Relief (Meaning and Explanation)

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

What is relief?

The relief It is a protruding texture of a surface that has different variations. Among the most characteristic reliefs of the earth's surface are mountains, plateaus and plains.

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

The relief is important for studies of climate, flora and fauna. His appearance on the field It may be due to internal processes of planet Earth, actions of nature or by human intervention.

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

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

Relief features

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 on the entire earth's surface.
Modifies the climate of a region.
It is studied by geomorphology.
It can vary due to human intervention.
It influences the lifestyle of the inhabitants of an ecosystem and its flora and fauna.

Examples of geographical reliefs

(Examples of reliefs) — Each geographical relief has its specific characteristics.

Among the most representative examples of terrestrial reliefs are:

Mountains. 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. Land with a minimum height and few irregularities. Many of them originated from the flow of rivers or natural erosion. For example: the Dōgo Plain in Japan or the Gulf Coastal Plain in Mexico.
Mountain ranges. A set 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 usually have a river or watercourse. 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. A set of elevations smaller than a mountain range, but which are usually part of it. For example: the Sierra de Ayllón in Spain or the Subandean mountain ranges in Argentina.

Types of reliefs

Two main types of reliefs can be distinguished in geography:

Continental relief. Protruding parts of the earth's terrain in relation to sea level. For example: mountains, plateaus, plains, mountain ranges, among others.
Ocean relief. Parts of the Earth's terrain that are below sea level. For example: seamounts, ocean trenches, abyssal plains, among others.

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Relief and climate

Relief and 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 temperature, humidity and altitude.

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

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

What causes landforms?

Relief - Volcanism — Volcanoes are produced when a continental and an oceanic plate collide.

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

Endogenous processes. They are those processes that occur inside the Earth. The movement and collision of tectonic plates is the main cause of the appearance of reliefs such as cracks or mountains on the Earth's surface.
Exogenous processes They 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 human action.

Relief in art

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

Bas relief. The main elements stand out slightly.
Sunken. It is carved below the surface level or at the same height.
Half relief. Half the volume of the elements is raised or highlighted.
High relief. A little more than half the volume of the elements stands out.
Half a package. It is carved throughout the space, however, it never detaches itself from the wall.
Relief hole. Lights and shadows are played with to give a special finish to the work.