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NSSH Part 629

Glossary Of Landform and Geologic Terms

Definition and Purpose (629.00)

The purpose of this glossary is to provide soil scientists and other specialists with a list of standard landform, geologic, and related terms and their definitions to help:

  • improve predictions of soil occurrence by ensuring that soil scientists accurately identify the landforms and sediment bodies that they encounter;
  • improve the clarity and accuracy of map unit descriptions;
  • ensure consistent word usage in soil topics nationwide, especially soil surveys;
  • provide preferred or appropriate definitions for terms that have several definitions in general use; and
  • train soil scientists and other professionals in useful aspects of soils and where they occur.

Responsibilities (629.01)

This glossary is the official reference for soil survey applications of landform, geologic, and related terms. The National Soil Survey Center, Lincoln, NE, is responsible for maintaining and updating this glossary. MLRA office soil scientists and National Cooperative Soil Survey participants are responsible for submitting proposals for additions for use within soil survey descriptions and publications. Many terms and definitions are drawn from the Glossary of Geology (AGI, 1997). Permission was granted (letters dated 9/11/85 and 9/22/93) to the USDA-Natural Resource Conservation Service (formerly the Soil Conservation Service) by the American Geological Institute (AGI), to use various definitions. Modifications to original AGI definitions are noted as explained in part 629.02.

Definitions (629.02)

(a) Reference codes.

The source from which definitions were taken, whole or in part, are identified by a code (e.g. GG) at the end of each definition. Underlined codes (e.g., GG) signify a modification of the original source definition. The reference codes are:

BFM - Boothroyd, J.C., Friedrich, N.E., and McGinn, S.R. 1985. Geology of microtidal coastal lagoons: Rhode Island. Marine Geology 63:35-76.

BHM - Buol, S.W., Hole, F.D., McCracken, R.J., and Southard, R.J. 1997. Soil genesis and classification, 4th Ed. Iowa State University Press, Ames, IA; 527p.

CC - Cowardin, L.M., Carter, V., Golet, F.C., and Laroe, E.T. 1979. Classification of wetlands and deepwater habitats of the United States. US Dept. Interior, US Fish and Wildlife Service, US Government Printing Office, Washington, DC.

CF - Clayton, L. and Freers, T.F. (eds.) 1967. Glacial geology of the Missouri Coteau and adjacent areas. Guidebook 18th annual field conference Midwest Friends of the Pleistocene. North Dakota Geological Survey Miscellaneous Series #30, 170 p.

CV - Cruden, D.M., and Varnes, D.J. 1996. Landslide types and processes. In: Turner, A.K., and Schuster, R.L., (eds). 1996. Landslides: investigations and mitigation. National Research Council, Transportation Research Board Special Report No. 247; National Academy Press, Washington, DC; 673 p.

DV - Varnes, D. 1978. Slope movement types and processes. In: Schuster, R.L., and R.J. Krizek. (eds). 1978. Landslides: analysis and control. National Academy Sciences, Transportation Research Board Special Report No. 176; 234 p.

FC - Freeze, A.L. and Cherry, J.A. 1979. Groundwater. Prentice-Hall, Inc., Englewood Cliffs, NJ, 604 p.

FFP - Peterson, F.F. 1981. Landforms of the Basin and Range Province defined for soil survey. Nevada Agricultural Experiment Station Technical Bulletin No. 28, Reno, NV. 52p.

GG - Jackson, J.A. (ed) 1997. Glossary of geology, 4th Ed. American Geological Institute, Alexandria, VA. 769p. ISBN 0-922152-34-9

GG’87 - Bates, R.L., and Jackson, J.A. (ed) 1987. Glossary of geology, 3rd Ed. American Geological Institute, Alexandria, VA.788p.

DA - Davis, R.A. 1994. Barrier island systems - a geologic overview. P. 1-46. In: Davis, R.A. ed.) 1994. Geology of Holocene barrier island systems. Springer-Verlag, New York, NY.

DR - Ritter, D.F., Kochel, R.C., and Miller, J.R. 1995. Process geomorphology, 3rd ed. Wm. C. Brown, Publishers, Dubuque, IA.

FS - Fisher, J.J., and Simpson, E.J. 1979. Washover and tidal sedimentation rates as environmental factors in development of a transgressive barrier shoreline; pp.127-148. In: Leatherman, S.P. (ed.) 1979. Barrier islands from the Gulf of St Lawrence to the Gulf of Mexico. Academic Press, New York, NY.

GD - Demas, G.P. 1998. Subaqueous soil of Sinepuxent Bay, Maryland. PhD dissertation, Department of Natural Resources and Landscape Architecture, University of Maryland, College Park, MD.

GHG - Gile, L.H., Hawley, J.W., and Grossman, R.B. 1981. Soils and geomorphology in the Basin and Range area of southern New Mexico – Guidebook to the Desert Project. Memoir 39. New Mexico Bureau of Mines & Mineral Resources, Socorro, NM; 222 p.

GM - Goldthwaite, R.P. and Matsch, C.L. (eds.) 1988. Genetic classification of glaciogenic deposits: final report of the commission on genesis and lithology of glacial Quaternary deposits of the International Union for Quaternary Research (INQUA). A.A. Balkema, Rotterdam; 294 p.

GS - Green, J., and Short, N.M. 1971. Volcanic landforms and surface features: A photographic atlas and glossary. Springer – Verlag, New York, NY. 519 p.

GSST - Soil Science Society of America. 2001. Glossary of Soil Science terms. Soil Science Society of America, Madison, WI. 135p.

HD - Holdorf, H. and Donahue, J. 1990. Landforms for soil surveys in the Northern Rockies. Montana Forest and Conservation Experiment Station, School of Forestry, University of Montana, Misc. Publ. No. 51. 26 p.

HF - Fisk, H.N. 1959. Padre Island and the Laguna Madre flats, coastal south Texas. Louisiana State University, 2nd Coastal Geography Conference; pp. 103-151.

