formed?
Laccolith is a shallow, typically mushroom-shaped igneous intrusion that has deformed the overlying host rock dominantly by folding. They form after an initial sheet-like intrusion has been injected within or between layers of sedimentary rock. The pressure of the magma is high enough that the overlying strata are forced upward and folded, giving the laccolith a dome or mushroom-like form with a generally planar base.

The peak rises 1,253.5 feet (382.1 m) above the surrounding plain and measures 4,426 feet (1,349 m) above sea level.
This is the result of the forcible entry of magma into the cooler crustal rock in the Black Hills area during the Eocene Epoch(geological epoch that lasted from about 56 to 33.9 million years ago).

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=970bfaeOHgE
Viviana Rosales

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Location: Sierra Madre del Sur is located in southern Mexico, extending 1,000 kilometers from southern Michoacan east through Guerrero, to the Isthmus of Tehuantepec in eastern Oaxaca.

Type of landform and How is it formed? Sierra Madre del sur is a mountain range. It is one of the largest mountain ranges in Mexico. Sierra Madre del Sur is part of a long chain of mountain ranges known as the American Cordillera. It is formed by folded sedimentary rocks of the Cretaceous period.

How old is it? The mountain is about 60 million years old.

Is it igneous, sedimentary, or metamorphic? Sedimentary

Video link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TMBq8DJFNeg

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Location: Pacaya is an active volcano located in Guatemala.

Type of landform and How is it formed? Pacaya is a volcano that is formed by the tectonic subduction of the Cocos tectonic plate beneath the Caribbean plate. The volcano is a part of the central american volcanic Arc. The Pacaya volcano is active and the last eruption was in this year, 2021. It has erupted at least 23 times.

How old is it? The volcano was formed 23,000 years ago on the edge of an older caldera. Pacaya is a high volcanic complex.

Is it igneous, sedimentary, or metamorphic? Igneous

Video link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hr7VAVUBOhk&t=44s

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Location: The lechuguilla cave is located in the Eddy county of New, Mexico U.S

Type of landform and How is it formed? The lechuguilla cave holds the record for being the deepest cave in the United States. It is the eight longest explored cave in the world. It is well known for its unusual geology and rare formations. It is formed by acids originating in the subsurface. It was formed by the oxidation of hydrogen sulfide released from connate water.

How old is it? The cave is extremely old. It was formed over a million years ago.

Is it igneous, sedimentary, or metamorphic? Sedimentary.

Video link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D8R3cOQ8a3c

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Location: The Zhangye Danxia National Park is located in the Gansu province in China's northwest covering 200 square miles.

Facts: Zhangye’s Danxia landscape has lots of precipitous red cliffs, most of which are several hundred meters high, and multicolored ridges of weathered strata, sometimes stretching to the horizon. These formations, sometimes smooth sometimes sharp, stand out against the greens or grays of the plains. The rock forms of Zhangye Danxia range in color from deep red to yellow and green, the highly contrasting bands of color glowing most intensely after rainfall. In November 2011, it was officially granted geopark status ( are places where outstanding geological heritage is used to support sustainable development through conservation, education, community engagement, and sustainable tourism.)

Type of Rocks: Sedimentary Rocks, Danxia landform is formed from red-colored sandstones and conglomerates (

a coarse-grained sedimentary rock composed of rounded fragments) of largely Cretaceous age.

Approximate Age: Zhangye Danxia is about 540 million years old, the area was once part of the ocean.

Landform Type: Zhangye Danxia is a cretaceous sandstone and siltstone that were deposited in China before the Himalayan Mountains were formed.

Formation: Zhangye 's Danxia was formed by the erosion of red sandstone, forming isolated peaks and steep stratified outcrops. Its special geological structure, combined with long-term desert conditions, freeze-thaw peeling, and wind and water erosion gave rise to its present appearance.

Video Link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48Lb_XO2FEQ

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Cave of the Crystals, Mexico  - Leslie Guerrero

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Cave of the Crystals, Mexico  - Leslie Guerrero

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Location: Cave of the Crystals or Giant Crystal Cave is a cave connected to the Naica Mine at a depth of 300 meters, in Naica, Chihuahua, Mexico.

Facts: The cave was discovered in April 2000 by miners excavating a new tunnel for the Industrias Peñoles mining company located in Naica.The cave’s largest crystal found to date is 12 meters (39 feet) in length, 4 meters (13 feet) in diameter, and 55 tons in weight. Cave of the Crystals is a natural marvel but is rarely accessible because of the conditions. The cave is relatively unexplored due to these factors. Without proper protection, people could only endure approximately ten minutes of exposure at a time.

Type of Rock: Igneous Rock, The Cave of Crystals is a horseshoe-shaped cavity in limestone rock.

Approximate Age: The cave of the crystals is about 26 million years old. The cave was discovered in April 2000 by brothers Juan and Pedro Sanchez while drilling in the mine.

Landform Type: Landforms from Groundwater Erosion and Deposition. Reveals how groundwater creates features like caves and their interior formations. Karst landform (Karst is a type of landscape where the dissolving of the bedrock has created sinkholes, sinking streams, caves, springs, and other characteristic features. Karst is associated with soluble rock types such as limestone, marble, and gypsum.) such as Crystal Cave are calcium carbonate-rich rocks.

Formation: Conditions within the Cave of Crystals (290 m underground) were perfect for the growth of gypsum crystals, allowing them to grow to their massive size. When magma underneath the mountain cooled and the temperature dropped below 58 degrees Celsius, the anhydrite began to dissolve. The anhydrite slowly enriched the waters with sulfate and calcium molecules, which for millions of years have been deposited in the caves in the form of huge selenite gypsum crystals

Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZsIebVCr0zk

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Location: Daniel Campos Province, Potosí, Bolivia

Facts: Salar de Uyuni is the world’s largest salt flat, measuring roughly around 4,00 square miles. This salt flat seems to never end, and can be difficult to navigate because of its appearance. Salar de Uyuni is located near the Andes Mountains at an elevation of 11,995 feet. It is also estimated that this salt flat has 10 billions tons of salt. On occasion, during the rainy season, the salt flat will be covered with clear water, making the surface very reflective.

Approximate age: The Salar de Uyuni is estimated to have formed around 11,500 to 13,400 years ago. In order to determine the approximate age, geologists used radiocarbon dating. A method in which age is determined by examining the organic material in a particular area.

Landform type/ Formation: Salar de Uyuni is an example of a salt flat, a type of landform. Salt flats or salt pans are areas of land that were once bodies of water. This particular salt flat is what is left of a two prehistoric lake that existed around 40,000 years ago. Salt flat land formations take over thousands of years to form, by evaporation, leaving behind only salt and other minerals. Salt flats are generally formed in desert-like environments.

Video: https://youtu.be/jW7uajU93Zw

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Taal Volcano, Philippines - Leslie Guerrero

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Taal Volcano, Philippines - Leslie Guerrero

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Location: Taal volcano is in a caldera system located in southern Luzon island and is one of the most active volcanoes in the Philippines, and is listed as a Permanent Danger Zone, with permanent settlement on the island not recommended.

Facts:  the Taal volcano is one of the world's smallest volcanoes, it is the Philippines' second most active volcano. It has recorded at least 34 eruptions in the past 450 years. Recently on July 1st, the Taal volcano erupted causing villagers to evacuate. Taal caused one of the worst volcano disasters in history, its eruption in 1911 killed 1334 people. Taal is today one of the most closely monitored volcanoes in the region.

Type of Rock: Taal Volcano's rock type is classified as olivine basalt (Igneous), a type of mineral, and andesite (Andesite is an extrusive rock intermediate in composition), a type of rock formed through the cooling of lava or magma.

Approximate age: The lake that fills Taal Volcano is between 500,000 and 100,000 years old.

Landform Type: The volcano is a composite cone, the composite cone is the famous of all, bearing the shape of a real cone (but not always perfect).

Formation: Taal volcano was formed by the subduction of the Eurasian Plate underneath the Philippine Mobile Belt. Taal Lake lies within a 25–30 km (16–19 mi) caldera (large volcanic crater formed by the major eruption) formed by explosive eruptions between 140,000 and 5,380 BP. Taal Lake was formed by a series of catastrophic volcanic eruptions and other geologic processes whose character slowly evolved and the lake took form.

Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HahAHl0nAQc

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Location:Diamond Head is a volcanic tuff cone on the Hawaiian island of Oʻahu and known to Hawaiians as Lēʻahi.

A few lines about that specific landform:
The unique profile of Diamond Head (Lē‘ahi) sits prominently near the eastern edge of Waikiki’s coastline. Hawaii’s most recognized landmark is known for its historic hiking trail, stunning coastal views, and military history. Diamond Head State Monument encompasses over 475 acres, including the interior and outer slopes of the crater.

This broad, saucer-shaped crater was formed about 300,000 years ago during a single, explosive eruption that sent ash and fine particles in the air. As these materials settled, they cemented together into a rock called tuff, creating the crater, and which is visible from the trail in the park. Most of the vegetation and birds were introduced in the late 1800s to early 1900s

Is it igneous,sedimentary, metamorphic?
Igneous rock

Approximately how old?Diamond Head, like the rest of the Honolulu Volcanic Series , is much younger than the main mass of the Koʻolau Mountain Range. While the Koʻolau Range is about 2.6 million years old, Diamond Head is estimated to be about 400,000 to 500,000 years old

What type of landform is it and how is it formed? The iconic Diamond Head rises 761 feet above Waikiki Beach. This crater formed after an eruption more than 100,000 years ago, and a type of rock called tuff, formed of ash and volcanic particles, cemented its walls

Video:

https://youtu.be/GKctZ-Fdsk0

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Location:Mauna Kea is a dormant volcano on the island of Hawaiʻi. Its peak is 4,207.3 m above sea level, making it the highest point in the state of Hawaiʻi and second-highest peak of an island on Earth.

A few lines about that specific landform.
Astronomers from around the world explore the universe from its summit and the Hawaiian people go to it in search of ancient spiritual connections. For visitors, it is one of the clearest places on the planet for viewing the night sky and offers a rare opportunity to experience the polar tundra in Hawaii.

Mauna Kea is a dormant volcano on the Big Island of Hawaiʻi that last erupted approximately 4000 years ago. At 13,796 feet above sea level and over 33,000 feet from the bottom of the ocean floor, Mauna Kea is the tallest sea mountain in the world.

Mauna Kea’s summit is home to the world’s largest observatory for optical, infrared and submillimeter astronomy. Research teams from eleven different countries operate 13 telescopes atop Mauna Kea.

Is it igneous,sedimentary, metamorphic?

This kind of rock includes basalt, the black rock that covers most of the Hawaiian Islands. Rocks with larger grains happen when the magma cools slowly, deep underground. This kind of igneous rock includes granite, a gray or pinkish rock often used for building stone and countertops.

Approximately how old?
Mauna Kea is about a million years old, and has thus passed the most active shield stage of life hundreds of thousands of years ago.

What type of landform is it and how is it formed?  Mauna kea was formed when the plates of the earth pushed against each other and a mountain was formed. but lava/magma kept on flowing upwards and made the volcano erupt...

Video:
https://youtu.be/SLEL2EiNyDw

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The mountain is located in Yamanashi and Shizuoka ken (prefectures) of central Honshu, Japan, about 60 miles (100 km) west of the Tokyo-Yokohama metropolitan area. It is the major feature of Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park, and it is at the center of a UNESCO World Heritage site designated in 2013. Rising to 12,388 feet (3,776 metes), Mount Fuji is the tallest mountain in Japan and is known for its graceful conical form. It is the country's sacred symbol, and temples and shrines are located around and on the volcano. It is a volcano that has been dormant since its last eruption, in 1707, but is still generally classified as active by geologists.

