Geographical Landform & Weather Term Definitions

Glossary of Geographical Terms

Cliff

A wall of very steep or vertical rock. Hard and compact rocks recede and fall due to the action of the waves, causing the cliff face to retreat.

Albufera

A saltwater lake or pond formed by a coastal barrier or sandbar (cordon) that has enclosed a bay.

Aridity

The relationship between water availability and the needs of vegetation, soil, and crops; essentially, whether the water supply is sufficient.

Badlands

A wide area of clay slopes heavily eroded, losing fertile soil and developing multiple gullies (cárcavas). It is an arid zone where vegetation struggles to grow upright.

Batholith

A large intrusive rock formation that, when exposed at the surface, forms a resistant hill due to its great hardness.

Berrocales

An accumulation of berruecos (large, rounded granite boulders) often found in valleys.

Berruecos

Rocks of varying size, rounded in shape due to abrasive wear.

Countryside (Campiña)

A relatively flat clay area located at the bottom of a slope and at a lower altitude than a páramo. It is typically a fertile and arable region.

Eggnog (Alluvial Fan)

An accumulation of debris forming a large, cone-shaped deposit, situated where a slope meets a plain or valley. (Likely refers to an Alluvial Fan or Debris Cone).

Cárcava (Gully)

A gully or ravine of variable depth, carved by flowing water into easily eroded slopes, typically clay.

Cardonal

A type of vegetation formation, typically very open, found in very dry regions, primarily composed of cacti.

Caves

A large underground space of considerable length and height, created by current or past watercourses dissolving rock from within.

Cirque Glacier

A broad, amphitheater-like basin between high peaks where névé, snow, and ice accumulate, feeding glaciers.

Gordon (Spit)

Similar to a spit (a deposition landform found off coasts), but running parallel to the coast.

Delta

An accumulation of fine sediments deposited where a river meets a body of standing water (sea, lake), often forming new land projecting into the water.

Washout (Sediments)

Sediments of various sizes resulting from the weathering and erosion of mountains, hills, etc. (Often referred to as alluvium or scree depending on context).

Dolina (Sinkhole)

A hollow of variable size formed by the dissolution of limestone near the surface, extending downwards and sideways. Often associated with underlying pools or caverns. (Commonly known as a Sinkhole).

Domo (Dome)

A hill or anticlinal structure with a large radius of curvature, formed from resistant rock.

Foehn Effect

When wind descends a lee slope (downwind side of a mountain), it causes an increase in temperature, a reduction in relative humidity, and the dissipation of clouds, leading to dry, warm conditions.

Escarxa (Frost)

Condensation of water vapor directly into ice crystals upon contact with surfaces (like soil) at temperatures below 0°C. (Likely refers to Frost - Spanish: escarcha).

Runoff

Water that flows over the Earth's surface when rainfall, snowmelt, or hail exceeds the ground's absorption capacity (excess or saturation).

Estuary

The tidal mouth of a large river where the tide meets the stream, resulting in brackish water. Often considered the opposite of a delta in terms of river mouth morphology.