HP - Hawley, J.W., and Parsons, R.B. 1980. Glossary of selected geomorphic and geologic terms. Mimeo. USDA Soil Conservation Service, West National Technical Center, Portland, OR. 30 p.

KST - Soil Survey Staff. 1994. Keys to Soil Taxonomy, 6th Ed. USDA - Natural Resources Conservation Service (p.54).

MA - MacDonald, G.A. and A.T. Abbott. 1970. Volcanoes in the sea, the geology of Hawaii. University of Hawaii Press, 441p.

NL - Lancaster, N. 1995. Geomorphology of desert dunes. Routledge, New York, NY. 209p.

NRC - National Research Council of Canada. 1988. Glossary of permafrost and related ground ice terms. Associate Committee Geotechnical Research, Technical Memorandum 142; 156 p

RF - Fairbridge, R .W. (ed.). Encyclopedia of geomorphology. 1968. Encyclopedia of Earth Sciences Series, vol. 3. Reinhold Book Corporation, New York, NY

RD - Daniels, Raymond B. (personal communication).

RR - Ruhe, Robert V. 1975. Geomorphology: Geomorphic processes and surficial geology. Houghton-Mifflin, Boston, MA, 246p.

SJ - Sugden, D.E. and John, B.S. 1976. Glaciers and landscape, a geomorphological approach. Halsted Press, John Wiley and Sons, Inc., New York, NY, 376 p.

SM - McGinn, S.R. 1982. Facies distribution of Ninigret Pond. Masters thesis, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI.

SS - Summer, M.E., and Stewart, B.A. (eds). 1992. Soil crusting in Australia. In: Soil crusting: chemical and physical process. Advances in Soil Science, Lewis Publishing, Boca Raton, FL.

SSM - Soil Survey Staff. 1993. Soil Survey Manual. USDA - Soil Conservation Service, Agricultural Handbook No. 18, U.S. Gov. Print. Office, Washington, DC.

SSS - Subaqueous Soils Subcommittee. 2005. Glossary of terms for subaqueous soils, landscapes, landforms, and parent materials of estuaries and lagoons. National Cooperative Soil Survey Conference, USDA-NRCS, National Soil Survey Center, Lincoln, NE.

ST - Soil Survey Staff. 1975. Soil Taxonomy. A basic system of soil classification for making and interpreting soil surveys. USDA - Soil Conservation Service Agricultural Handbook #436, U.S. Gov. Print. Office, Washington, DC, 754 p.

SW - Schoeneberger, P.J. and Wysocki, D.A. (personal communication), National Soil Survey Center, NRCS, Lincoln, NE.

WA - Way, D.S. 1973. Terrain analysis. Harvard University, Dowden, Hutchinson & Ross, Inc., Stroudsburg, PA. 392p.

WCHP - Wells, D.V., Conkwright, R.D., Hill, J.M., and Park, M.J. 1994. The surficial sediments of Assawoman Bay and Isle of Wight Bay, Maryland: Physical and chemical characteristics. Coastal and Estuarine Geology File Report Number 94-2, Maryland Geological Survey, Baltimore, MD.

WM - Monroe, W.H. 1980. Some tropical landforms of Puerto Rico. US Geological Survey Professional Paper 1159, U.S. Govt. Print. Office, Washington, DC.

WT - Thornbury, W.D. 1969. Principles of geomorphology; 2nd Ed. John Wiley and Sons, Inc., New York, NY; 594 p.

WW - White, W.B. 1988. Geomorphology and hydrology of karst terrains. Oxford Univ. Press, New York, NY; 478 p.

(b) Clarifying comments attached to glossary terms.

... (not recommended) use ... - indicates terms that are unacceptable (erroneous, obsolete, ill-defined, chronically misapplied, or otherwise inappropriate for use in a soils context) and should not be used. If available, an alternate term is indicated.

... (not preferred) refer to ... - identifies terms that may be technically correct (theoretically acceptable) but are not desirable and should not be used, if at all possible, due to unnecessary redundancy and confusion. Preferred alternatives are indicated.

... (colloquial: ) - indicates a local term, one not widely recognized, and identifies the area where it has been used, if known. Its definition or usage is either not widely accepted or unknown outside the specified area. A colloquial term should not be used if a more widely recognized alternative is available.

Compare - ... - found at the end of a definition and indicates other glossary terms that are related or similar to, yet different from, the term they follow.

(c) Glossary terms.

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Adobe Acrobat DocumentGlossary terms (340 KB)


References (629.03)

(a) Current References

Birkeland, P.W. 1999. Soils and geomorphology, 3rd Ed. Oxford University Press; 430 p.

Bloom, Arthur L. 1997. Geomorphology: a systematic analysis of late Cenozoic landforms, 3rd Ed. Prentice Hall;

Boothroyd, J.C., Friedrich, N.E., and McGinn, S.R. 1985. Geology of microtidal coastal lagoons: Rhode Island. Marine Geology 63:35-76.

Buol, S.W., Southard, R.J., Graham, R.C., and McDaniel, P.A. 2003. Soil classification and genesis, 5th ed. Iowa State Press Ames, IA. ISBN:0-8138-2873-2

Cherry, J.A.. 1999. Groundwater. Prentice-Hall, Inc., Englewood Cliffs, NJ.

Colman, S.M. and Dethier, D.P. (ed.) 1986. Rates of chemical weathering of rocks and minerals. Academic Press, Inc., Orlando, FL. 603 p.

Compton, R.R. 1985. Geology in the field. John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York, NY; 398 p.

Cooke, R.U. and Warren, A.. 1973. Geomorphology in deserts. University of California Press, Berkeley, CA; 374 p.

Cowardin, L.M., Carter, V., Golet, F.C., and Laroe, E.T. 1979. Classification of wetlands and deepwater habitats of the United States. US Dept. Interior, US Fish and Wildlife Service, US Government Printing Office, Washington, DC.

