relief

Reliefs-And-Ecosystems

2022

We explain what relief is, its characteristics, examples and the relationship between climate and relief. Also, what is relief in art.

The relief is synonymous with geographical features.

What is relief?

Embossing is an outstanding texture on a surface that has different variations. Among the most characteristic reliefs of the earth's surface are the moutains, the plateaus and the plains.

A relief is also synonymous with geographical features. These accidents appear in the form of irregularities and unevenness within aterrestrial ecosystem orwater, which provides a modification in a certain area and, in many cases, provides texture.

Relief is important for studies of theweather, theflora and fauna. Its appearance within the field may be due to internal processes of theplanet Earth, shares of thenature or by the intervention of human being.

Some geographical features such as mountains, valleys, hills and plains are explained by factors such as theerosion, the effect ofgravity and the climate, over long periods of time.

In addition, the term relief is used to refer to a sculptural technique.

See also:Physical geography

Characteristics of the relief

  • It is the result of geological processes.
  • It can have endogenous or exogenous causes.
  • It can be continental or oceanic.
  • It can manifest itself through depressions or elevations.
  • It exists throughout the earth's surface.
  • Modify the climate of a region.
  • It is studied by the geomorphology.
  • It can vary due to the intervention of man.
  • It influences the lifestyle of the inhabitants of a ecosystem and its flora and fauna.

Examples of landforms

Moutains. Elevations with a height greater than 1000 meters above sea level that are usually grouped. For example: Mount Everest in the Himalayas or Mount Aconcagua in the Andes.
  • Plateaus. Flat elevations created by tectonic movement or erosion. For example: the Gran Pajonal in Peru or the Central Plateau in Spain.
  • Plain. Grounds with a minimum height and few irregularities. Many of them originated from the flow of rivers or natural erosions. For example: the Dōgo Plain in Japan or the Gulf Coastal Plain in Mexico.
  • Mountain ranges. A group of united mountains that usually have high peaks. For example: The Alps in Central Europe or the Rocky Mountains in the United States.
  • Valleys. Depressions in the terrain that are between mountains or elevations and often have a river or stream. For example: the Great Rift Valley in Africa or the Calchaquí Valleys in Argentina.
  • Hills. Elevations that are lower than mountains and have a rounded tip. For example: Mount Zion in Jerusalem or Connors Knob in Australia.
  • Saws. Set of elevations smaller than a mountain range, but that are usually part of it. For example: the Sierra de Ayllón in Spain or the Sub-Andean mountains in Argentina.

    • Types of reliefs

    Two main types of relief can be distinguished in geography:

    • Continental relief. Outstanding parts of the terrestrial terrain in relation to sea level. For example: mountains, plateaus, plains, mountains, among others.
    • Ocean relief. Parts of the terrestrial terrain that are below the level of thesea. For example: seamounts, ocean trenches, abyssal plains, among others.

    Relief and climate

    The relief and the climate are two elements that are part of every terrestrial landscape. Climate is understood as the set of atmospheric characteristics of a particular area and is made up of elements such as the temperature, the humidity and the altitude.

    One of the factors that determines the climate of a region is the relief. This is evidenced mainly in the higher altitude areas, since the height modifies some characteristics of the climate. In mountainous areas, air masses collide with these tall structures and rise, causing them to lose temperature and generate precipitation.

    The mountains also produce a curtain against the wind and the air masses coming from oceanic areas, which modifies the climatic conditions of the surrounding areas.

    What causes landforms?

    Volcanoes are produced when a continental and an oceanic plate collide.

    There are two main types of forces that act in the formation of landforms:

    • Endogenous processes. They are those processes that take place inside the Earth. The movement and shock of the tectonic plates It is the main cause of the appearance of reliefs such as cracks or mountains on the earth's surface.
    • Exogenous processes Are those processes that occur on the earth's surface. Among the main processes are erosion produced mainly by meteorological agents and the movement and sedimentation of materials produced by natural causes or by human action.

    Relief in art

    In the sculpture, relief is a technique that allows creating an effect of optical and physical depth in images or inscriptions on a wall or support (in the case of furniture). According to the type of effect that is given, the relief can be:

    • Bas-relief. The main elements stand out slightly.
    • Sunken. It is carved below surface level or at the same height.
    • Half relief. Half the volume of the elements is raised or highlighted.
    • High relief. It stands out a little more than half the volume of the elements.
    • Half lump. It is carved throughout the space, yet it never comes off the wall.
    • Hollow relief. It is played with the lights and shadows to give a special finish to the work.
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