Question

What shapes the Earth’s surface?

Answer 1

• The Earth’s surface is continuously shaped and reshaped by the combined action of internal (endogenic) forces and external (exogenic) forces. Internal forces originate deep inside the Earth and are responsible for creating major landforms. Processes such as volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, folding, and faulting can uplift or deform the Earth’s crust, leading to the formation of mountains, plateaus, and valleys. These forces often act suddenly but may also operate slowly over millions of years.
• External forces work on the Earth’s surface and gradually modify the landforms created by internal forces. These include weathering, erosion, transportation, and deposition carried out by rivers, glaciers, wind, sea waves, and groundwater. For example, rivers carve valleys and gorges, wind forms dunes, and sea waves shape coastlines. Thus, the Earth’s surface is the result of a continuous interaction between constructive and destructive forces.