Our world is made up of many unique physical features. We can categorise these features into various landscapes such as coastal, mountain, desert and riverine by identifying landforms that are found in each. For example, a beach is a landform that is characteristic to a coastal landscape, and a valley is a characteristic landform found in a riverine landscape.
There are many processes that shape the Earth's landforms and landscapes. The interaction of tectonic plates, wind, waves, water and even plants and animals can alter a landscape. These changes can occur rapidly, perhaps due to a hazard or climatic event, or extremely slowly, such as through the creation of a karst landscape formed over thousands of years from dripping rainwater. All changes highlight the dynamic nature of our Earth's surface.
Produced by ABC Education in collaboration with Geoscience Australia and the Geography Teachers' Association of Victoria.