The volcano was formed in 286 BCE by an earthquake. The age of Fuji is disputed, but it seems to have formed during the past 2.6 million years on a base dating from up to 65 million years ago; the first eruptions and the first peaks probably occurred sometime after 700,000 years ago.

It is unique that Mt. Fuji's volcanic product is basalt, given that most other Japanese volcanoes are made of andesite. Large-scale lava and small-scale ash gushed from the peak crater and side volcanoes (mid-term lava stream). Repeated gushes of lava (new period stream) and ash from the side volcanoes. Mount Fiji is made up mostly of igneous rock.

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jPBbccjw1rQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nYLMNQ77FjM

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Location:Waimea Canyon, also known as the Grand Canyon of the Pacific, is a large canyon, approximately ten miles long and up to 3,000 feet deep, located on the western side of Kauaʻi in the Hawaiian Islands of the United States.

A few lines about that specific landform:
Waimea Canyon State Park overlooks of one of the State’s scenic treasures – the deep, colorful gorge of Waimea Canyon. The park consists of a scenic drive, lookouts of the canyon, a viewpoint of Ni‘ihau Island, wildland picnicking and trails. Adjacent forest reserves with long, strenuous hikes into and out of the canyon. Seasonal trout fishing. Pig and seasonal goat hunting nearby

Is it igneous, sedimentary,metamorphic: Sedimentary rock

Approximately how old? 4 million years old

What type of landform is it and how is it formed?Roughly 3,600 feet (1,097 meters) deep and 10 miles (16 kilometers) long, it is one of the most scenic regions of the Hawai‘ian islands. The canyon has a unique geologic history—it was formed not only by the steady process of erosion, but also by a catastrophic collapse of the volcano that created Kaua‘i.

The canyon was formed by a deep incision of the Waimea River arising from the extreme rainfall on the island's central peak, Mount Waiʻaleʻale, among the wettest places on earth. The canyon is carved into the tholeiitic and post-shield calc-alkaline lavas of the canyon basalt

Video:
https://youtu.be/J-2nfN1dUB0

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Location: Highlands of Northern Iceland

Facts: This waterfall is around 66 feet tall. It is actually part of Skjálfandafljót, a glacier river that has its source at Vatnajökull, Europe's largest glacier. This river is 180 kilometres long, which is around 112 miles, making it the fourth-longest river in Iceland. The river drops because of an ancient Báðardalshraun lava field.

Type of rock: The kind of rock surrounding the waterfall is called basalt, which is classified as an igneous rock. Basalt is dark in color and contains high amounts of iron and magnesium.

Approximate age: The Aldeyjarfoss Waterfall was formed around 9,000 years from an eruption of the Báðardalshraun lava field.

Landform type/ Formation: This waterfall and the hexagonal basalt columns have a unique formation which was caused by lava being exposed to cooler air and creating cracks. The lava that flowed from the eruption was cooled into a solid rock at a rapid rate, preserving the layers underneath. When the columns were formed due to the pressure and stress as the lava cools, the hexagonal shape was actually created by the return of the glacier water that seeps down into the cracks.

Video: https://youtu.be/Q6pguaWDQxc

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Location:Cradle Mountain is located in St Clair National Park, Tasmania.

The mountain rises to 1545 meters (5068 feet) above sea level and is considered to be a must see on one of the worlds best walking tracks, The Overland Track. Cradle mountain rises above the glacially formed Dove Lake and has 4 summits. The mountain is frequently climbed by tourists and can generally be accessed all year round.
Cradle Mountain is covered with alpine and subalpine vegetation, including varieties of Tasmanian eyebright, scoparia heath, mountain rocket, and a variety of pine trees. The mountain itself is composed of a variety of rock types and soils. There is a wide variety of fungi that exist in the park as well, and they work to benefit the ecosystem by recycling organic matter and breaking down fallen branches and leaves. It takes, on average, 6.5 hours to climb Cradle Mountain, and some parts involve tricky boulders, slippery slopes, snow-covered holes, and rough terrain.

Is it igneous, sedimentary, metamorphic: Cradle Mountain has a distinctive appearance. This is caused by a special type of rock which covers about 40% of Tasmania and is not found on the Australian mainland. It is one of the geological links between Australia and eastern Antarctica. It is an igneous rock that was formed about 170 million years ago when Gondwana began to break up. Weaknesses in the earth’s crust let magma to intrude into subsurface cracks where it cooled and turned into this special type of rock. Erosion removed the sedimentary rocks covering it and today we can see the special shapes on the mountain tops.

Approximately how old: Remains found in caves scattered within Cradle Mountain, and Tasmania as a whole, dictate that human occupation of the area goes back more than 20,000 years.

What type of landform is it and how is it formed: The area was subjected to severe glaciation thousands of years ago, and the mountain itself was formed over Dove Lake, Lake Wilks, and Crater Lake. Unlike other Australian formations that are composed entirely of sandstone and a loose conglomerate of quartzite, sandstone, seashells and a collection of whatever minerals are found in the surrounding area, Cradle Mountain is a solid chunk of dolerite, or congealed basalt lava.

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M6BOpFmEglY

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The Loire is the longest river in France and the 171st longest in the world. The length of Loire is 388.41 square miles, it drains 45,195 square miles more than a fifth of France's land while average discharge is only half that of the Rhone.
The Loire changed its course, due to tectonic deformations, from the original outfall into the English Channel to its new outfall into the Atlantic Ocean thereby forming today's narrow terrain of gorges, the Loire Valley with alluvium formations and the long stretch of beaches along the Atlantic Ocean. The river can be divided into three main zones:

the Upper Loire, the area from the source to the confluence with the Allier

the middle Loire Valley, the area from the Allier to the confluence with the Maine, about 280 km (170 mi)

the Lower Loire, the area from Maine to the estuary

They date back to the Paleozoic and Precambrian eras, which together describe some of earth’s earliest history, the rocks being in many cases 280 to 350 million years old, and they are largely igneous and metamorphic.

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f37B9hnIPFM&t=1s

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Yellowstone National Park - Stephanie Villegas 

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Yellowstone National Park - Stephanie Villegas 

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Location: Yellowstone National Park is located in one of the oldest and largest best-known national parks in the United States. It is located in northwestern Wyoming and partly in southern Montana and eastern Idaho.

A few lines about that specific landform: Yellowstone is bigger than two U.S states. The park sits atop the largest supervolcano in North America. It is called a supervalcano because of the of the magma (molten rock from below the earth's crust) is close to the surface in the greater Yellowstone area. This shallow body of magma is caused by heat convection in the mantle. The hot spots leave a trail of volcanic activity as tectonic plates drift over them. Hot springs right next to rivers make earth natural hot tubs. Yellowstone includes the nation's oldest herd of bison since its prehistoric era, because of its stewardship and protection. Yellowstone national park holds hydrothermal and geologic features.

Is it igneous, sedimentary, metamorphic: Yellowstone national park has sedimentary rocks that tend to erode more easily than the Precambrian rocks. They tend to weather and breakdown down earth materials from large sizes to small particles that happen in place. Although, Yellowstone's youngest rocks are formed by hydrothermal activity. Hydrothermal waters transformed hard lava flows into colorful clays that erode easily and form the dramatic walls of the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. At the Mammoth Hot Springs, warm water springs deposit travertine that forms terraces.

Approximately how old: Yellow stone's national part is around 11,000 years old. Many tribes and bands used the park as their home, hunting grounds, and transportation routes before and after European American arrival. Yellowstone was established as the world's first national park in 1872.

What type of landform is it and how is it formed?: The yellow stone national park is a landform of volcanoes. It was formed by a massive volcanic eruption approximately 631,000 years ago. The North American tectonic plate moved over it. All of this geologic activity formed the mountains, canyons, and plateaus that define the natural wonder that is Yellowstone National Park. Some of Earth’s most active volcanic, hydrothermal (water + heat), and earthquake systems. The yellow national park has hot springs, mud pods, and steam vents.

Video: https://youtu.be/62d9SSDofFo

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The Rocky Mountains - Stephanie Villegas

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The Rocky Mountains - Stephanie Villegas

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Location: The Rocky Mountains, also known as “the Rockies” is a mountain range located in British Columbia in Canada right down to New Mexico in the southwest of the United States. The mountain range is located within the states of Colorado, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming.

A few lines about that specific landform: The Rocky Mountains is a massive mountain range that stretches out from Canada to New Mexico. The Rockies are one of the nation's highest national parks. The Rockies also home habitats to wildlife. The Rockies has an elevation from 7,860 feet to 14,259 feet. Within the national Rocky Mountain park boundaries there are 77 mountain peaks over 12,000 feet high and the continental divide.

Is it igneous, sedimentary, metamorphic: The Rocky Mountains contain sedimentary and metamorphic rock of Paleozoic Sandstone, limestone, and slate.

Approximately how old: The Rocky Mountains have formed around 80 million to 55 million years ago during the Laramie orogeny. A number of plates started sliding underneath the North American plates.

What type of landform is it and how is it formed?: The Rocky Mountains is a landform of the mountain ranges. Which a mountain is a series of mountains or mountain ridges closely related in position and direction to compare orogen. The Rockies were formed around 80 million to 55 million years ago. The Pacific Plates and the North American plate collided. During the Paleozoic era, western North America played underneath the shallow sea, which deposited many kilometers of dolomite and limestone.

Video: https://youtu.be/9Gh44EYQ2zw

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The Great Salt Lake - Stephanie Villegas

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The Great Salt Lake - Stephanie Villegas

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Location: The Great Salt Lake lies in the northern part of the US in the state of Utah. It is the largest saltwater lake in the Western Hemisphere, and the eighth-largest terminal lake in the world.

A few lines about that specific landform: The Great Salt Lake is a remnant of Lake Bonneville, a prehistoric freshwater lake that was 10 times larger than the Great Salt Lake. The Great Salt Lake is salty and only has algae, bacteria, brine flies, and shrimp living in the water. The Great Salt Lake has a vibrant and unique ecosystem. It is most famous as an important refuge for migrating birds. The Great Salt Lake is the largest inland body of water on the Pacific flyway. This is a critical habitat for migrating birds to feed and grow in before they keep migrating. Although, The Great Salt Lake is the largest salt lake in the Western Hemisphere that has been rapidly steadily shrinking, reaching its lowest point with its average daily water levels dropping. Scientists believe that it is in the process of drying up and will effectively flatten.

Is it igneous, sedimentary, metamorphic: The Great Salt Lake had a sedimentary rock of microbialites, a living rock. The rock starts as a squishy mat of photosynthetic microbes and cyanobacteria while trapping sediments and binging them into their mat. The rocks can create calcium carbonate taken from the minerals of the lake, it is the same material as seashells. The bacteria, brine flies, and shrimp live in the microbialite rocks.

Approximately how old: The Great Salt Lake was approximately formed around 11,000 years ago.

What type of landform is it and how is it formed?: The Great Salt Lake is a landform of the great basins. The Great Salt Lake is the remnant of Lake Bonneville, which was a great ice age lake that rose dramatically from a small saline lake 30,000 years ago. After the ice age, the earth's climate became drier and Lake Bonneville gradually receded to form The Great Salt Lake. One of the many reasons the lake is salty is because of the mountains, when it rains the snow and water meltdown from the mountains causing minerals and salts to be eroded and end up on the lake. Since the lake is a terminal lake, the only water that can leave is when it is being evaporated, and leaving the salt and other minerals behind.

