landforms Archives - Free ZIMSEC & Cambridge Revision Notes

The earth’s crust

By garikaib|2025-02-12T09:09:09+02:00February 12th, 2025|Landform Studies, Notes, O Level Geography, Ordinary Level Notes|

The structure of the Earth. Image by BBC. ZIMSEC O Level Geography Notes: The Earth’s Crust

The earth is generally spherical in shape.
It’s surface however is made up of immeasurable valleys, mountains, rivers, hills etc of different shapes and sizes which in turn […]

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Plate tectonics

By garikaib|2025-02-12T09:14:08+02:00February 12th, 2025|Landform Studies, Notes, O Level Geography, Ordinary Level Notes|

Major Plates of the world. Image by Learner.org ZIMSEC O Level Geography Notes: Plate Tectonics

The lithosphere (that is the earth’s crust and the rigid part of the mantle) is divided into seven large and several smaller plates.
A plate is a rock that is found […]

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Convergence and collision zones/plates

By garikaib|2025-02-12T09:16:29+02:00February 12th, 2025|Landform Studies, Notes, O Level Geography, Ordinary Level Notes|

Convergence zone. Image by Coft.edu ZIMSEC O Level Geography Notes: Plate tectonics: Convergence Zone.

Convergence zone

Are also know as destructive plates (zones) or the zone of subduction.
This is when two plates move towards each other as shown on the diagram above.
An Ocean crust moves towards a […]

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Divergence/Constructive zone/plates

By garikaib|2025-02-12T09:18:09+02:00February 12th, 2025|Landform Studies, Notes, O Level Geography, Ordinary Level Notes|

Divergent plates. Image by Cornel. ZIMSEC O Level Geography Notes: Plate Tectonics: Convergence Plates

In a divergence zone plates move away from one another thus the name “divergence.”
Magma up-wells from the mantle to fill the gap left by the diverging plates.
The magma provides new material to form […]

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Folding

By garikaib|2025-02-12T09:22:02+02:00February 12th, 2025|Landform Studies, Notes, Ordinary Level Notes|

Simple Folding. Image by Pixshark. ZIMSEC O Level Geography: Folding

Tectonic movements are those movements that result from the earth’s internal forces.
When forces move horizontally towards one another they are known as compressional.
Rocks that make up the earth’s crust are subjected to these compressional forces in a […]

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Faulting

By garikaib|2025-02-12T09:28:52+02:00February 12th, 2025|Landform Studies, Notes, O Level Geography|

Common types of faults. Image via Noaa.gov ZIMSEC O Level Geography Notes: Faulting.

Lateral earth movements often produce very great stresses due to compressional forces (when plates move towards one another) and tensional forces (pulling apart).
These forces can cause fractures or breaks in the earth’s crust.
When breaks […]

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Landforms resulting from faulting

By garikaib|2025-02-12T09:31:13+02:00February 12th, 2025|Landform Studies, Notes, O Level Geography|

The Great African Rift Valley. Image by Mamonthsafaris. ZIMSEC O Level Geography Notes: Landfroms resulting from faulting.

Major landforms that result from faulting include:

Block Mountains
Rift valleys
Tilted blocks.

1. Block Mountains The formation of block-mountains (Horst). Image by WikiComons

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Vulcanicity

By garikaib|2025-02-12T09:37:43+02:00February 12th, 2025|Landform Studies, Notes, O Level Geography, Ordinary Level Notes|

Violent volcanic eruption. Image via Dailymail. ZIMSEC O Level Geography Notes: Vulcanicity

Vulcanicity refers to all the various way by which molten rock and gasses are forced into the earths and onto its surface.
It includes volcanic eruptions which lead to the formation of volcanoes, lava plateaus and geysers.
It […]

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Landforms resulting from intrusive vulcanicity

By garikaib|2025-02-12T09:39:56+02:00February 12th, 2025|Landform Studies, Notes, O Level Geography, Ordinary Level Notes|

Some of the landforms resulting from intrusive vulcanicity. Image by Msnucleus.org ZIMSEC O Level Geography Notes: Landforms resulting form intrusive vulcanicity

Intrusive vulcanicity is the movement of gasses, magma and other materials into the earth’s curst to form interior volcanic […]

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Calderas

By garikaib|2025-02-12T08:57:46+02:00February 12th, 2025|Landform Studies, Notes, O Level Geography, Ordinary Level Notes|

El Boqueron caldera in El Salvador. Image credit Wikispaces.com ZIMSEC O Level Geography Notes: Calderas

Calderas are very large craters often two or more kilometers in diameter that form at the top of volcanoes.
They are often deep extending downwards for a few hundred […]

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February 2025