Cruden, D.M. and Varnes, D.J. 1996. Landslide types and processes. In: Turner, A.K., and Schuster, R.L. , (eds). 1996. Landslides: investigations and mitigation. National Research Council, Transportation Research Board Special Report No. 247; National Academy Press, Washington, DC; 673 p.

Curran, H.A., Justus, P.S., Young, D.M., and Garver, J.B. 1984. Atlas of landforms, 3rd Ed. US Military Academy, West Point, NY, Dept Geography and Computer Science; 155 p.

Daniels, Dr. Raymond B. 1992. (Personal communication). Head (retired), Soil Survey Investigations, USDA - Soil Conservation Service, Washington, D.C.

Daniels, R.B., and Hammer, D.. 1992. Soil geomorphology. John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York, NY;

Davis, R.A. 1994. Barrier island systems - a geologic overview. P. 1-46. In: Davis, R.A. ed.) 1994. Geology of Holocene barrier island systems. Springer-Verlag, New York, NY.

Demas, G.P. 1998. Subaqueous soil of Sinepuxent Bay, Maryland. PhD dissertation, Department of Natural Resources and Landscape Architecture, University of Maryland, College Park, MD.

Dixon, J.B., and Weed, S.B.. (eds). 1989. Minerals in the soil environment, 2nd Ed. Soil Science Society of America, Madison, WI, Book Series, No. 1; 1244 p.

Dutro, J.T., Dietrich, R.V., Foose, R.M.. 1989. AGI field data sheets: for geology in the field, laboratory and office, 3rd Ed. American Geological Institute, Alexandria, VA.;

Fisher, J.J., and Simpson, E.J. 1979. Washover and tidal sedimentation rates as environmental factors in development of a transgressive barrier shoreline; pp.127-148. In: Leatherman, S.P. (ed.) 1979. Barrier islands from the Gulf of St Lawrence to the Gulf of Mexico. Academic Press, New York, NY.

Fisk, H.N. 1959. Padre Island and the Laguna Madre flats, coastal south Texas. Louisiana State University, 2nd Coastal Geography Conference; pp. 103-151.

Gile, L.H., Hawley, J.W., and Grossman, R.B. 1981. Soils and geomorphology in the Basin and Range area of southern New Mexico- guidebook to the Desert Project. Memoir 39. New Mexico Bureau of Mines & Mineral Resources, Socorro, NM; 222 p.

Gile, L.H., and Ahrens, R.J, (eds). 1994. Supplement to the desert project soil monograph: Soils and landscapes of a desert region astride the Rio Grande Valley near Las Cruces, New Mexico. USDA - Soil Conservation Service, Soil Survey Investigations Report No. 44, vol. 1: Soil water and soils at the soil water sites, Jornada experiment range. National Soil Survey Center, Lincoln, NE; 592 p.

Goldthwaite, R.P. and Matsch, C.L, (eds.) 1988. Genetic classification of glacigenic deposits: final report of the commission on genesis and lithology of glacial Quaternary deposits of the International Union for Quaternary Research (INQUA). A.A. Balkema, Rotterdam; 294 p.

Graf, W.L. (ed.) 1987. Geomorphic systems of North America. Geological Society America, Decade of North American Geology, Centennial Special Volume, No. 2.; 643 p.

Hamblin, W.K. and Howard, J.D.. 1995. Exercises in physical geology, 8th Ed. Burgess Publ. Co., Minneapolis, MN; 192p.

Harland, W.B., Armstrong, R.L., Craig, L.E., Smith, A.G., and Smith, D.G. 1990. A geologic time scale. Press Syndicate of University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK; 1 sheet.

Holdorf, H. and Donahue, J. 1990. Landforms for soil surveys in the Northern Rockies. Montana Forest and Conservation Experiment Station, School of Forestry, University of Montana, Misc. Publ. No. 51; 26 p.

Hunt, C.B. 1986. Surficial deposits of the United States. Van Nos Reinhold Co., Inc., New York, NY; 208p.

Jackson, J.A.. (ed.). 1997. Glossary of geology, 4th Ed. American Geological Institute, Alexandria, VA; 769p. ISBN 0-922152-34-9

Lancaster, N. 1995. Geomorphology of desert dunes. Routledge, New York, NY. 209 p.

Mausbach, M.J., and Wilding, L.P., (eds). 1991. Spatial variabilities of soils and landforms. Soil Science Society of America, Madison, WI, Special Publication No.28; 270 p.

McGinn, S.R. 1982. Facies distribution of Ninigret Pond. Masters thesis, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI.

Monroe, W.H. 1976. The karst landforms of Puerto Rico. US Geological Survey Professional Paper 899, U.S. Govt. Print. Office, Washington, DC.

Monroe, W.H. 1980. Some tropical landforms of Puerto Rico. US Geological Survey Professional Paper 1159, U.S. Govt. Print. Office, Washington, DC.

Morrison, R.B. (ed.). 1991. Quaternary nonglacial geology: conterminous United States. Geological Society of America, Decade of North American Geology, Geology of North America, Vol. K-2; 672p.

National Research Council of Canada. 1988. Glossary of permafrost and related ground ice terms. Associate Committee Geotechnical Research, Technical Memorandum 142; 156p.

Neuendorf, K.K.E., Mehl, J.P., Jr., Jackson, J. 2005. Glossary of geology, 5th Ed. American Geological Institute, Alexandria, VA. ISBN 0-922152-76-4

Nordt, J.S., Sowers, J.M., and Lettis, W.R. 2000. Quaternary geochronology. AGU Reference Shelf 4, American Geophysical Union, Washington, DC; (ISBN 0-87590-950-7); 582 p.

Peterson, F.F. 1981. Landforms of the Basin and Range Province defined for soil survey. Nevada Agricultural Experiment Station, Technical Bulletin No. 28, Reno, NV; 52 p.

Peterson, F.F. 1990. A manual for describing NSSL soil sampling sites: Terms and concepts for identifying physiographic position and other sampling site descriptors; Draft ver. 1.0; USDA-NRCS National Soil Survey Laboratory, Lincoln, NE; 61p. [unpublished]

Porter, S.C. (ed) 1983. Late-quaternary environments of the United States, Vol. 1: the late Pleistocene. University of Minnesota Press, Minneapolis, MN. 277 p.