Video: https://youtu.be/csP5KtR72nU

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Antelope Canyon, located near Page, Arizona is home to one of nature's most wondrous creations – the slot canyon. Carved from the red sandstone for millennia by seasonal flood rains and wind, the canyons are narrow passageways that lead several hundred feet away from the mouth.

Antelope Canyon is deceptive. From above it appears as a narrow opening in the Navajo sandstone formation that extends for miles. But from inside the canyon, the walls are several yards or more apart, and in places the canyon is up to one hundred feet deep.

Navajo sandstone was formed by aeolian deposition from around 191-174 million years ago. Since that time, iron oxides have been deposited on some of the sand grains in varying amounts giving the slot canyon layer after layer of every shade of red.

Antelope Canyon is a slot canyon, which is a narrow gorge formed by water rushing through rock. A slot canyon is a long, narrow channel or drainageway with sheer rock walls that are typically eroded into either sandstone or other sedimentary rock. Slot canyons begin as small cracks in rocks that gradually grow bigger over time.

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t4nM1FoUqYs

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Dallol, Ethiopia, Mariah DeLeon

Dallol is a unique, terrestrial hydrothermal system around a cinder cone volcano in the Danakil Depression, northeast of the Erta Ale Range in Ethiopia. It is known for its unearthly colors and mineral patterns, and the very acidic fluids that discharge from its hydrothermal springs. Dallol mountain has an area of about 3 by 1.5 km (1.9 by 0.9 mi), and rises about 60 m (196.9 ft) above the surrounding salt plains. A circular depression near the centre is probably a collapsed crater. The southwestern slopes have water eroded salt canyons, pillars, and blocks. There are numerous saline springs and fields of small fumaroles.

Approximately how old: The discovery of the volcano by the first European settlers certainly dates from the first colonization and expeditions in the region, in the 17th or 18th century.

What type of landform is it and how was it formed? Dallol is a hydrothermal system, it was formed by the intrusion of basaltic magma into Miocene salt deposits and subsequent hydrothermal activity. Phreatic eruptions took place here in 1926, forming Dallol Volcano; numerous other eruption craters dot the salt flats nearby.

Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3crB69ZCeM

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Haukadalur Geothermal Field, Iceland, Mariah DeLeon 

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Haukadalur Geothermal Field, Iceland, Mariah DeLeon 

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Haukadalur Geothermal Field, Iceland, Mariah DeLeon

Haukadalur is a geothermal valley in South Iceland on the popular Golden Circle route. Lying to the north of Lake Laugarvatn, it is home to hot springs, fumaroles, mud pots and geysers, including the famous Great Geysir and the active Strokkur. The area is noted for the vivid colouration of its surrounding hills, caused by elements deep in the earth being brought to the surface by the geothermal activity. Geysir, Strokkur and the geothermal field is about 95 miles (60 km) east of Reykjavík, accessible via Þingvallavegur. The area is public property, so it's open for viewing 24/7.

Approximately how old: 727 years. Haukadalur has been mentioned in historic writings as far back as 1294, in which its geysers were described following an earthquake that activated them. Since the 18th Century, it has been drawing visitors to the island including two different Kings of Denmark in 1907 and 1922.

Haukadular is a geothermal field that was formed at the end of the ice age in the Laugarfjall rhyolitic dome. This is a small highland formed by rhyolite – a rather rare, very resistant rock. Most geysers of the world have formed in rhyolite.

Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TIK4wEdMwQM

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Location: The Rhine River is located in Europe.

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I chose this location because this time my son was stationed in Germany.  We went to visit a castle that overlooked the Rine River.  The Rhine River is one of the most important rivers in Europe, because it has become the most traveled waterway in the European Union. Its name comes from the original Celtic and its meaning is Flow. The Rhine River and the Danube River were responsible for creating the northern European border, that is, the boundary with the Roman Empire.
It runs for over 1,232 km (766 mi) from its source in the in the Swiss Alps (in Switzerland), issuing from the Rheinwaldhorn Glacier 3,353m above sea level.

The Rhine flows through six countries -Switzerland, Principality of Liechtenstein, Austria, Germany, France and the Netherlands before flowing into the North Sea at Rotterdam.

Type Of Rocks: The ancient Rhine is an excellent place to see human history, but it's also a fascinating place to learn about geological history. Seventeen gigantic rock formations, ranging in age from about 460 million years ago to about 350,000 years ago can be found near the Rhine.
Formation: The formation of the Alps, created a crack from north to south and this crack caused several existing bodies of water to run down. This is how the Rhine River begins as a small stream.
Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kzICcKKMyw

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Location: Longhorn Cavern State Park is a state park located in Burnet County, Texas, United States

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I chose this landform because my children   were willing to venture outside of their comfort zone to explore this underground treasure.  The Texas Longhorn Caverns is a dry cave and is famous for its crystal formations and rooms made of dolomite.  The underground chambers look completely different from any other caves in Texas. Located deep in the Hill Country, this cavern requires a little bit of a drive to get too, but we found it worth it!!  There is so much to see and experience. There is an image of Abraham Lincoln 's face, a spider wall and tiny bats hang from the ceiling.
The stories of Comanches, a kidnapped damsel, Texas Rangers daring rescue, outlaws, Roaring 1920s Speakeasy nightclubbing, underground church services, CCC, and many adventurous tails come from within these cavern walls of what was once an underground river. You cannot touch the walls, because it may kill the living organisms growing there creating the crystals and rock formations

What type of landform and how was it formed? Texas Hill Country wonder created over thousands of years by the dissolving and cutting action of water on the limestone bedrock of the area.

Types of rocks and formation: Crystal and Limestone
How old is it? Between 450 to 500 million years old.
Video: Exploring Longhorn Caverns in Burnett Texas! - YouTube

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Location: Edmonson County, Kentucky

Facts: Mammoth Cave is the world’s longest known cave system, it has more than 400 miles explored. It’s a World Heritage Site since 1981 and became an International Biosphere Reserve in 1990. There are currently five levels of passageways within Mammoth Cave. There are the Canyon Passages formed by underground streams, the Large Canyon Composite Passages formed by passages eroding together, and Tube Passages which are tunnels that formed while filled up completely with water. There are also Vertical Shafts which form from water flowing through the bed rocks and straight down and there is Keyhole Passages which is a combination of Tube and Canyon passages.

Type of rock: Limestone- Sedimentary

Approximate age: The oldest part of Mammoth Cave began forming about 10 millions years ago.

Landform type: This landform is a cave, which is also called a cavern. A cave is a natural opening in the earth that is large enough for humans to explore the inside of it.

Formation: Mammoth Cave formed in thick mississippian-aged limestone strata capped by a layer of sandstone. They were created in a natural process of limestone erosion in which rain and rivers slowly dissolve and shape soft limestones.

Video: https://youtu.be/fTNlZl7-s4w

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Location: Belize, near the center of Lighthouse Reef

Facts: The Great Blue Hole is a large underwater sinkhole off the coast of Belize. The hole is circular in shape, 984 feet across and 410 ft deep. It is part of the larger Barrier Reef Reserve System. During an exploration, evidence of stalactites, which is a structure hanging like an icicle from the roof of a cave formed by calcium salts deposited by dripping water, was found. The walls of the cave have terraces, flat areas, carved by erosion while other areas have vertical rock walls.

Type of rock: Limestone- Sedimentary

Approximate age: 153,000 years ago.

Landform type: A cave turned submarine sinkhole. A cave is an opening on earth, the Great Blue Hole started as a dry cave and became a sinkhole, which is a cavity (hole) in the ground.

Formation:  The Great Blue Hole is believed to have formed during the last glacial period as a limestone cave when the sea levels were lower. As the sea began to rise, the cave became flooded eventually forming a circular hole. As the water level continued to rise, the roof of the cavern was brought down while the inner portion remained intact but was submerged under water.

Video: https://youtu.be/4ZcEtPFdRaQ

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Amazing Places on Earth, Places to visit

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Amazing Places on Earth, Places to visit

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All those beautiful places on earth that i wish i could one day visit...

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Location: Cappadocia, Turkey

Facts: The Fairy Chimneys are on a plateau of Central Anatolia. A plateau is a flat area of land that is higher than the other areas surrounding it. The chimneys run along through the historic Silk Road trading route and were frequently invaded by European empire builders. During the Roman period, Christians excavated and built homes and churches on the chimneys. To this day, the chimneys can have tourists sleeping in them.

Type of rock: Igneous

Approximate age: 1500 years old

Landform type: The fairy chimneys are a hoodoo, also known as tent rock or earth pyramid, is a tall, thin spire of rock. It consists of soft rocks topped by harder, less easily eroded stone

Formation:  The chimneys are a result of volcanic eruptions. The eruption caused ash to rain across Turkey, the ash hardened into tuff, which is a porous rock, and covered by a layer of basalt. Basalt is an extrusive igneous, volcanic rock.  Then the process of erosion, the crumbling of something due to wind, water, and other natural activities, began and the softer tuff started wearing down creating the pillars.

Video: https://youtu.be/wBLqOE80LeU

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Location: Hyden Wildlife Park, Western Australia

Facts: This rock formation resembles that of a wave, which is how it got its name. The rounded shape is due to the weathering and water erosion that cuts underneath the rock leaving an overhang. The Wave Rock is 49 feet high and 360 feet long. An interesting fact about this rock formation is that it gets its amazing colors by minerals being washed down alongside the rock.

Type of rock: It is composed of granite, which is classified as an igneous rock.

Approximate age: The Wave Rock was formed over more than 2700 million years.

Landform type/Formation: Wave Rock is an example of a flared slope, a type of land formation. This formation happens when shallow groundwater erodes the base of the rock much faster than the upper section causing the rock to have a concave appearance. This kind of landform is common among granite rocks and there are different kinds of flared slopes in Australia.

Video: https://youtu.be/sd7mU3ucX9A

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Lake Hillier, Australia, Mariah DeLeon

Lake Hillier is a saline lake on the edge of Middle Island, the largest of the islands and islets that make up the Recherche Archipelago in the Goldfields-Esperance region, off the south coast of Western Australia. It is particularly notable for its pink colour. A long and thin shore divides the Southern Ocean (by some definitions, the Indian Ocean) from the lake.

Approximately how old: 219 years old. The Hillier Lake was first discovered in 1802 by navigator and cartographer Matthew Flinders who took samples from the lake and mentioned its existence in his journal.
Type of rocks: Sedimentary

What type of landform is it and how is it formed? Lake Hillier is a Salt Lake and Researchers recently discovered that the lake's unique color is caused by algae, halobacteria, and other microbes. Additionally, this body of water is extremely salty—just as salty as the Dead Sea.

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQ7-ih2gnkA&list=TLGG53zo_oX4BDwwMzEyMjAyMQ&index=2

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Location:
Pyrenees mountain chain of southwestern Europe that consists of flat-topped massifs and folded linear ranges. It stretches from the shores of the Mediterranean Sea on the east to the Bay of Biscay on the Atlantic Ocean on the west. The Pyrenees form a high wall between France and Spain that has played a significant role in the history of both countries and of Europe as a whole. The range is some 270 miles (430 kilometres) long; it is barely six miles wide at its eastern end, but at its centre it reaches some 80 miles in width. At its western end it blends imperceptibly into the Cantabrian Mountains along the northern coast of the Iberian Peninsula. Except in a few places, where Spanish territory juts northward or French southward, the crest of the chain marks the boundary between the two countries, though the tiny autonomous principality of Andorra lies among its peaks. The highest point is Aneto Peak, at 11,169 feet (3,404 meters), in the Maladeta massif of the Central Pyrenees.

