Earth Surface
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What makes up Earth's surface? Earth is the only planet in our solar system with a large amount of water on its surface. Earth's rocky outer layer is called the crust. Surface features of continental crust are often called land-forms. Land-forms are frequently changing. Mountains are the largest of Earth's land-forms. Mountains can be found as single peaks or in chains, ranges, and mountain systems. Hills are smaller than mountains. Although hills don't rise as high as mountains, their rounded crusts still stand above the land around them. Plateaus are high land-forms with very flat surfaces. They are often found along the tops of canyons and can extend for many miles on either side. Like plateaus, plains are broad and flat. Unlike plateaus, plains are lower than their surroundings. Beaches and marshlands are found at shorelines, where dry land meets the ocean. Beaches are flat land-forms along an ocean or large lake. Some beaches are rocky, while others are sandy. The west coast is very different.