Ritter, D.F., Kochel, R.C., Miller, J.R. 1995. Process geomorphology, 3rd Ed. Wm C. Brown Publ.; Dubuque, IA; 539 p.

Royse, C.F. and Barsch, D.. 1971. Terraces and pediment terraces in the southwest: an interpretation. Geological Society of America Bulletin, 82:3177-3182.

Schoeneberger, P.J. and Wysocki, D.A. 2002. Geomorphology. In: Schoeneberger, P.J., Wysocki, D.A., Benham, E.C., and Broderson, W.D. 2002. Field Book for describing and sampling soils, version 2.0. National Soil Survey Center, Natural Resources Conservation Service, USDA, Lincoln, NE.

Schoeneberger, P.J. and Wysocki, D.A. 2000. (personal communication). National Soil Survey Center, USDA - NRCS, Lincoln, NE.

Schoeneberger, P.J., Wysocki, D.A., Benham, E.C., and Broderson, W.D. 2002. Field Book for describing and sampling soils, version 2.0. National Soil Survey Center, Natural Resources Conservation Service, USDA, Lincoln, NE.

Schumm, S.A. 1977. The fluvial system. John Wiley & Sons., Inc., New York, NY; 338 p.

Schumm, S.A. 1987. Experimental fluvial geomorphology. John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York, NY; 413p.

Schumm, S.A. 1991. To interpret the earth: 10 ways to be wrong. Cambridge Univ. Press; 180 p.

Schumm, S.A., Harvey, M.D., and Watson, C.C.. 1984. Incised channels: morphology, dynamics, and control. Water Resources Publications, Littleton, CO; 200 p.

Schuster, R.L., and Krizek, R.J., (eds). 1978. Landslides: analysis and control. National Academy Sciences, Transportation Research Board Special Report No. 176; 234 p.

Selby, M.J. 1993. Hillslope materials and processes, 2nd Ed. Oxford University Press Inc., New York; 451p.

Sibrava, V., Bowen, D.Q., and Richmond, D.Q., (eds). 1986. Quaternary glaciations in the Northern Hemisphere: final report of the International Geological Correlation Programme, Project 24. Quaternary Science Reviews, Vol. 5, Pergamon Press, Oxford; 514 p.

Smith, G.D. 1978. The Andisol proposal. In: Leamy, M.L., Kinlock, D.I., and Parfitt, R.L. International Committee on Andisols – Final Report. Soil Management Support Services Technical Monograph #20 (p. 5). USDA – Soil Conservation Service, Washington, D.C.

Soil Science Society of America. 2001. Glossary of soil science terms. Soil Science Society of America, Madison, WI; 135 p.

Soil Survey Staff. 1993. Soil Survey Manual. USDA - Soil Conservation Service, Agricultural Handbook No. 18, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, DC; 437 p.

Soil Survey Staff. 1994. Keys to Soil Taxonomy, 6th Ed. USDA - Natural Resources Conservation Service.

Soil Survey Staff. 1998. Keys to Soil Taxonomy, 8th Ed. USDA - Natural Resources Conservation Service.

Soil Survey Staff. 1999. Soil Taxonomy, 2nd Ed. A basic system of soil classification for making and interpreting soil surveys. USDA - Soil Conservation Service, Agricultural Handbook #436, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, DC, 869p.

Sposito, G. 1989. The chemistry of soils. Oxford Univ. Press, Oxford; 277 p.

Strahler, A.N. and Strahler, A.H. 1989. Elements of physical geography, 4th Ed. John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York, NY;

Subaqueous Soils Subcommittee. 2005. Glossary of terms for subaqueous soils, landscapes, landforms, and parent materials of estuaries and lagoons. National Cooperative Soil Survey Conference, USDA-NRCS, National Soil Survey Center, Lincoln, NE.

Sugden, D.E. and John, B.S.. 1976. Glaciers and landscape, a geomorphological approach. Halsted Press, John Wiley and Sons, Inc., New York, NY; 376 p.

Summer, M.E., and Stewart, B.A. (eds). 1992. Soil crusting in Australia. In: Soil crusting: chemical and physical process. Advances in Soil Science, Lewis Publishing, Boca Raton, FL.

Trewartha, G.T., Robinson, A.H., Hammond, E.H., and Horn, A.T.. 1976. Fundamentals of physical geography, 3rd Ed. Magraw-Hill, New York, NY.; 384 p.

Turner, A.K., and Schuster, R.L., (eds). 1996. Landslides: investigations and mitigation. National Research Council, Transportation Research Board Special Report No. 247; National Academy Press, Washington, DC; 673 p.

U.S. Geological Survey. 1970. The national atlas of the United States. (sheets 61-63: Classes of Land-Surface from E.H. Hammond). U.S. Geological Survey, Washington, DC; 417 p.

Wahrhaftig, C. 1965. Physiographic divisions of Alaska. US Geological Survey, USGS Professional Paper # 482; 52p.

Washburn, A.L. 1973. Periglacial processes and environments. St. Martin's Press, New York, NY; 320 p.

Washburn, A.L. 1980. Geocryology. John Wiley and Sons, New York, NY.; 406 p.

Wells, D.V., Conkwright, R.D., Hill, J.M., and Park, M.J. 1994. The surficial sediments of Assawoman Bay and Isle of Wight Bay, Maryland: Physical and chemical characteristics. Coastal and Estuarine Geology File Report Number 94-2, Maryland Geological Survey, Baltimore, MD.

White, W.B. 1988. Geomorphology and hydrology of karst terrains. Oxford Univ. Press, New York, NY; 478 p.

Wright, H.E. (ed) 1983. Late-Quaternary environments of the United States, Vol. 2: the Holocene. University of Minnesota Press, Minneapolis, MN. 277 p.