Type of Rocks:
The Pyrenees are a relatively young mountain belt, being part of the Alpine mountain chain, but contain much older rocks than the Alps. The oldest rocks in the Pyrenees are about 500Ma old, dating from the Hercynian Orogeny (when a huge mountain range covered much of central Europe).
Over the next 200Ma, these ancient mountains were eroded away, and the rocks of the Pyrenees were covered by a shallow sea. Younger, sedimentary rocks were laid down on top. Around 220Ma ago (probably coinciding with the collision of Africa with Europe), a change in direction of plate movement occurred, leading to closure of the ocean between the Iberian peninsula and what is now the South of France (similar to the gradual shrinking of the Pacific ocean that is occurring today). Eventually, the two continental plates collided, leading to the uplift of the Pyrenees (as is currently taking place in the Himalayas).

The Pyrenees are situated between the Eurosiberian and the Mediterranean biogeographic regions of Europe. The mountain range extends in a west-east direction from the Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea, covering 500 km2. The central axis of the Pyrenees is composed of ancient granite and slate more than two hundred million years old, flanked by Mesozoic (limestone, dolomite, and sandstone) and quaternary sedimentary rocks.

Landform/Formation:
The Alpine orogeny has shaped the complex Pyrenean landform. It consists of steep rocky slopes, spectacular canyons, karstic high plains, and high summits of more than 3,000 m (Aneto 3404 m, Posets 3,375 m, Vignemale 3,298 m). Evidence of Quaternary glaciation is everywhere, with stunning cirques and ice-smoothed, U-shaped valleys.

The 430 Km long mountain chain of the Pyrenees was uplifted (starting 65 million years ago) by the collision of the tiny Iberian and the Eurasian plate, followed by intense erosion from ice and water. However, you can find rocks over 500 million years old in some areas and the formation of the Pyrenees wasn’t quite as simple as one big uplift that created the mountains.

Fun Facts:
-There are only 21 glaciers in the Pyrenees (10 on the Spanish side and 11 on the French side) covering an area of 4.5 square kilometers (1.7 square miles), the researchers found.

-The large number of the mountain torrents locally called gaves, which often form lofty waterfalls, surpassed in Europe only by those of Scandinavia. The highest waterfall in the range is Gavarnie at 462 meters (1,515 feet) above sea level.

-Forest land covers about 60% of the surface of the Pyrenees mountain range and represents a natural renewable resource, a set of ecosystems rich in biodiversity, exceptionally popular tourist zones and visitor attractions, a form of protection against natural phenomena (avalanches, large rock falls, flooding, etc.) and a large natural reserve of CO2.

Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L2nKtDS_hs8

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Location:
Kenai Fjords National Park is located just outside the town of Seward in south-central Alaska, 126 miles south of Anchorage. Even though the park is often inaccessible during the winter months, Seward is accessible year-round via the Seward Highway, a National Scenic Byway.

Type of Rocks:
The stark beauty of a land shrouded in ice, bordering the ocean, and teeming with wildlife covers a plot taking place underneath it all. Beneath the splendor, larger forces are at work. The movement of tectonic plates and the delivery and formation of various rock types prescribe where birds nest, where Steller sea lions breed, and where glaciers flow. The varying rock of the fjords underwrites the spectacle seen above- in one place eroding into graceful arches, in another withstanding the ocean's constant blows. The rocks that make up Kenai Fjords National Park have sometimes been carried great distances. Some rock was once coral reef close to the equator: It was carried along as the Pacific plate rotated counterclockwise, traveling north, transforming en route to stone. In the far western end of the park, a mixture of chert and basalt scraped from the ocean floor is jumbled with blocks of limestone that contain fossils matching those found in China and Afghanistan. These segments of rock moved from their original home are called terranes. The entire coastline of Alaska is made of a mixture of terranes and local igneous material.

Landform/Formation:
Kenai Fjords NP contains several coastal landform types, including low to very low change-potential rock cliffs, moderate change-potential alluvial and glacial deposits, high change-potential gravel beaches and very high change-potential mudflats, sand beaches, and tidewater-glacier.

The fjords on the Kenai Peninsula in Alaska, which give the Kenai Fjords National Park its name, were created by the movement of the glacier known as Exit Glacier. Exit Glacier is an active glacier, meaning it is still in motion, though it is retreating into the icefield it is connected to. As the glacier retreats, the movement of the ice reveals fjords and areas of bedrock that have been scraped away by the centuries-long advance and retreat of the glacier. Moving at a rate of 2 feet per day, the continued retreat of the glacier ensures that the landscape of the Kenai Fjords National Park will continue to evolve in the decades to come.

Fun Facts:
-Kenai Fjords has a large variety of birds, especially along the coastal areas. Many people come here and take the cruises for the sole reason of bird watching. Puffins are particularly popular to look for.

-51% of the land in Kenai Fjords National Park is covered by ice.

-The Exxon Valdez oil spill disaster in 1989 in Prince William Sound had a large effect on Kenai Fjords. Oil can still be found on the coastline today.

Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B9hkIBvBxOQ

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Location:
Dead Sea also called Salt Sea, landlocked salt lake between Israel and Jordan in southwestern Asia. Its eastern shore belongs to Jordan, and the southern half of its western shore belongs to Israel. The northern half of the western shore lies within the Palestinian West Bank and has been under Israeli occupation since the 1967 Arab-Israeli war. The Jordan River, from which the Dead Sea receives nearly all its water, flows from the north into the lake.The Dead Sea has the lowest elevation and is the lowest body of water on the surface of Earth. For several decades in the mid-20th century, the standard value given for the surface level of the lake was some 1,300 feet (400 metres) below sea level. Beginning in the 1960s, however, Israel and Jordan began diverting much of the Jordan River’s flow and increased the use of the lake’s water itself for commercial purposes. The result of those activities was a precipitous drop in the Dead Sea’s water level. By the mid-2010s, measurement of the lake level was more than 100 feet (some 30 metres) below the mid-20th-century figure—i.e., about 1,410 feet (430 metres) below sea level—but the lake continued to drop by about 3 feet (1 metre) annually.

Type Of Rocks:
The Dead Sea, one of the most saline lakes in the world, has recently (1979) undergone a major change in its hydrologic regime resulting in the mixing of its once stable meromictis. Prior to, and during this change, a sedimentologic study was undertaken to document the types of sediments in the Dead Sea, covering the entire western half of the lake, to refine ideas on the formation of the evaporite sediments and to explain the distribution of sediments in the Dead Sea. Study of the mineralogy and particle-size distribution of sediments of the Dead Sea reveals that, of the primary minerals, gypsum concentrates in the coarse silt and sand-size fractions whereas aragonite falls in the clay and fine silt fractions. The predominant sediment is a clayey silt. The constituents of the bottom sediments fall into two groups: (1) particles of detrital or recycled rocks (limestone, quartz and clay minerals), and (2) crystals of minerals precipitated in surface waters (aragonite, gypsum, and halite).

Formation:
The Dead Sea region’s geology is defined by the Dead Sea graben. A graben, German for “ditch,” is a depression that forms between the faults of two diverging plates, in this case the African and Arabian plates. The African Plate rotates counterclockwise while the Arabian Plate moves roughly northward. As they move apart, faults form in the graben and pieces of crust sink into the mantle. About 3 million years ago, water filled the graben, forming the Dead Sea, which was then part of a long bay of the Mediterranean Sea. A million years later, tectonic activity lifted the land to the west, isolating the Dead Sea from the Mediterranean. As the sea receded from its highest levels, it left behind large salt formations. Two of the largest are the Lisan Peninsula and Mount Sodom, visible along the southern and southwestern shores of the sea, respectively.

Fun Facts:
-The Dead Sea is one of the saltiest bodies of water on Earth, with almost 10 times more salt than ordinary seawater.

-The high salt and mineral content of the Dead Sea mean
that this body of water has powerful healing properties. It’s a popular destination for treating skin problems such as acne, psoriasis and cellulite, as well as muscle ache and arthritis.

-Alongside being incredibly salty, the Dead Sea is famous for being the lowest point on Earth. Its surface measures around 423 meters below sea level.

-The Dead Sea was home to one of the most important discoveries in modern archaeology. In 1947, the Dead Sea Scrolls were found in 11 caves near the ruins of Qumran on its northwestern shore. These ancient manuscripts date from around 250 BC to 68 AD.

Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CMQLypeyuHw

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Storms of the kind that Jesus calmed (Mark 4:35-41) are a well-known hazard for Galilee fishermen.

The Sea of Galilee (sometimes called Lake Tiberias or Lake Kinneret) lies within the Jordan Rift Valley, a narrow depression that began forming tens of millions of years ago as the Arabian plate tore away from Africa. Many of the marshy floodplains around the lake and to the south have been converted into farmland, which appears bright green.
The sea lies in the deep trough of the Jordan valley, almost due East of the Bay of Acre. The surface is 680 ft. below the level of the Mediterranean. It varies in depth from 130 ft. to 148 ft., being deepest along the course of the Jordan (Barrois, PEFS, 1894, 211-20). From the point where the Jordan enters in the North to its exit in the South is about 13 miles.

The greatest breadth is in the North, from el-Mejdel to the mouth of Wady Semak being rather over 7 miles. It gradually narrows toward the South, taking the shape of a gigantic pear, with a decided bulge to the West. The water of the lake is clear and sweet.

The natives use it for all purposes, esteeming it light and pleasant. They refuse to drink from the Jordan, alleging that "who drinks Jordan drinks fever." Seen from the mountains the broadsheet appears a beautiful blue; so that, in the season of greenery, it is no exaggeration to describe it as a sapphire in a setting of emerald. It lights up the landscape as the eye does the human face, and it is often spoken of as "the eye of Galilee."

Formation
At 209 meters below sea level, it is the lowest freshwater lake on Earth, and the second-lowest lake in the world after the Dead Sea, a saltwater lake. It is not a real sea - it is called a sea because of tradition. The lake is also known on modern maps as Lake Galilee or Lake Tiberias, in the region of Galilee.

The main formation of the surrounding district is limestone. It is overlaid with lava, and here and there around the lake, there are outcrops of basalt through the limestone. At eT-Tabgha in the North, at `Ain el Fuliyeh, South of el-Mejdel, and on the shore, about 2 miles South of modern Tiberias, there are strong hot springs. These things, together with the frequent, and sometimes terribly destructive, earthquakes, sufficiently attest to the volcanic character of the region. The soil on the level parts around the sea is exceedingly fertile.  Naturally, the temperature in the valley is higher than that of the uplands; and here wheat and barley are harvested about a month earlier. Frost is not quite unknown, but no one now alive remembers it to have done more than lay the most delicate fringe of ice around some of the stones on the shore. The fig and the vine are still cultivated with success. Where vegetable gardens are planted, they yield plentifully. A few palms are still to be seen. The indigo plant is grown in the plain of Gennesaret. In their season the wildflowers lavish a wealth of lovely colors upon the surrounding slopes; while bright-blossoming oleanders fringe the shore.

