Essential Geomorphology Terms and Landform Definitions

Geomorphology

The science that studies and describes land relief and the geological forces that have influenced its formation.

Orogeny

The process of mountain and ridge formation resulting from the effects of tectonic plate movements.

Erosion

Modification of relief produced by wear from atmospheric and biological agents.

Sedimentation

The deposition of material resulting from the disintegration of rocks.

Hesperian Massif

A primary massif located in the central Iberian plateau, which was initially inclined toward the Mediterranean Sea.

Glaciation

During the Quaternary Era, glaciation affected the highest peaks of the peninsula, creating features like U-shaped valleys and glacial cirques.

River Terraces

Formed during the Quaternary period, these terraced valleys are created as a result of alternating climatic conditions (ice ages and interglacial periods).

Karst Terrain

A landscape formed from the dissolution of soluble rocks, such as limestone, resulting from chemical weathering by water.

Berrocales

Granite formations resulting in landscapes dominated by chaotically arranged, rounded rocks (tors).

Gullies

Incisions or trenches formed by concentrated runoff or streams, typically in clay or unconsolidated materials.

Páramos (Platform Landforms)

Landforms characterized by an alternation of resistant (hard) and non-resistant (soft) materials, where erosion by the fluvial network creates isolated, flat-topped platforms.

Cerros Testigo (Witness Hills)

Small hills with horizontal tops that retain a portion of a resistant stratum at their summit, remnants of a formerly extensive higher surface.

Glacis (Slope)

In reliefs formed on inclined strata, a glacis is an erosion surface formed at the front or base of a steeper slope.

Gorges

Deep, narrow canyons between mountains, formed by the erosive action of rivers flowing through hard, resistant rock.

Anticline

Upward-arching (convex) folds in stratified rock layers (characteristic of folded or Jurassic relief).

Syncline

Downward-arching (concave) folds in stratified rock layers (characteristic of folded or Jurassic relief).

Cluses

Transverse valleys cutting perpendicularly across folds (anticlines or synclines).

Combes

Valleys eroded parallel to the axis or summit of an anticline, typically in weaker rock layers.

Dehesas

A traditional agro-sylvo-pastoral system, particularly in Iberia, characterized by sparse oak trees (like Holm or Cork oaks) providing acorns as staple food for livestock herds.

Páramos (Regional Term)

Elevated, flat areas, particularly noted in the eastern sector (likely referring to a specific region, e.g., Iberia).

Campiñas / Campillos

Lower-lying areas or depressions, often fertile, found in the eastern sector (contrasting with the Páramos in a specific regional context).

Delta

A landform created by the deposition of sediment at the mouth of a river where it enters a standing body of water (like a sea, lake, or ocean).

Hoyas

Large basins or depressions, often of tectonic origin, typically occurring in areas with soft, easily eroded materials.

Marshes

Large tracts of low-lying wetland subject to frequent flooding, often by saltwater in coastal areas.

Cordón Litoral (Coastal Spit)

A sand spit formed by the accumulation of sediments transported by wave action (longshore drift), creating a narrow strip of land attached to the coast at one end.