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Glossary Terms
| Term (EN) | Definition | Exam Relevance |
|---|---|---|
| Fold Mountain | Mountain formed by compression of tectonic plates crumpling sedimentary strata | Most common mountain type |
| Block Mountain / Horst | Uplifted crustal block between parallel faults | Vosges, Satpura examples |
| Graben | Sunken crustal block between parallel faults (rift valley) | Rhine Graben; Narmada valley |
| Laramide Orogeny | Mountain-building event 85–55 Ma that created Rocky Mountains | PYQ 2021 — Rocky Mountains |
| Continental Divide | Ridge dividing drainage toward different oceans | Rocky Mountains feature |
| Shield Volcano | Broad, low-slope volcanic mountain with basaltic lava | Mauna Loa (Hawaii) |
| Composite Volcano | Steep-sided, explosive volcano with andesitic lava | Mt. Fuji, Krakatoa |
| Tibetan Plateau | World's highest plateau (4,500 m avg); "Roof of World" | Intermontane plateau key example |
| Intermontane Plateau | Plateau surrounded by mountain ranges | Tibet, Bolivian Altiplano |
| Lava Plateau | Plateau formed by successive basaltic lava flows | Deccan Plateau, Columbia Plateau |
| Peneplain | Gently rolling erosional surface reduced from ancient mountains | Canadian Shield |
| Alluvial Plain | Flat plain formed by river sediment deposition | Indo-Gangetic Plain |
| Great Plains | Structural plain of N. America between Rockies and Mississippi | Breadbasket of North America |
| Sahara Desert | World's largest hot desert (9.2 million km²) in North Africa | Desert type reference |
| Hadley Cell | Tropical atmospheric circulation cell; descending limb creates subtropical deserts | Desert formation mechanism |
| Rain Shadow Desert | Desert formed on leeward side of mountains blocking moisture | Gobi (Himalayas), Ladakh, Patagonia |
| Atacama Desert | World's driest non-polar desert (Chile); Humboldt Current coastal desert | Coastal desert example |
| Namib Desert | World's oldest desert (~55 Ma); Benguela Current, SW Africa | Coastal desert example |
| Gobi Desert | Asia's largest cold desert (1.3 million km²); Mongolia-China | Cold continental desert |
| Great Victoria Desert | Australia's largest desert (424,400 km²); WA/SA | PYQ 2023 — 2 marks |
| Aconcagua | 6,961 m — highest peak in Western/Southern Hemispheres; Andes, Argentina | Andes reference |
| Erg | Sandy desert landscape (sand dunes); ~25% of Sahara | Desert landform type |
| Reg/Hamada | Rocky/gravel desert landscape; ~70% of Sahara | Desert landform type |
| Karst | Limestone erosion landscape; sinkholes, caves, dolines | Erosional plain type |
| Inselberg | Isolated rocky hill rising from pediplain; residual erosional feature | Arid geomorphology |
Sources: NCERT Physical Geography Class XI; Strahler Physical Geography; H.J. de Blij World Regional Geography; USGS Mountain Facts; International Commission on Stratigraphy; Geoscience Australia Desert Maps; RPSC Mains PYQ 2013–2023.