Geography
The Sea of Galilee is situated in northeast Israel, between the Golan Heights and the Galilee region, in the Jordan Rift Valley, the valley caused by the separation of the African and Arabian plates.

This freshwater “sea” is 21km long and 13km across at its widest point, with a maximum depth of 43 meters. Its other names include the Sea of Tiberias, the Lake of Gennesaret and (in Hebrew) Lake Chinnereth or Kinneret.

Fed mainly by the Jordan River and drained by it, the lake has served as Israel’s chief water reservoir, but its usefulness has been limited by a falling water level.

Video
https://youtu.be/x2IH_bync4w

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Noenna Holmes, Moeraki Boulders, New Zealand 

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Noenna Holmes, Moeraki Boulders, New Zealand 

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These mysterious spherical stones that are located on Koekohe beach in New Zealand. These stones are scattered across this beach in no particular pattern. The stones are estimated to weigh in at several tons and at least 2 meters tall, but those are just the ones still there today. If you go back to pictures from the 19th century there were many many more boulders than there are today, this is due to tourists taking the smaller in size ones for a souvenir.

There is a Maori legend about these boulders that they are what remains of a shipwrecked canoe called the Araiteuru. The Maori people call these boulders several different names, eel pots, hooligans gallstones, alien's brains, and the bowling balls of giants. Although they may believe this legend is true science has proven them wrong.
The science behind these boulders is that they are calcite concretions that were formed 65 million years ago. These concretions were formed by the hardening of Paleocene mudstone that was buried in the mudstone cliffs. Over long periods of time the waves eroded the softer upper layers of the stones revealing the spherical stone forms there today. Scientists believe that these boulders are spherical because of their source of carbon being mass diffusion which lead the rocks to “grow” over five million years, while at the same time, up to 50 meters of marine mud settled on them.
Fun Facts:

It’s thought to have taken 4 million years for the Moeraki Boulders to reach the size they are now.

On Moeraki beach you’ll count over 50 boulders of different sizes.

There is one boulder missing though and that’s because it’s on display at Otago Museum.

19th century photographs show that there were even more Moeraki Boulders than there are today. It’s thought that people took the smaller rocks as souvenirs.

To prevent this from happening again, the Moeraki Boulders are now under legal protection meaning that it’s prohibited for people to remove, damage or graffiti them.

https://youtu.be/rMV3PH-wio8

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 Landform and Location-Natural Bridge Landform San Antonio, Tx

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Natural Bridge Caverns is the most extensive cavern within the San Antonia area and one of the largest caverns within the state of Texas. Here in San Antonio, the spectacular Natural Bridge Caverns are part of a vast underground network consisting of more than 10,000 different stalactite formations. The largest such cave network in the US accessible to the public, Natural Bridge Caverns includes highlights such as the 40-foot-high King's Throne, a massive wall of stalactites found in one of the largest caverns, the Castle of the White Giants.

(The Cavern is a Sedimentary Rock)

Geology

Visitors to the caverns walk through different layers of limestone, a sedimentary rock. Geologists theorize that during the Cretaceous period, a warm, shallow sea covered much of Texas. Sediments and dead marine organisms collected on the ocean floor, compacted and formed the different limestone layers. Geologists give different names to the various layers, and visitors to Natural Bridge Caverns will find the Glen Rose and the Kainer (Edwards) layers. The Glen Rose, as the oldest rock layer, contains the lowermost chambers, while the Kainer forms the Natural Bridge.

Perhaps around 20 million years ago, a number of faults formed in Texas due to the settling of the coastal regions. These movements created an extensive series of faults known as the Balcones Fault Zone. The eroded face of the Balcones Escarpment marks both the fault zone and the beginning of the Texas Hill Country. In addition to creating the faults, the tectonic stresses also created joints or cracks in the rock. Underground water moving along the joints eventually carved the passages at Natural Bridge Caverns, one of the main sources of San Antonio fun.

Formation

The cavern is formed by an underground "river" moving slowly through cracks and pores within the limestone. Rainwater seeping through cracks started dissolving the limestone. In time, the original narrow cracks or joints enlarged to form huge underground conduits or passages.

Perhaps due to changes in climate, vegetation, or other natural forces, the water drained to lower levels within the earth. As the water left the upper passages, it moved deeper and started forming a second level. The water eventually moved to another level even deeper within the earth. As the water left the lower level, stresses within the rock led to many of the layers collapsing to form break-out domes.

Video
https://youtu.be/9ExnV0j4g5Y

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A semiarid scrub plateau that covers nearly all of the southern portion of mainland Argentina. With an area of about 260,000 square miles, it constitutes a vast area of steppe and desert that extends south from latitude 37° to 51° S. These massifs are surrounded by sedimentary basins formed in the Mesozoic that underwent subsequent deformation during the Andean orogeny. Patagonia is known for their vast earthquakes and the damage.

The Patagonia plateau is sedimentary.

How old is this landform: It seems to date back to approximately 10,000 BC

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This tower names the Devils Tower is located on the state line of northeast Wyoming. This tower sits alone and is 1,267 feet taller than the tree lined belle Fourche River Valley. From the valley the tower looks like a skyscraper way above the tree lines.
Devils Tower was formed around 50 million years ago, it was originally one to two miles below the Earth’s surface. Between 5 and 10 million years ago water erosion carried away the sedimentary rocks that were around the igneous rock that the tower is made up of. The harder igneous rock of the Tower is more resistant to erosion, and the gray columns of Devils Tower began to stand out above the surrounding landscape.

There are many theories about how the tower was formed and the most popular ones include,
Devils Tower began as magma, or molten rock buried beneath the Earth’s surface, Geologists Carpenter and Russell studied Devils Tower in the late 1800s and concluded that the Tower was formed by an igneous intrusion (the forcible entry of magma through other rock layers).
The simplest explanation is that Devils Tower is a stock—a small intrusive body formed by magma which cooled underground and was later exposed by erosion. In 1907, two scientists decided that Devils Tower must be an eroded remnant of a laccolith. A laccolith is a large, mushroom-shaped mass of igneous rock which intrudes between the layers of sedimentary rocks but does not reach the surface.
Other ideas have suggested that Devils Tower is a volcanic plug or that it is the neck of an extinct volcano. The limited evidence of volcanic activity such as, volcanic ash, lava flows, or volcanic debris. The lack of this evidence in the area creates doubt that the Tower was part of a volcanic system. It is possible that this material may simply have eroded away. The erosion which exposed the Tower also erased the evidence needed to determine which theory of Devils Tower’s formation is the correct one.

Fun Fact: the original name of this landmark is  "Mato Tipila" translated to bears lodge. An expedition to this place brought back news that the Indians who lived there called this bad god's tower or now known as Devils Tower.

https://youtu.be/Uc4Kb0-u6E4

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Lake Baikal is located in the southern part of eastern Siberia within the republic of Buryatia and Irkutsk. This body of water is the oldest existing freshwater lake on Earth approximately 20-25 million years old. This lake is also the deepest continental body of water 5,315 ft. with an area of 12,200 square miles. Lake Baikal is 395 miles long and 30 miles wide making it the largest freshwater lake on earth containing about 1/5 of the Earths fresh water. During the winter months the lake is frozen over until about august when it begins to thaw out. In August the surface temperature of the water is 52 degrees Fahrenheit but can reach temperatures up to 68 degrees. The water is so clear that one can see down 130 feet from the surface of the water.

This lake has 1500-1800 different species of animals and just as many species of plants. There is a very unique fish that lives in this lake called the golomyanka- it’s only about eight inches, or 21cm, in length. This fish is almost entirely translucent, lacking both scales and a swim bladder which is the organ most fish use to regulate their depth. But the fish’s body is, astonishingly, nearly 40% fat by weight, and that fat is what helps it survive and navigate in such cold water, at such great depth, without a swim bladder. These fish are solitary because they live in such cold water, its too cold for schools.

How was this Lake Formed
At least 25 million years old, Lake Baikal is the oldest lake in the world. It and the surrounding mountains were formed by the Earth's crust fracturing and moving. According to Baikal World Web, it was probably originally a riverbed, but tremors and fractures in the Earth's crust increased the size and widened the space between the shores. Parts of the Baikal basin developed at different times throughout the Tertiary Period (66 million to 2.6 million years ago). Melting glaciers also increased the water levels.
They also believe that this lake is an ocean being born because this lake increases in size by 2cm a year

https://youtu.be/SAcReQHYnuE

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Waimea Canyon, located on the Hawaiian Island of Kauai, is situated within Koke’e State Park. Known for its dramatic colors and towering peaks, some as high as 3,000 feet from the canyon floor, Waimea Canyon is a spectacle to behold.

Waimea is Hawaiian for "reddish water", a reference to the erosion of the canyon's red soil. The canyon was formed by a deep incision of the Waimea River arising from the extreme rainfall on the island's central peak, Mount Waiʻaleʻale, among the wettest places on earth.

Geology
The canyon is carved into the tholeiitic and post-shield calc-alkaline lavas of the canyon basalt. The lavas of the canyon provide evidence for massive faulting and collapse in the early history of the island. The west side of the canyon is all thin, west-dipping lavas of the Napali Member, while the east side is very thick, flat-lying lavas of the Olokele and Makaweli Members. The two sides are separated by an enormous fault along which a large part of the island moved downwards in a big collapse.

Formation
Waimea Canyon, also known as the Grand Canyon of the Pacific, is a large canyon, approximately ten miles (16 km) long and up to 3,000 feet (900 m) deep, located on the western side of Kauaʻi in the Hawaiian Islands of the United States.

The volcanic rocks accumulated in the graben on the southwestern side of the shield are named the Makaweli formation of the Waimea Canyon volcanic series, and sedimentary rocks interbedded with them are known as the Mokuone member of the Makaweli formation.

Video
Visiting Waimea Canyon State Park, State Park in Waimea Canyon Dr, Waimea, HI 96796, United States - YouTube

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Location: Hafnartún, Selfoss, Iceland
Strokku Gyser is a hot spring geyser in a geothermal area. Strokku geyser is one of the most visited areas in Iceland. Strokkur geyser is active because its intense heat source and magma must be close enough to the earth's surface for the rocks to be hot enough to boil water.
Another reason for the geyser to be active is its source of underground water coming from the second largest glacier in the country. The melted water from the glacier sinks into the geyser, makes contact with the hot magma and erupts. Its eruption occurs every 6–10 minutes. With a height of 15–20 meters (49–66 ft), it can sometimes erupt up to 40 meters (130 ft) high.
Strokkur was first mentioned in 1789 after an earthquake helped to unblock the channel of the geyser. Its activity fluctuated throughout 1815; it was recorded to have eruptions of heights of 200 ft. After an earthquake, the geyser conduit was blacked in 1963. The Gysir Committee cleaned the blocked conduit, and the geyser has been erupting since then.
Strokku geyser comprises highly silicic rhyolitic rocks, an extrusive igneous rock formed from magma rich in silica extruded from a volcanic vent to cool quickly on the surface rather than slowly in the subsurface.
Video:
https://youtu.be/-_5Ce7JgBPM

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Location: Hellas Basin Southern Hemisphere of Mars
A basin is a depression, or dip, in a planet's surface. Basins are shaped like bowls, with sides higher than the bottom with oval or circular dimensions.  Basins are formed by forces above or below the ground, like earthquakes or erosions. Hellas Planitia, a region on Mars, has a basin formed by a significant projectile impact. With a diameter of 1800 km, it is one of the most extensive basins on Mars.
For example, the basin plain is about two times the size of Texas from east to west, and that is the rough estimate measurement because the exact diameter of the ancient Hellas basin is difficult to determine. Due to large portions of the rim are missing to the northeast and southwest. Hellas basin is about 4.1 to 3.8 billion years old.  It has been said that the basin was formed during the Late Heavy Bombardment period of the Solar System, a protoplanet or giant asteroid hit the surface. Due to its size and light coloring, which contrasts with the rest of the planet, Hellas Planitia was one of the first Martian features discovered from Earth by telescope.
The research done over the Hellas basins has determined that fine-layered outcrops around the eastern rim of Hellas are likely to be sedimentary deposits. Created by erosion and transport of rock and soil from the Martian highlands into a standing body of water-related features.
Video:
https://youtu.be/b91ESeryTT4

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A prominent hill, 5.5 miles (9 km) south west of Leyburn, in the Pennines, North Yorkshire, England. Its concave shape was formed during the last ice age, when glaciers carved Wensleydale into a U-shape. One local legend is that the hill was the home of the Penhill Giant, who would steal sheep from the local flocks. This landform is sedimentary.
There was no information on approximately how old this landform was.

https://youtu.be/LqIlxG02yxA

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Reynisfjara Basalt Columns (Andrea Aguilar)

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Reynisfjara Basalt Columns (Andrea Aguilar)

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Location: Reynisfjara Beach, Iceland

The unique basalt columns landform is found in Reynisfjara Beach, surrounded by black volcanic sand. These basalt columns are one of the most photographed rock formations globally because of their unique hexagonal shape.

