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Other Atlas

Worldbuilding

Geological Features

Geological Features

A world may be primarily composed of a single geological feature, or may be composed of many interconnected ones, each defining a new and unique region. Below you will find a list of common geological features roughly grouped by how they are formed or where you are likely to find them. If you are building a particular region, for example a coastal area, looking through that particular section will provide you with ideas you may wish to incorporate.

AEOLIAN

  • Dry lake: a basin formerly containing a body of water
  • Dunes: hills composed of loose sand

COASTAL

  • Anchialine pool: a landlocked pool of water with a subterranean connection to the ocean
  • Archipelago: a group of islands
  • Atoll: a ring-shaped reef of coral
  • Barrier island: an island formed by tidal action adjacent to a mainland coast
  • Bay: a recessed body of water connected to a larger lake or ocean
  • Beach: an area of loose sand or stone adjacent to a body of water
  • Channel: a narrow and long body of water
  • Cape: an area of land extending into a body of water
  • Coastal cliff: a steep rock face rising from a body of water to the landmass above
  • Coral reef: Growth and deposit of coral skeleton
  • Cove: a small sheltered bay
  • Estuary: an area of brackish area connected to the ocean in which rivers flow into
  • Fjord: a narrow inlet with cliff sides
  • Gulf: a large inlet
  • Inlet: an area of water that projects into a landmass
  • Island: an area of land surrounded by water
  • Islet: a small island
  • Isthmus: a narrow strip of land connecting two larger landmasses
  • Lagoon: a shallow body of water separated from a sea or ocean by barrier islands or reefs
  • Peninsula: an area of land bordered on three sides by water
  • River delta: a deposition of silt at the mouth of a river
  • Salt marsh: an area of brackish or saltwater that is regularly flooded
  • Sea cave: a cave located along the coastline
  • Shoal: a debris-covered landform that rises from the seabed to the near surface
  • Shore: the area of land adjacent to a body of water
  • Sound: a long, wide body of water connecting two larger bodies of water
  • Straight: a narrow strip of water that connects to larger bodies of water
  • Tidal marsh: a marsh created by tidal forces
  • Tide pool: a pool of saltwater separated from the sea during low tide
  • Volcanic island: an island formed by volcanic activity

SPELAEAN

  • Aquifer: a body of permeable rock that contains groundwater
  • Cave: a large underground chamber
  • Cenote: a natural well or sinkhole
  • Chamber: a large open space underground
  • Chandelier: a cluster of ceiling crystals or other outgrowth
  • Column: a vertical structure formed by the union of a stalagmite and a stalactite
  • Dogtooth spar: large crystals that form near seasonal pools
  • Flowstone: rock deposited from flowing water
  • Frostwork: needle-like growths of crystal
  • Grotto: an especially picturesque cavern
  • Pit cave: a cave or cave system primarily composed of vertical shafts
  • Ribbon stalactite: a stalactite resembling a ‘ribbon’ hanging from the ceiling
  • Stalagmite: a mound or column that rises from a cave floor
  • Stalactite: a tapering structure that hangs from a caves ceiling
  • Subterranean river: an river or potion of river that resides underground
  • Subterranean waterfall: an underground waterfall
  • Underground lake: an underground lake
  • Vertical shaft: a column of open space extending downwards

CRYOGENIC & GLACIAL

  • Crevasse: a fissure or deep crack in an ice sheet
  • Frost heave: an upwards swelling of soil caused by freezing ice under the ground
  • Glacier: a slow moving mass or river of ice
  • Ice sheet: a permanent layer of ice covering a landmass
  • Ice shelf: a floating sheet of ice formed when an ice sheet or glacier flows onto the ocean surface
  • Iceberg: a free floating mass of ice
  • Permafrost plateau: a low, oval frost heave
  • Pingo: a mound of ice covered in dirt
  • Snow bridge: A layer of snow that covers a crevasse, rendering it unseen to navigators
  • Subglacial lake: a body of water residing underneath a frozen glacier
  • Subglacial river: a river of water running underneath a glacier

EROSION

  • Badlands: an area of dry eroded land with little vegetation
  • Box canyon: a short, narrow canyon enclosed on three sides
  • Butte: an isolated hill with steep sides, usually smaller than a mesa
  • Canyon: a deep gorge between cliffs
  • Cliff: a steep rock face
  • Gulch: a V-shaped valley
  • Hoodoo: a thin spire of rock rising vertically from the landscape
  • Mesa: an isolated flat topped hill with steep sides, larger than a butte but smaller than a plateau
  • Plateau: an large, flat, elevated region of land
  • Ravine: a gorge between cliffs similar to a canyon but smaller
  • Scarp: a steep cliff or slope
  • Valley: a low area between hills or mountains

MOUNTAINOUS

  • Avalanche chute: a corridor where an avalanche has moved through
  • Cirque: a bowl-shaped valley high on a mountain
  • Couloir: a steep gorge in a mountainside
  • Inselberg: a single mountain with no others nearby
  • Mountain: a large rocky outcropping protruding from the earth
  • Mountain range: a string of mountains
  • Needle: a tall, thin, spire of rock
  • Pass: a low point in a ridge which allows passage from one side to the other.
  • Peak: any point which is higher than the surrounding points, may or may not be the mountain summit
  • Ridge: a continuous elevated crest
  • Spire: a tall and narrow rock formation
  • Summit: the highest peak of a mountain
  • Talus: collection of boulders at a base of a cliff
  • Tarn: a small mountain lake

SUB-OCEANIC

  • Abyssal plain: a flat area on the ocean floor
  • Brine pool: an underwater pool or lake on the seafloor composed of high salt content
  • Continental shelf: a relatively shallow submerged area of continent
  • Hydrothermal vent (deep sea vent): a fissure on the seabed or chimney structure rising from it that releases geothermally heated water and minerals
  • Mid-ocean ridge: an underwater mountain system
  • Oceanic basin: a large underwater basin
  • Oceanic plateau: a flat region that rises above the level of the surrounding seabed
  • Oceanic ridge: an underwater mountain system
  • Oceanic trench: a long and narrow depression in the seabed
  • Seamount: an underwater mountain that does not reach the surface
  • Submarine canyon: a steep valley in the seabed
  • Submarine volcano: An underwater volcano which does not reach the surface

VOLCANIC

  • Caldera: a large depression formed after the evacuation of an underlying magma chamber
  • Crater lake: a lake formed in a volcanic crater or caldera
  • Dormant volcano: a volcano which is temporarily inactive
  • Extinct volcano: a volcano which will never be active again
  • Geyser: a hot spring which intermittently boils the water within, sending a column of super-heated liquid and steam into the air
  • Hot springs: a spring of naturally hot water
  • Lava: term used for magma once it has reached the surface
  • Magma: super-heated liquid rock
  • Magma chamber: a pool of liquid rock underneath the earth
  • Vent: an opening at the earth’s surface
  • Volcano: a large vent through which lava is emitted

‘You know the fjords in Norway? I got a prize for creating those, you know.’

Slartibartfast, Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy

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