Wysocki, D.A., Schoeneberger, P.J., and LaGarry, H.E. Geomorphology of soil landscapes. 1999. In: Sumner, M.E., editor. 1999. Handbook of Soil Science. CRC Press LLC, Boca Raton, FL. ISBN: 0-8493-3136-6.

(b) Classic References

Important references that are Out of Print (no longer commercially available).

Balster, C.A. and Parsons, R.B.. 1968. Geomorphology and soils, Willamette Valley, Oregon. Oregon State Univ., Oregon Agricultural Experiment Station Special Report 265, Corvallis, OR; 31 p.

Buol, S.W., Hole, F.D., and McCracken, R.J. 1973 (1st ed), 1980 (2nd ed.), 1989 (3rd ed.). Soil genesis and classification. Iowa State University Press, Ames, IA.
(see Buol, Southard, Graham, and McDaniel 2003)

Birkeland, P.W. 1974. Pedology, weathering and geomorphic research. Oxford University Press, New York, NY ; 285 p. (see Birkeland, 1999)

Birkeland, P.W. 1984. Soils and geomorphology, 2nd Ed. Oxford University Press; 386 p.
(see Birkeland, 1999)

Bryan, K. 1946. Cryopedology: The study of frozen ground and intensive frost-action, with suggestions on nomenclature. American Journal of Science, V. 244; 642 p.

Clayton, L. and Freers, T.F., (eds.) 1967. Glacial geology of the Missouri Coteau and adjacent areas. Guidebook 18th annual field conference Midwest Friends of the Pleistocene. North Dakota Geological Survey Miscellaneous Series #30, 170p.

Compton, R.R. 1962. Manual of field geology. John Wiley and Sons, Inc., New York, NY; 378 p. (use Compton, 1985, Geology in the Field).

Compton, R.R. 1977. Interpreting the earth. Harcourt-Brace-Jovanovich, New York, NY; 554 p.

Daniels, R.B., and Jordan, R.H.. 1966. Physiographic history and the soils, entrenched stream systems, and gullies, Harrison County, Iowa. USDA - Soil Conservation Service, Technical Bulletin 1348; 133 p.

Fairbridge, R.W. (ed). 1968. The encyclopedia of geomorphology. Encyclopedia of Earth Sciences Series, Vol. 3. McGraw-Hill Company, Inc., New York, NY; 1295 p.

Fenneman, N.M. 1931. Physiography of the western United States. Magraw-Hill Co., New York, NY; 534p.

Fenneman, N.M. 1938. Physiography of the eastern United States. Magraw-Hill Co., New York, NY.; 714p.

Fenneman, N.M. 1946. (reprinted 1957). Physical divisions of the United States. US Geological Survey, US Government Printing Office, Washington, DC; 1 sheet; 1: 7,000,000.

Flint, R.F. 1971. Glacial and Quaternary geology. John Wiley and Sons, Inc., New York, NY; 892 p.

Freeze, A.L. and Cherry, J.A. 1979. Groundwater. Prentice-Hall, Inc., Englewood Cliffs, NJ.; 604 p.

Gary, M., McAfee, R., Jr., Wolf, C.L., (eds). 1974. Glossary of geology. American Geological Institute, Falls Church, VA; 805 p. (use Bates & Jackson, 1987).

Green, J., and Short, N.M. 1971. Volcanic landforms and surface features: A photographic atlas and glossary. Springer-Verlag, New York, NY. 519p.

Hawley, J.W. and Parsons, R.B. 1980. Glossary of selected geomorphic and geologic terms. Mimeo. U.S. Dept. Agric., Soil Cons. Serv., West Technical Center, Portland, OR; 30p. (replaced by National Soil Survey Handbook (NSSH), part 629, 1995).

Hunt, C.B. 1967. Physiography of the United States. W.H. Freeman & Co., London; 480 p.

Monkhouse, F. 1978. Dictionary of geography. Aldine Publ. Co., Chicago, IL.; 344 p.

Monkhouse, F. and Small, J. 1978. Dictionary of the natural environment. John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York, NY; 320 p.

Peterson, F.F. 1981. Landforms of the Basin and Range Province defined for soil survey. Nevada Agricultural Experiment Station, Technical Bulletin No. 28, Reno, NV; 52 p.

Ruhe, R.V. 1969. Quaternary landscapes in Iowa. Iowa State University Press, Ames, IA; 255 p.

Ruhe, R.V. 1975. Geomorphology: geomorphic processes and surficial geology. Houghton-Mifflin Co., Boston, MA; 246p.

Ruhe, R.V., Daniels, R.B., and Cady, J.G. 1967. Landscape evolution and soil formation in southeastern Iowa. USDA - Soil Conservation Service Technical Bulletin 1349; 242 p.

Russel, R.J. (ed.). 1968. Glossary of terms used in fluvial, deltaic, and coastal morphology. Louisiana State Univ., New Orleans, LA.; Coastal Studies Institute Technical Report No. 63; 97 p.

Soil Survey Staff. 1975. Soil Taxonomy. A basic system of soil classification for making and interpreting soil surveys. USDA - Soil Conservation Service, Agricultural Handbook #436, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, DC, 754p.

Strahler, A.N. 1946 Geomorphic terminology and classification of land masses. Journal of Geology 54:35-42.

Thornbury, W.D. 1969. Principles of geomorphology; 2nd Ed. John Wiley and Sons, Inc., New York, NY; 594 p.

Thornbury, W.D. 1965. Regional geomorphology of the United States. John Wiley and Sons, Inc., New York, NY; 609 p.

Varnes, D. 1978. Slope movement types and processes. In: Schuster, R.L., and R.J. Krizek. (eds). 1978. Landslides: analysis and control. National Academy Sciences, Transportation Research Board Special Report No. 176; 234 p.
 

Lists of Landscape, Landform, Microfeature, and Anthropogenic Feature Terms Defined in the Glossary (Exhibit 629-1)

Comprehensive alphabetical and subset lists grouped by Geomorphic Process or other groupings.  These lists are the core of the Geomorphic Description System (Schoeneberger and Wysocki, et al., 2002).