Basalt is a volcanic rock formed from superheated magma that rises as lava during an explosion. The iron and magnesium-rich basalt lava cools and shrinks quickly once exposed to the surface air and hardens as it becomes solid. Iceland basalt columns are formed by a rapid cooling process that changes the chemical composition and appearance of the lava.
Basalt volcanic rock has a unique geometrical shape due to this change in composition. These basalt columns have a special feature called columnar jointing, which gives each basalt column a hexagonal shape. Basalt is a dark-colored, fine-grained, igneous rock composed mainly of plagioclase and pyroxene minerals. Iceland consists of 90 % of basalt which was formed by a volcanic eruption about 20-25 million years ago.
Video:
https://youtu.be/FGwfjmAUM4w

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Angel Falls (Salto Ángel) Canaima, Venezuela-Valeria Soto

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Angel Falls (Salto Ángel) Canaima, Venezuela-Valeria Soto

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Angel Falls (Salto Ángel) Canaima is located in Venezuela and it is highest waterfall in the world with a cataract drops of 3,212 feet with a 500 feet wide at the base. Then, it leaps to a flat-topped plateau, it located side of the large and high tepui with vertical walls known as Auayán-Tepuí.
Angel Falls is two billion years old in Canaima National Park. It is surrounded of grasslands deep into Gran Sabana. At the top of the fall, it is made of quartzite and sandstone that is known as igneous-metamorphic.
Angel Falls formed through faulting, meaning it was a movement that was caused by rocks along a break or in the Earth's crust. When the movement happens, it slowly starts a river that flows down that causes a waterfall to form.

Video: https://youtu.be/oetS-gGjaSM

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Founded 75 years ago in 1946 by Walter Paepcke, Aspen was the first ski area venture of the Aspen Skiing Company. Prior to 1946, the mountain had been the site of skiing using a crude boat lift, and by the use of the jeep trails up the back side of the mountain on Midnight Mine Road. In 1941, Aspen's first national downhill and slalom championships were held March 8–9. This landform is made of mostly sedimentary rock. This landform- mountain- is made when two tectonic plates collide and push each other upward.

https://youtu.be/bZT_MusP-JI

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Eyjafjallajökull is located in Iceland, sometimes known as E15 and the glacier of the mountains of the islands. The age of the mountain is 8000,000 years old. The ice cap covers an area of about 100 square kilometers. It does usually erupt frequently but the last eruption it has was 2010, even though, its small it can cause an enormous disruption across the western and Northern Europe for a week.
Eyjafjallajökull is a stratovolcano meaning is can have multiple layers due to lava and tephra. The volcano has made up of basalt to andesite lavas, meaning is a igneous because it has magnesium and iron. It was formed by many eruptions over thousands of years.

Video: https://youtu.be/I1mAqMpbngc

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The Quelccaya Ice Cap is in Peru and it is the second largest glaciated in the tropics. This located in the Cordillera Oriental in the section of the Andes Mountains. However, it is the second largest glacier, it has been shrinking over time due to climate change. There can be a possibility Quelccaya to disappear in 21st or 22nd century. The area is 16.99mi2, a length of 17km, elevation about 5,680 meters with 200m thick.
The glaciers are important in Peru because it helps to have water as a source for the human communities. Also, it helps with irrigation, hydroelectric power, and by having this resource it really helps the community when they have drought. The glacier is less than 1,000 years old.
The Quelccaya Ice Cap rests on a plateau that is formed by ignimbrite that is a igneous rock made up of crystal, rock fragments and has a texture of the groundmass. Also, it is form by welded tuffs that are volcanic ash that comes from a volcanic eruption.

Video: https://youtu.be/nAWlWdJ52H8

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Kenai Mountains

The Kenai Mountains are a mountain range in the U.S. state of Alaska. They extend 192 km northeast from the southern end of the Kenai Peninsula to the Chugach Mountains, and have an average elevation of 3,000 to 5,000 feet

Approximately how old?

65 million years ago

Light-colored granodiorite is common along much of the park’s coast and formed when a piece of the Pacific plate subducted underneath the North American plate. During the subduction, some rock melted into magma, which intruded and cooled to form plutons inside the local bedrock. In many areas, the softer sedimentary rocks that once surrounded the granodiorite plutons have eroded, leaving the harder rock standing as sea stacks and capes.

The Kenai Mountains (Russian: Кенай горы) are a mountain range in the U.S. state of Alaska. They extend 192 km (120 mi) northeast from the southern end of the Kenai Peninsula to the Chugach Mountains, and have an average elevation of 3,000 to 5,000 feet.

Kenai landform is a mountain. It was formed 65 million years ago, the Kenai Mountains originated from the sands and mud's deposited on the seafloor. 2 million years ago, large glaciers began to form and quickly advance on the Kenai Peninsula, pushing gravel ahead of them and dispersing the placer gold.

Video: https://youtu.be/K3JAJQKixSI

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European Plain

The European Plain or Great European Plain is a plain in Europe and is a major feature of one of four major topographic units of Europe - the Central and Interior Lowlands. It is the largest mountain-free land form in Europe, although a number of highlands are identified within

Age Of European Plain

Parts of the European Plain harboured hunter-gatherer groups through much of the late Pleistocene Epoch (roughly 125,000 to 11,700 years ago), but significant settlement on the plain did not begin until postglacial times.

Where is it located?

The western and central European section of the plain covers all of western and northern France, Belgium, The Netherlands, southern Scandinavia, northern Germany, and nearly all of Poland; from northern France and Belgium eastward it commonly is called the North European Plain.

Is it igneous, sedimentary, metamorphic

The European Plain is deeply underlain by a relatively rigid platform of ancient rocks. At various times in its history, however, this area has slipped beneath the sea and been covered with sedimentary rocks. These rocks have been mildly bent and warped, but nowhere have they been sharply deformed.

Europe has four main landforms, many islands and peninsulas, and various climate types. The four main landforms include the Alpine region, Central Uplands, Northern Lowlands, and Western Highlands. Each represents a different physical part of Europe.As a whole, the North European plain was formed during the ice age and today its ice sustains the tundra vegetation.

Video:

https://youtu.be/gtNR9UoE04M

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Appalachian Mountains

Crossed by few passes, the Appalachians were a barrier to early westward expansion and played an important role in U.S. history; major east-west routes like the Cumberland Gap and Mohawk Trail followed river valleys or mountain notches.

How old is it?

The Appalachians first formed roughly 480 million years ago during the Ordovician Period.

Where are the Appalachian Mountains mountains?

Extending for almost 2,000 miles (3,200 km) from the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador to central Alabama in the United States, the Appalachian Mountains form a natural barrier between the eastern Coastal Plain and the vast Interior Lowlands of North America.

Is it igneous, sedimentary, metamorphic

The northern Appalachian ranges in New England and Canada consist mostly of crystalline metamorphic rocks with some igneous intrusions. The metamorphic rocks are the result of changes brought about by intense heat and pressure deep below the Earth's surface

The Appalachian Mountains is a system of landmasses composed of mountains, ridges and valleys, and plateaus. Most of those in the northern Appalachians, especially from New York to Maine, were created when glacial moraine or debris, scraped from surrounding peaks by the melting ice cap, solidified into shelves along creeks or river valleys over which the water must plunge as over a terrace. Southern Appalachian waterfalls generally were formed by the action of water on alternating layers of soft and hard rock.

Video: https://youtu.be/rDdL0dSNZDk

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Location: Uluru/Ayers Rock, giant monolith, one of the tors in southwestern Northern Territory, central Australia.

Approximately how old: Uluru and Kata Tjuta started to form about 550 million years ago

Is it igneous, sedimentary, metamorphic- It is a sedimentary rock.Uluru is a type of rock called arkose. If you take the base walk you can see that the surface is actually flaky red with grey patches. The flakes are bits of rock left after water and oxygen have decayed minerals in the rock. The red is the rusting of iron found naturally in arkose, and the grey is the rock’s original color. You can see Uluru’s original grey inside many of its caves.

What type of landform is it and how is it formed? Uluru is the most iconic natural landform in Australia and its formation is an equally special story of creation, destruction and reinvention.Large crustal blocks were merging together to create the island of Australia a process similar to the way India is ramming into the Eurasian continent today. As a result, Himalayan-sized mountain ranges were being built.The rocky material that ultimately became Uluru and Kata Tjuta was in one of the mountain ranges formed the Petermann Ranges.

A monolith is a geological feature consisting of a single massive stone or rock, such as some mountains.

It has long been revered by a variety of Australian Aboriginal peoples of the region, who call it Uluru. The rock was sighted in 1872 by explorer Ernest Giles and was first visited by a European the following year, when surveyor William Gosse named it for Sir Henry Ayers, a former South Australian premier. It is the world’s largest monolith. Uluru/Ayers Rock rises 1,142 feet above the surrounding desert plain and reaches a height 2,831 feet above sea level. The monolith is oval in shape, measuring 2.2 miles (3.6 km) long by 1.5 miles (2.4 km) wide, with a circumference of 5.8 miles (9.4 km).Composed of arkosic sandstone, which contains a high proportion of feldspar, the rock changes color according to the position of the Sun; it is most visually striking at sunset, when it is colored a fiery orange-red by the Sun’s rays. Its lower slopes have become fluted by the erosion of weaker rock layers, while the top is scored with gullies and basins that produce giant cataracts after infrequent rainstorms. Shallow caves at the base of the rock are sacred to several Aboriginal tribes and contain carvings and paintings.

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=biuYA54nb7Y

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Location and Description:
Caño Cristales is a Colombian river located in the Serrania de la Macarena province of Meta, and is a tributary of the Guayabero River. The river is commonly called the "River of Five Colors" or the "Liquid Rainbow," and is noted for its striking colors.
The colors are produced during the reproductive process of the aquatic plants in the river, which are called Macarenia clavigera, a species of the riverweed family Podostemaceae.

During the wet season, the river runs fast and high, meaning the sun cannot hit the riverbed's plants. During the dry season, there is not enough water to support the plants. The seasons rarely vary, so visitors wanting to catch sight of the spectacle have to head to the national park during those months that the bloom is most visible.

The phenomenon happens nowhere else in the world. The area itself is a hotspot for biodiversity, where the Andes mountains and the Amazon and Orinoco basins converge -- and is home to many endemic species.
Is it igneous, sedimentary, metamorphic?
The quartzite rocks of the Serrania de la Macarena tableland formed approximately 1.2 billion years ago. They are a western extension of the Guiana Shield of Venezuela. Guyana and Brazil belong to the oldest exposed rocks in the world.

How was it formed?

Caño Cristales is a fast river with many rapids and waterfalls. Often in the bed have formed small circular pits – giant’s kettles, which have been formed by pebbles or chunks of harder rocks. Once one of these harder rock fragments falls into one of the cavities, it is rotated by the water current and begins to carve at the cavity wall and increases the dimensions of the pits.
The Caño Cristales is 62.1 miles long and is a tributary of the Guayabero River. Its main source is the Parque Nacional Natural Serranía de La Macarena, which is an isolated mountain range located in the Meta Department, Colombia.

What is a river?
The dictionary definition of a river is, a large natural stream of water flowing in a channel to the sea, a lake, or another such stream.
Video:
https://youtu.be/LngH8vsFvC0

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Location:
Kīlauea Volcano is a shield volcano located on the eastern slope of Mauna Loa Volcano on the Island of Hawai‘i. The volcano is considered to be in the shield-building stage of Hawaiian volcanism.
Latest Eruption:
Kīlauea volcano began erupting on September 29, 2021, at approximately 3:21 p.m. HST in Halema‘uma‘u crater. Lava continues to erupt from a single vent in the western wall of Halemaʻumaʻu crater. All lava activity is confined within Halemaʻumaʻu crater in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Seismicity and volcanic gas emission rates remain elevated. Kilauea is listed in the volcano watch category, at level orange.
Age:
There is a lack of old exposed rock at Kīlauea, which makes it difficult for geologists to piece together its complete eruption history. Only about 10 percent of Kīlauea's surface consists of rock older than 1,000 years. The other 90 percent of the volcano's surface is covered by lava flows younger than 1,000 years, and about 20 percent of those flows are less than 200 years old. The Hilina Basalt formation, exposed in Hilina fault scarps on Kīlauea's central south flank, includes the oldest lava flows found above sea level, which erupted around 50,000 to 70,000 years ago.

Older rocks have been recovered from Kīlauea's submarine slopes and drill cores, providing some clues to the volcano's origin. Estimates for the age of Kīlauea's first-erupted lavas continue to evolve as more samples are collected and various dating methods are used. Current research indicates the first alkali-basalt lava flows erupted onto the ocean floor between 210,000 and 280,000 years ago, and the volcano transitioned from its pre-shield to the shield-building stage about 155,000 years ago.
Type of Rock:

Kilauea is a basaltic shield volcano, erupting a type of basalt known as tholeiite. This type of lava is the dominant extrusive during the shield building (the main stage) of Hawaiian volcanism and is the dominant basalt type erupted on Earth. This is igneous rock.
Video:
https://youtu.be/G0RbX6Uvrh4

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Location:

Giant's Causeway

is a geological formation located in, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom.
It lies on the edge of the Antrim plateau between Causeway Head and Benbane Head, some 25 miles northeast of Londonderry. There are approximately 40,000 of these stone pillars, each typically with five to seven irregular sides, jutting out of the cliff faces as if they were steps creeping into the sea.
Type of Rock:
Formed 50 to 60 million years ago, during the Paleogene Period, the Giant’s Causeway resulted from successive flows of lava inching toward the coast and cooling when they contacted the sea. Layers of basalt formed columns, and the pressure between these columns sculpted them into polygonal shapes that vary from 15 to 20 inches in diameter and measure up to 82 feet in height. They are arrayed along cliffs averaging some 330 feet in elevation.
Other Information:
First documented in 1693, the formation has been intensively studied by geologists. The Giant’s Causeway and its coastal environs were given to the National Trust (a British organization that promotes the preservation of natural and architectural wonders) in 1961. Subsequently, the site was extended to some 200 acres; it was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1986. It is protected not only for its beauty but also because its cliffs, seashores, marshes, and grasslands are home to some 50 species of birds, as well as to more than 200 species of plants. Humans settled around the Giant’s Causeway in the 19th century, but the site is now uninhabited. It does, however, attract some 300,000 tourists annually. Deriving its name from local folklore, it is fabled to be the work of giants, particularly of Finn MacCumhaill (MacCool), who built it as part of a causeway to the Scottish island of Staffa (which has similar rock formations) for motives of either love or war.
The Causeway formed when molten rock was forced up through fissures in the earth to form a lava plateau.
A Causeway is a raised road or track across low or wet ground.
Definition of Basalt:

Extrusive igneous (volcanic) rock is low in silica content, dark in color, and comparatively rich in iron and magnesium.

Video:
https://youtu.be/bBARpgnYKvU

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Bianca Salinas
Location: San Andreas Fault, major fracture of the Earth’s crust in extreme western North America. The fault trends northwestward for more than 800 miles (1,300 km) from the northern end of the Gulf of California through western California, U.S., passing seaward into the Pacific Ocean in the vicinity of San Francisco.

What is it? The San Andreas Fault is the sliding boundary between the Pacific Plate and the North American Plate. It slices California in two from Cape Mendocino to the Mexican border. San Diego, Los Angeles and Big Sur are on the Pacific Plate. San Francisco, Sacramento and the Sierra Nevada are on the North American Plate.

Is it igneous, sedimentary, metamorphic

Igneous-metamorphic complex comprises an old metamorphic terrane of intermediate to basic composition and probable igneous parentage, and Mesozoic plutonic rocks of quartz monzonitic composition. These plutonic rocks have intimately intruded and in large part reconstituted the older metamorphic rocks. The resulting migmatitic gneiss is the most widespread rock of the area, and includes flaser gneiss, green-schist, and piedmontite-bearing gneiss as distinctive varietal types

Approximately how old: The San Andreas fault is about 28 million years old. Back then, California didn't exist, at least not recognizably so. Bits and pieces could be found scattered around the western edge of North American, which at the time ended at the Pacific ocean lapping the shores of central Utah and Arizona. Other parts were volcanic islands in the eastern Pacific. Most of what was to become California was either under the ocean or still being created beneath western North America. Thirty millions years ago seems like a long time but in geological time

What type of landform is it and how is it formed? Transform Plate Boundaries are locations where two plates slide past one another. The fracture zone that forms a transform plate boundary is known as a transform fault. Most transform faults are found in the ocean basin and connect offsets in the mid-ocean ridges. A smaller number connect mid-ocean ridges and subduction zones.

Video: https://youtu.be/ZxPTLmg0ZCw

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Bianca Salinas
Location: Sumbawa island

Mount Tambora, Indonesian Gunung Tambora, volcanic mountain on the northern coast of Sumbawa island, Indonesia

What is it? Igneous when hot, molten rock (magma) crystallizes and solidifies. ... Magma that rises to the surface is called lava. Igneous rocks are classified into two groups depending upon where the molten rock solidifies: Extrusive or Intrusive On April 10, 1815, the Tambora Volcano produced the largest eruption in recorded history. An estimated 150 cubic kilometers (36 cubic miles) of tephra—exploded rock and ash—resulted, with ash from the eruption recognized at least 1,300 kilometers (808 miles) away to the northwest.

Approximately how old: 43,000 years old

What type of landform is it and how is it formed? Volcanoes are vents, or openings in Earth's crust, that release ash, gases and steam, and hot liquid rock called lava. When the lava cools and hardens, it forms into the cone-shaped mountain we think of as a volcano. Most of the world's volcanoes are found around the edges of tectonic plates, both on land and in the oceans. On land, volcanoes form when one tectonic plate moves under another. Usually a thin, heavy oceanic plate subducts, or moves under, a thicker continental plate. When this happens, the ocean plate sinks into the mantle.

Video: https://youtu.be/FLLLCnIpO7M

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Bianca Salinas
Location: Plumas County, Shasta Cascades, California, United States, North America. The Warner Valley trailhead parking area is located 16 miles Northwest of Chester on the Warner Valley Road. From Chester, follow the Feather River Road north 1 mile to a fork for Juniper Lake and Warner Valley. Continue towards Warner Valley/Drakesbad for 15 miles. Bear left onto the dirt road and continue past the Warner Valley Campground to the turnoff for the trailhead.

What is it? Geysers are made from a tube-like hole in the Earth's surface that runs deep into the crust. The tube is filled with water. Near the bottom of the tube is molten rock called magma, which heats the water in the tube. Water in the lower part of the tube, close to the magma, becomes superhot.

Is it igneous, sedimentary, metamorphic

Rhyolitic rocks. These rhyolitic rocks mainly consist of silica (SiO2) and are heated by a deep magma body. Igneous rocks form when magma molten rock cools and crystallizes, either at volcanoes on the surface of the Earth or while the melted rock is still inside the crust.

Approximately how old?

Discovered in 1874, Dr. H.W. Harkness, who had come to inspect Cinder Cone, also paid Terminal Geyser a visit and wrote, “This geyser is ejecting boiling water to the height of ten feet.”

What type of landform is it and how is it formed? Geysers are made from a tube-like hole in the Earth's surface that runs deep into the crust. The tube is filled with water. Near the bottom of the tube is molten rock called magma, which heats the water in the tube. Water in the lower part of the tube, close to the magma, becomes superhot.

Video: https://youtu.be/mlpXaYnnTFQ

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Location:  Mount Vesuvius is located on the Gulf of Naples in Campania, Italy, it is about 9 km east of Naples and a short distance from the shore.

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I chose this landform because in 2012 my husband and I went to Europe to visit family stationed in Naples, Italy.  I got to see Mount Vesuvius up close but from a very safe distance, it was everything I thought it would be.  I was in awe looking at all of the destruction to the city of Pompeii and all of the lava encased bodies was a bit too much for me.  Pompeii is a broken city but a beautiful city full of known and unknown history to be told and learned.
What type of landform is it and how is it formed?
Mount Vesuvius is a somma stratovolcano volcano that consists of a large cone is encircled by a steep 3,714 feet (1,132 m).  The tectonic plates setting Vesuvius as part
of a Campanian volcano arc formed over a subduction zone created by the subduction zone created by convergences of African and Eurasian plates.

The volcano is constructed of layers of hardening laving,
pumice, and volcanic ash.  Mount Vesuvius
is a complex stratovolcano, it is the only active volcano on the mainland of Europe and is considered to be one of the most dangerous volcanoes in the world because of to the city of Naples and the surrounding towns on the nearby slopes.
Approximately how old: Mount Vesuvius is approximately 25,000 years old.  It was formed upon the site of a previous
volcano.  Mount Vesuvius has a very long history of
eruptions, beginning with the first known eruption in 5960 B.C. and has erupted more than 50 times with the last eruption being May 23, 1944.

Video: https://youtu.be/kDB1fWOwM3M

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Mauna Loa is located in the  Island of Hawai‘i

I picked the volcano of Mauna Loa. Mauna Loa has probably been erupting for at least 700,000 years, and may have emerged above sea level about 400,000 years ago. The oldest-known dated rocks are not older than 200,000 years. The volcano's magma comes from the Hawaii hotspot, which has been responsible for the creation of the Hawaiian island chain over tens of millions of years. The Hawaiian name "Mauna Loa" means "Long Mountain." This name is apt, for the subaerial part of Mauna Loa extends for about 120 km (74 mi) from the southern tip of the island to the summit caldera and then east-northeast to the coastline near Hilo.