Note: Various codes follow some of the entries: NR - indicates terms that are NOT RECOMMENDED (should not be used); NP - indicates terms that are NOT PREFERRED (have been used, but better alternatives are available). Also following terms are letters for the corresponding shorthand code (e.g., BA); a dash (--) indicates that as yet, no shorthand code has been assigned.

  1. Alphabetical Lists (Landscapes, Landforms, Microfeatures, Anthropogenic Features)
     
    1. Landscapes (broad or unique groups or clusters of natural, spatially associated features)
alluvial plain --
alluvial plain remnant --
badlands BA
bajada (also Landform) BJ
basin BS
basin floor (also Landform) --
batholith --
bay [coast] (water body; also Landform) --
bolson BO
Barrier island (also Landform) --
breaks BK
canyonlands --
coastal plain (also Landform) CP
cockpit karst --
cone karst --
continental glacier --
delta plain (also Landform) --
drumlin field --
dune field --
estuary (water body; also Landform) --
everglades --
fan piedmont (also Landform) FP
fault-block mountains --
fluviokarst --
fluviomarine terrace (also Landform) --
foothills FH
glaciokarst --
gulf [coast] (water body; also Landform) --
hills (singular = Landform) HI
ice-margin complex --
intermontane basin (also Landform) IB
island (also Landform) --
karst KP
kegel karst --
lagoon [coast] (water body; also Landform) --
lake plain (also Landform) --
lava field (also Landform) --
lava plain (also Landform) --
lava plateau (also Landform) LL
lowland --
marine terrace (also Landform) --
meander belt MB
mountain range --
mountains (singular = Landform) MO
mountain system --
ocean (water body) --
outwash plain (also Landform) --
peninsula --
piedmont PI
piedmont slope --
plains (also Landform) PL
plateau (also Landform) PT
rift valley --
river valley (also Landform) RV
sandhills SH
sand plain --
scabland SC
sea (water body; also Landform) --
semi-bolson SB
shore complex --
sinkhole karst --
sound (water body; also Landform) --
strait (water body; also Landform) --
tableland TB
thermokarst TK
till plain (also Landform) TP
tower karst --
upland UP
valley (also Landform) VA
volcanic field (also Landform) --
  1. Landforms (discrete, natural, individual, earth-surface features mappable at common survey scales)
`a`a lava flow --
alas AA
alluvial cone --
alluvial fan AF
alluvial flat AP
alpine glacier --
anticline AN
arete AR
arroyo AY
ash flow AS
atoll AT
avalanche chute AL
axial stream --
back-barrier beach --
back-barrier flat --
backshore AZ
backswamp BS
bajada (also Landscape) BJ
ballena BL
ballon BV
bar BR
barchan dune BQ
barrier beach BB
barrier cove --
barrier flat BP
barrier island (also Landscape) BI
basin floor (also Landscape) BC
basin-floor remnant BD
bay [coast] (water body; also Landscape) WB
bay [geom.] --
bay bottom --
bayou (water body) WC
beach BE
beach plain BP
beach ridge BG
beach terrace BT
berm BM
beveled base --
blind valley VB
block field BW
block glide --
block lava flow --
block stream BX
blowout BY
bluff BN
bog BO
box canyon --
braided stream BZ
broad interstream divide --
butte BU
caldera CD
canyon CA
canyon bench --
Carolina Bay CB
channel (also Microfeature) CC
chenier CG
chenier plain CH
cinder cone CI
cirque CQ
cirque floor --
cirque headwall --
cirque platform --
cliff CJ
climbing dune --
closed depression (also Microfeature) --
coastal plain (also Landscape) CP
cockpit --
col CL
collapsed ice-floored lakebed CK
collapsed ice-walled lakebed CN
collapsed lake plain CS
collapsed outwash plain CT
collapse sinkhole --
colluvial apron --
complex landslide --
coral island --
coulee CE
cove [coast] (water body) --
cove [geom] CO
crag and tail --
crater [volcanic] CR
creep --
crevasse filling CF
cuesta CU
cuesta valley --
cutoff CV
debris avalanche DA
debris fall --
debris flow DF
debris slide --
debris spread --
debris topple --
deflation basin DB
deflation flat --
delta DE
delta plain (also Landscape) DC
depression DP
diapir DD
diatreme --
dike DK
dipslope DL
disintegration moraine DM
divide DN
dome DO
drainageway DQ
drainhead complex --
draw DW
drumlin DR
drumlinoid ridge --
dune DU
dune field (also Landscape) --
dune lake (water body) --
dune slack (also Microfeature) --
earth flow EF
earth spread --
earth topple --
end moraine EM
ephemeral stream (also Microfeature) --
eroded fan remnant --
eroded fan-remnant sideslope --
erosion remnant ER
escarpment ES
esker EK
estuary (water body; also Landscape) WD
faceted spur FS
fall FB
falling dune --
fan FC
fan apron FA
fan collar --
fanhead trench FF
fan piedmont (also Landscape) FG
fan remnant FH
fan skirt FI
fault-block --
fault-line scarp FK
fault zone --
fen FN
fissure vent --
fjord (water body) FJ
flat FL
flatwoods --
flood plain FP
flood-plain playa FY
flood-plain splay FM
flood-plain step FO
flood-tidal delta --
flood-tidal delta flat --
flood-tidal delta slope --
flow --
flute (also Microfeature) FU
fluviomarine bottom --
fluviomarine terrace (also Landscape) --
fold FQ
foredune FD
fosse FV
free face (also Geom. Comp. – Hills, Mountains) FW
fringe-tidal marsh --
gap GA
geyser --
geyser basin --
geyser cone --
giant ripple GC
glacial drainage channel GD
glacial lake (water body) WE
glacial lake [relict] GL
glacial-valley floor --
glacial-valley wall --
glacier --
gorge GO
graben GR
ground moraine GM
gulch GT
gulf [coast] (water body; also Landscape) --
gut [stream]; (water body) WH
gut (valley) GV
half graben --
hanging valley HV
headland HE
head-of-outwash --
headwall HW
high hill --
highmoor bog HB
hill HI
hillslope --
hogback HO
homoclinal ridge --
horn HR
horst HT
hot spring --
ice-contact slope --
ice-marginal steam --
ice-pushed ridge --
inlet --
inselberg IN
inset fan IF
interdrumlin --
interdune (also Microfeature) ID
interfluve (also Geom. Component - Hills) IV
interior valley --