Mauna Loa is among Earth's most active volcanoes, having erupted 33 times since its first well-documented historical eruption in 1843. It has produced large, voluminous flows of basalt that have reached the ocean eight times since 1868. It last erupted in 1984, when a lava flow came within 7.2 km (4.5 mi) of Hilo, the largest population center on the island. Mauna Loa is certain to erupt again, and with such a propensity to produce large flows, we carefully monitor the volcano for signs of unrest.

The volcano is constructed of a rock type known as tholeiitic basalt. It is an igneous rock. When the lava comes out of the volcano it turns igneous when it cools.

Approximately how old: It is about 10 million years old but did not emergen above sea level until 400,000 years ago.

What type of landform is it and how is it formed?Volcanoes are openings, or vents where lava, tephra (small rocks), and steam erupt onto the Earth's surface. Volcanic terrain, however, is built by the slow accumulation of erupted lava. The vent may be visible as a small bowl shaped depression at the summit of a cone or shield-shaped mountain. Through a series of cracks within and beneath the volcano, the vent connects to one or more linked storage areas of molten or partially molten rock (magma). This connection to fresh magma allows the volcano to erupt over and over again in the same location.

A video link about the landform: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGDVeOWDEAg

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Columbia plateau region that lies across parts of the U.S. states of Washington, Oregon, and Idaho.

The landform I choose is the plateau. The plateau formed between 6 million and 16 million years ago as the result of successive flows of basalt. Its northern border is marked by the Columbia River and the mouth of the Okanagan River. On the east the plateau includes the Camas Prairie of central Idaho, and on the west it runs to the foothills of the Cascade Mountains. In a river basin that is mostly mountains and steep valleys, the Columbia Plateau is an area of flat land and gently rolling hills cut by the sometimes steep river canyons of the Columbia and its tributaries. It is a roughly triangular-shaped area about 250 miles on one side.

A few lines about that specific landform

The plateau is created with igneous rocks. It is made out of multiple layers of igneous rock layers.

It is approximately 16 million years old.

What type of landform is it and how is it formed? A plateau is a flat, elevated landform that rises sharply above the surrounding area on at least one side. Plateaus occur on every continent and take up a third of the Earth's land. They are one of the four major landforms, along with mountains, plains, and hills.There are two kinds of plateaus: dissected plateaus and volcanic plateaus. A dissected plateau forms as a result of upward movement in the Earth's crust. The uplift is caused by the slow collision of tectonic plates. The Colorado Plateau, in the western United States, has been rising about .03 centimeter (.01 inch) a year for more than 10 million years.A volcanic plateau is formed by numerous small volcanic eruptions that slowly build up over time, forming a plateau from the resulting lava flows. The North Island Volcanic Plateau covers most of the central part of the North Island of New Zealand. This volcanic plateau still has three active volcanoes: Mount Tongariro, Mount Ngauruhoe, and Mount Ruapehu.Erosion can influence the shape of a plateau. Soft rock often erodes away on the top of a plateau. Many plateaus are therefore topped with a hard, durable surface called caprock. Caprock protects the plateau from erosion of the soil underneath it.Valleys form when river water cuts through the plateau. The Columbia Plateau, between the Cascade and Rocky mountains in the northwestern United States, is cut through by the Columbia River.Erosion shapes plateaus in other ways. Sometimes, a plateau is so eroded that it is broken up into smaller raised sections called outliers. Many outlier plateaus are composed of very old, dense rock formations. Iron ore and coal often are found in plateau outliers.

A video link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eShAgvcnsP0

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Snowfield Peak at North Cascades National Park in the U.S. state of Washington

The landform I picked is a mountain peak that is part of the cascades mountain region. A col divides the Snowfield group into two sections, a lower cirque boasting Colonial Glacier and and upper section that is still somehow a saddle point with Neve Glacier spilling out onto two opposing tongues.Geological events occurring many years ago created the diverse topography and drastic elevation changes over the Cascade Range leading to the various climate differences.

Is it igneous, sedimentary, metamorphic:sedimentary rock and metamorphic rock formed under high pressure and relatively low temperatures. Many fold mountains are also formed where an underlying layer of ductile minerals, such as salt, is present.

Approximately how old:During the Pleistocene period dating back over two million years ago, glaciation advancing and retreating repeatedly scoured the landscape leaving deposits of rock debris.

What type of landform is it and how is it formed? As the name suggests, fold mountains occur when two tectonic plates collide at a convergent plate boundary, causing the crust to overthicken. This process forces the less dense crust to float on top of the denser mantle rocks – with material being forced upwards to form hills, plateaus or mountains – while a greater volume of material is forced downward into the mantle.

A video link about the landform: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3WlLDO4bAiE

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Location: Chihuahuan Desert of southern New Mexico- Carlsbad New Mexico

Local faulting and stresses of the earth's crust, especially over the past 20 million years, has uplifted these reef sediments almost ten thousand feet. Wind, rain, snow and time eroded away the overlying younger sediments and now the ancient reef is exposed once again. The park's deep canyons and caves now provide visitors with unique opportunities to view this fossil reef from the inside. On-going geologic processes continue to form rare and unique speleothems, particularly in Lechuguilla Cave. Carlsbad Caverns and Lechuguilla Cave are well known for their great natural beauty, exceptional geologic features, and unique reef and rock formations.

A canyon is a narrow, deep valley cut by a river through rock.

A cave, also called cavern, is a natural opening in the earth large enough for human exploration.

What type of landform is it and how is it formed? There are more than 119 known caves within the park alone-they are some of the biggest and longest caves in the world. All of them reveal a very unusual ingredient in cave dissolution (creation)—sulfuric acid. Most of the world's limestone caves are created when surface water flows down through cracks in limestone rock and slowly enlarges the passageways. In all surface water, there is a weak acid called carbonic acid. This acid slowly dissolves and scours out the rock in more than 90 percent of the world's limestone caves. These types of caves are typically very wet and have streams, rivers and sometimes lakes or large waterfalls in them. However, there are no flowing rivers or streams in any of the hundreds of caves in the Guadalupe Mountains and no evidence that these huge cave chambers were dissolved by carbonic acid.

Type of rock: Sedimentary

Approximately how old? The caverns are 3.9 million to 4 million years old and were carved out of ancient limestone by the slow drip of water enriched with sulfuric acid, geologist Victor Polyak said.

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z_SoMOP6M5Q

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Location:
The Chihuahuan Desert stretches from the southeastern corner of Arizona across southern New Mexico and west Texas to the Edwards Plateau in the United States. It runs deep into central Mexico, including parts of the states of Chihuahua, northwest Coahuila, northeast Durango and several others.

What type of landform is it, and how is it formed? This is a desert landform, which is the place that gets little to no rain. The climate can be either hot or cold, and sometimes both. Each desert landform has one thing in common, it has less than 10 inches of rain per year. Generally, desert have a lot of wind because they are flat and have no or less vegetation to block out the wind. Deserts are formed by weathering processes, as large variations in temperature between day and night put strains on the rocks, which consequently break in pieces. Although rain seldom occurs in deserts, there are occasional downpours that can result in flash floods.

Type of desert: It is mainly a rain shadow desert because of the two main mountain ranges covering the desert, the Sierra Madre Occidental to the west and the Sierra Madre Oriental to the east, block most moisture from the Pacific Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico, respectively. The Chihuahuan Desert differs from the Sonoran and Mojave deserts because it receives more summer rain during monsoon thunderstorms and has colder winters. A monsoon is a seasonal change in the direction of the prevailing, or strongest, winds of a region. The climate includes hot summers and cool to cold, dry winters. Annual precipitation ranges from 150 to 500 mm (approximately 6 to 20 inches), with a large part of the rain falling in the form of monsoonal rains during the summer months. The basin and range topography of the Chihuahuan Desert consists of broad desert valleys (basins) bordered by terraces, mesas, and mountains (ranges). Salt lakes or playas (beach) can form because rainwater drains internally in these closed basins. Dune fields composed of quartz or gypsum sand are also common.  Gypsum is a soft white or gray mineral consisting of hydrated calcium sulfate. A dune field is a flat region covered with wind-swept sand or dunes with little or no vegetation.

Types of rock? Sedimentary

Approximately how old ? About 9,000 years ago.

Video:
https://youtu.be/r6H-446XMzo

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Location of landform:
Monte Fitz Roy is a mountain in Patagonia, on the border between Argentina and Chile. It is located in the Southern Patagonian Ice Field, near El Chaltén village and Viedma Lake.

Mount Fitz Roy original name is Chaltén, that in Tehuelche dialect means “smoking mountain”. This is due to a rare aeolic phenomenon that makes its top always appear as it was surrounded by clouds, which gives the mountain a smoking volcano look.

Mountains are prominent landforms that have significant heights above sea level and/or the surrounding land. They are steeper than hills. A mountain or mountain range usually has a peak, which is a pointed top. Mountains have different climates than land at sea level and nearby flat land. Climate is the weather over an extended time period for a specific area. The climate of mountains tends to include colder weather, wetter weather, and thinner air. Thin air refers to the fact that at the higher altitudes of a mountain, there is less oxygen to breathe. Also, mountains generally have less hospitable conditions for plants and animals. This leads to quite different evolutionary adaptations for those plants and animals that make higher elevations their home.

Mountain formation refers to the geological processes that underlie the formation of mountains. These processes are associated with large-scale movements of the earth’s crust (plate tectonics). Mountain formation is related to plate tectonics. Folding, faulting, volcanic activity, igneous intrusion and metamorphism are all parts of the orogenic process of mountain building.  Orgeny is the primary mechanism by which mountains are formed. An orgeny is an event that takes place at a convergent plate margin when plate motion compresses the margin.

Fitz Roy is a huge pyramid shaped granite monolith, carved by the winds, snow and ice. Fitz Roy is made of igneous rocks from deep in the Earth. When large tectonic plates collided about 100 million years, magma escaped between these plates and solidified between other rocks. The erosion of these rocks led to the formation of the mountain.

Video:
https://youtu.be/9PC9Ivgt85U

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Location of landform: Located in the Canary Islands in Spain.

What type of landform is it and how is it formed? Cumbre Vieja is an active volcano ridge on the Canary Islands that contains many active and inactive craters and fissures. This landform has actually been erupting since September 19,201 and continues to erupt today. The landform was formed by volcanic eruptions millions of years ago which continued to erupt years apart, starting in 1435 and being ongoing.

Types of rock and formation (igneous, sedimentary, metamorphic):  The volcano includes igneous rocks created by the magma and lava after it cools and forms heavy new rocks caused by the tighten minerals. These rocks usually do not contain any layers due to how tightly packed the minerals are. However, this type of rock is labeled as an extrusive igneous rock because of the small grain crystals that are rarely visible because the lava cools quickly and do not have time to form. The volcano also contains stratovolcano,  dacite, basalt, andesite and rhyolite. A stratovolcano is a tall, conical volcano composed of one layer of hardened lava, tephra, and volcanic ash. These volcanoes are characterized by a steep profile and periodic, explosive eruptions. The lava that flows from them is highly viscous, and cools and hardens before spreading very far.

How old is it? About 125,000 years old

Video link: https://youtu.be/c43LDI5tKj8