intermittent stream (also Microfeature) --
intermontane basin (also Landscape) IB
island (also Landscape) --
kame KA
kame moraine KM
kame terrace KT
karst cone --
karst tower --
karst valley --
kettle KE
kipuka --
knob KN
knoll KL
lagoon [coast] (water body; also Landscape) WI
lagoon bottom --
lagoon channel --
lahar LA
lake (water body) WJ
lakebed [relict] LB
lake plain (also Landscape) LP
lakeshore LF
lake terrace LT
landslide LK
lateral moraine LM
lateral spread --
lava field (also Landscape) --
lava flow LC
lava flow unit (also Microfeature) --
lava plain (also Landscape) LN
lava plateau (also Landscape) LL
lava trench (also Microfeature) --
lava tube --
ledge LE
levee [stream] LV
loess bluff LO
loess hill LQ
longitudinal dune --
longshore bar [relict] LR
louderback LU
low hill --
lowmoor bog LX
marine terrace (also Landscape) MT
maar --
mainland cove --
main scarp (also Microfeature) --
mangrove swamp --
marine lake (water body) --
marsh MA
mawae --
meander MB
meandering channel MC
meander scar MS
meander scroll MG
medial moraine MH
mesa ME
meteorite crater --
mogote --
monadnock MD
monocline MJ
moraine MU
mountain (plural = Landscape) MM
mountain slope MN
mountain valley MV
mud flat MF
mudflow MW
mud pot --
muskeg MX
natural levee NL
neck [volcanic] --
notch NO
nunatak NU
ocean (water body) --
open depression (also Microfeature) --
outwash delta --
outwash fan OF
outwash plain (also Landscape) OP
outwash terrace OT
overflow stream channel --
oxbow OX
oxbow lake (water body) WK
oxbow lake (ephemeral) OL
paha PA
pahoehoe lava flow --
paleoterrace --
parabolic dune PB
parna dune PD
partial ballena PF
patterned ground PG
pavement karst --
peak PK
peat plateau PJ
pediment PE
perennial stream (water body) --
pillow lava flow --
pingo PI
pinnacle --
pitted outwash plain PM
pitted outwash terrace --
plain (also Landscape) PN
plateau (also Landscape) PT
playa PL
playa dune (also Microfeature) --
playa floor (also Microfeature) --
playa lake (water body) WL
playa rim (also Microfeature) --
playa slope (also Microfeature) --
playa step (also Microfeature) --
plug [volcanic] --
plug dome PP
pluvial lake (water body) WM
pluvial lake (relict) PQ
pocosin PO
point bar PR
point bar [coastal] --
pothole (also Microfeature) PH
pothole lake (water body) WN
pressure ridge [ice] --
pressure ridge [volcanic]; also Micro.) PU
proglacial lake (water body) WO
proglacial lake [relict] --
pyroclastic flow --
pyroclastic surge --
raised beach RA
raised bog RB
ravine RV
recessional moraine RM
reef RF
relict-tidal inlet (water body) --
reworked lake plain --
ribbed fen RG
ridge RI
rim RJ
river (water body) --
river valley (also Landscape) --
roche moutonnée (also Microfeature) RN
rock fall (also Microfeature) --
rock avalanche --
rock glacier RO
rock pediment --
rock spread --
rock topple --
rotational debris slide --
rotational earth slide --
rotational rock slide --
rotational slide RP
saddle SA
sag (also Microfeature) --
sag pond (water body; also Microfeature) --
salt marsh SM
salt pond (water body; also Microfeature) WQ
sand flow RW
sand ramp --
sand sheet RX
scarp RY
scarp slope RS
scree slope --
sea (water body; also Landscape) --
sea cliff RZ
seif dune SD
semi-open depression --
shield volcano --
shoal (water body) WR
shoal (relict) SE
shore --
sill RT
sinkhole SH
slackwater (water body) WS
slick rock (also Microfeature) --
slide SJ
slot canyon --
slough (ephemeral water) SL
slough (permanent water) WU
slump SK
slump block SN
snowfield --
soil fall --
solution platform --
solution sinkhole --
sound (water body; also Landscape) --
spit SP
spur SQ
stack [coast] --
stack [geom] SR
star dune --
steptoe ST
stock --
stoss and lee --
strait (water body; also Landscape) --
strand plain SS
strath terrace SU
stratovolcano SV
stream (water body) --
stream terrace SX
strike valley --
string bog SY
structural bench SB
submerged back-barrier beach --
submerged mainland beach --
submerged point bar [coastal] --
submerged-upland tidal marsh --
submerged wave-built terrace --
submerged wave-cut platform --
swale (also Microfeature) SC
swallow hole TB
swamp SW
syncline SZ
talus cone --
talus slope --
tarn (water body; also Microfeature) --
terminal moraine TA
terrace TE
thermokarst depression TK
thermokarst lake (water body) WV
tidal flat TF
tidal inlet --
tidal marsh --
till-floored lake plain --
till plain (also Landscape) TP
toe (also Microfeature) --
tombolo TO
topple --
tor TQ
Toreva block --
translational debris slide --
translational earth slide --
translational rock slide --
translational slide TS
transverse dune TD
trough TR
tunnel valley TV
tunnel-valley lake (water body) --
U-shaped valley UV
valley VA
valley-border surfaces --
valley flat VF
valley floor VL
valley floor remnant --
valley side VS
valley train VT
volcanic cone VC
volcanic dome VD
volcanic field (also Landscape) --
volcano VO
V-shaped valley VV
wash WA
washover fan WF
washover-fan flat --
washover-fan slope --
wave-built terrace WT
wave-cut platform WP
wind gap WG
window --
wind-tidal flat --
yardang (also Microfeature) --
yardang trough (also Microfeature) --
  1. Microfeatures (discrete, natural, earth-surface features typically too small to delineate at common survey scales)
bar --
channel (also Landform) --
closed depression (also Landform) --
corda --
cutter --
dune slack (also Landform) --
dune traces --
earth pillar --
ephemeral stream (also Landform) --
finger ridge --
flute (also Landform) --
frost boil --
glacial groove --
groove --
gully --
hillock --
hoodoo --
interdune (also Landform) --
intermittent stream (water body; also Landform) --
karren --
lava flow unit (also Landform) --
lava trench (also Landform) --
main scarp (also Landform) --
minor scarp --
mound M
nivation hollow --
open depression (also Landform) --
patterned ground (see below) PG

Patterned ground microfeatures (used in association with the landform “patterned ground” or PG):

  1. Periglacial patterned ground microfeatures:
circle --
earth hummocks --
high-center polygons --
ice wedge polygons --
low-center polygons --
non-sorted circles --
palsa (palsen = plural; = peat hummocks) --
polygons --
sorted circles --
stripes --
turf hummocks --
  1. Other patterned ground microfeatures:
bar and channel --
circular gilgai --
elliptical gilgai --
linear gilgai --
gilgai G
hummocks --
intermediate position (gilgai) --
mima mounds --
pimple mounds --


perennial stream (water body; also Landform) --
pinnacle --
playa dune (also Landform) --
playa floor (also Landform) --
playa rim (also Landform) --
playa slope (also Landform) --
playa step (also Landform) --
playette --
pond (water body) --
pool (water body) --
pothole (also Landform) --
pressure ridge (volcanic) --
rib --
rill --
ripple mark --
roche moutonnée (also Landform) --
rockfall (also Landform) --
sag (also Landform) --
sag pond (water body; also Landform) --
sand boil --
scour (mark) --
shoreline --
shrub-coppice dune --
slick rock (also Landform) --
slip face --
solifluction lobe --
solifluction sheet --
solifluction terrace --
solution chimney --
solution corridor --
solution fissure --
solution pipe --
spatter cone --
spiracle --
strandline --
swale (also Landform) --
swash zone --
tank (water body) --
tarn (water body; also Landform) --
terracettes T
toe [mass move.] (also Landform) --
tree-tip mound --
tree-tip pit --
tumulus (tumuli = plural) --
vernal pool (seasonal water body) --
yardang (also Landform) --
yardang trough (also Landform) --
zibar --
  1. Anthropogenic Features [discrete, artificial (human-made or extensively modified), earth-surface features]
artificial collapsed depression G
artificial levees A
beveled cut --
borrow pit --
burial mound B
cut (road, railroad) --
cutbank --
ditch --
dredged channel --
dredge-deposit shoal --
dredge spoil bank --
dump --
fill --
filled marshland --
floodway --
gravel pit --
impact crater --
landfill (see sanitary landfill) -
leveled land --
log landing --
midden H
openpit mine --
pond (human-made) --
quarry --
railroad bed D
reclaimed land --
rice paddy E
road bed I
road cut --
sand pit --
sanitary landfill --
scalped area --
sewage lagoon --
skid trail --
spoil bank --
spoil pile --
surface mine --
tillage features (see below) F

Tillage Management features (common types):

conservation terrace (modern) --
double-bedding mound --
drainage ditch --
furrow --
hillslope terrace (e.g., archeological features) --
inter-furrow --
truncated soil --
urban land --
truncated soil --
urban land --

 

  1. Geomorphic Environments and Other Groupings (Landscape, Landform, and Microfeature terms grouped by geomorphic process (e.g., Fluvial) or common settings (e.g., Water Bodies). These lists are not mutually exclusive and some features occur in more than one environment or setting.)
  1. Coastal Marine and Estuarine (wave or tidal control on near-shore / shallow marine)

Landscapes:

bay [coast] (water body; also Landform) --
coastal plain CP
barrier island (also Landform) --
estuary (water body; also Landform) --
fluviomarine terrace (also Landform) --
gulf [coast] (water body; also Landform) --
island (also Landform) --
lagoon [coast] (water body; also Landform) --
lowland --
marine terrace (also Landform) --
ocean (water body; also Landform) --
peninsula --
sea (water body; also Landform) --
shore complex --
sound (water body; also Landform) --
strait (water body; also Landform) --

Landforms:

atoll AT
back-barrier beach --
back-barrier flat --
backshore AZ
bar BR
barrier beach BB
barrier cove --
barrier flat BF
barrier island (also Landscape) BI
bay [coast] (water body; also Landscape) WB
bay bottom --
beach BE
beach plain BP
beach ridge BG
beach terrace BT
berm BM
bluff BN
chenier CG
chenier plain CH
coastal plain CP
coral island --
delta DE
delta plain (also Landscape) DC
drainhead complex --
flat FL
flatwoods --
fluviomarine terrace (also Landscape) --
foredune FD
fringe-tidal marsh --
gulf [coast] (water body; also Landscape) --
headland HE
island (also Landscape) --
lagoon [relict] WI
lagoon (water body) --
longshore bar [relict] LR
mangrove swamp --
marine lake (water body) --
marine terrace (also Landscape) MT
mud flat MF
point bar [coastal] --
raised beach RA
reef RF
salt marsh SM
sea (water body; also Landscape) --
sea cliff RZ
semi-open depression --
shoal (relict) SE
shore --
sound (water body; also Landscape) --
spit SP
stack [coast] SR
strait (water body; also Landscape) --
strand plain SS
tidal flat TF
tidal marsh --
tombolo TO
washover fan WF
wave-built terrace WT
wave-cut platform WP
wind-tidal flat --

Microfeatures:

ripple mark --
shoreline --
swash zone --