Glossary of landforms
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About the glossary
This page is a glossary of OSM tags for landforms, based on the Glossary of landforms page on Wikipedia. Landforms in this list are generally from the alphabetic listing on that page, with some edits where Wikipedia lists some things that are not landforms or where things were obviously missing.
This is a preliminary and living list. Missing landforms may be added and tagging may be corrected or improved. Comments, discussion, and suggestions would be very welcome on the talk page! Contributions to the page are welcome!
The appearance of a tag in this list does not mean that its use has been proposed or approved.
Notes on tags
Many landforms do not have formalized tags in OSM or can be tagged more than one way in OSM. The table below uses some punctuation to identify these cases.
- + - Use multiple tags in combination for the feature.
- & - Map the landform as two or more separate features.
- / - Use one of several tags as appropriate for the feature.
- ? - The tag is in use but not documented on the OSM Wiki.
- ?? - The tag is not in use but has been extrapolated from existing tagging. Consider this for a possible tag proposal.
- ??? - There are no established tags for this landform and it is not clear how to extend existing tagging to include it.
- * - See the notes column in the table. This may indicate that the landform may be tagged in more than one way in OSM or as more than one feature.
Also, keep in mind that the common usage of a word may differ from the specific meaning of the tag or value as it is used in OSM. The OSM Wiki pages explain how each tag and value should be used.
About the “geological” tag
The primary tag for a feature is usually natural=* or something similar. The primary tag identifies the general form of the landform, but is often not very specific, e.g., natural=cliff. The values of geological=* add more specificity to the feature, e.g., geological=volcanic_caldera_rim, but may not change its appearance when it is rendered. This glossary suggests values of geological=* (marked with ??) to make the tagging for geological features more specific and detailed. These suggestions are not proposals and have not been “approved” for use. There may be better ways to tag these features. If you know of any, please suggest them on the talk page or add them to this table!
Tag values versus common usage
In many cases in OSM, the meaning of tag values differs from the common usage of the words in the tag values. This is also true for many of the tag values in this glossary. For example, the words “reef” and “shoal” are both commonly used to refer to shallow areas of water where land may be exposed when the water level is low (e.g., at low tide). However, OSM assigns distinctly different meanings to these words as tag values. In OSM, the natural=reef tag refers to “a rock, sandbar or other feature ... that lies permanently beneath the surface of the water but close to the surface” and the natural=shoal tag refers to “an area of the water floor which nears the water surface (literally, becomes shallow) and is exposed from time to time.”
When tagging features in OSM, be sure to apply the definitions of the keys and tag values as they are documented in the OSM Wiki. Do not assume that the common meanings of the words apply.
Notes on TagInfo Stats
Where the TagInfo stats are provided, they correspond to tags that are in use but not documented, tags that are not widely in use, or tags that are not yet in use.
Where the TagInfo stats are not provided, the tag is likely well established in common usage.
Tips for Using the Glossary
If you are referencing a particular landform, you might open the Wikipedia article, OSM Wiki page, example feature in the Notes, and an aerial view of the example. This makes it possible to compare the description of the landform in Wikipedia with the guidance in the OSM Wiki, while looking at imagery of the landform and considering the tagging that other mappers have used.
Glossary of landforms
| Landform (Wikipedia) | Description | OSM Tags | OSM Wiki Page | TagInfo Stats | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Abîme | A vertical shaft in karst terrain that may be very deep and usually opens into a network of subterranean passages | natural=sinkhole + sinkhole=pit | Tag:natural=sinkhole | Note that many examples are currently mapped as natural=cave_entrance.
E.g., Jama | |
| Abyssal fan | Underwater geological structures associated with large-scale sediment deposition | seamark:type=sea_area + seamark:sea_area:category=fan | Seamarks/Categories_of_Objects | E.g., Thompson Fan | |
| Abyssal plain | Flat area on the deep ocean floor | seamark:type=sea_area + seamark:sea_area:category=abyssal_plain | Seamarks/Categories_of_Objects | E.g., Kupe Abyssal Plain | |
| Ait | Islands found on the River Thames and its tributaries in England | place=islet | Tag:place=islet | Aka Eyot.
E.g., Brentford Ait | |
| Alluvial fan | Fan-shaped deposit of sediment | natural=sediment?? + geological=alluvial_fan?? | See "Outwash fan" below for the feature created by glaciation.
E.g., Lucy Gray Fan | ||
| Anabranch | A section of a river or stream that diverts from the main channel and rejoins it downstream. | role=side_stream / role=anabranch | Relation:waterway | E.g., Else | |
| Arch | Arch-shaped natural rock formation | natural=arch | Tag:natural=arch | E.g., Landscape Arch | |
| Archipelago | A chain, cluster, or collection of islands, or sometimes a sea containing a small number of scattered islands | place=archipelago | Tag:place=archipelago | E.g., Canary Islands | |
| Arête | Narrow ridge of rock which separates two valleys | natural=arete | Tag:natural=arete | E.g., Arête des Charbonniers | |
| Arroyo | Dry creek or stream bed with flow after rain | waterway=stream + intermittent=yes | Key:intermittent | E.g., Arroyo Potrillo | |
| Atoll | Ring-shaped coral reef | place=atoll | Proposal:Atoll | Submerged portions might be natural=reef.
E.g., Tenarunga | |
| Ayre | Shingle beaches in Orkney and Shetland | natural=beach + surface=pebblestone | Tag:natural=beach | Although the natural=shingle tag is used elsewhere, mappers appear to favor natural=beach + surface=pebblestone for Ayres.
E.g., Ayre of Vatswick | |
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| Badlands | Type of heavily eroded terrain | ??? | See "Barren land" below for discussion of possible tagging.
E.g., Borrego Badlands | ||
| Bajada | compound Alluvial fan | natural=sediment?? + geological=bajada?? | E.g., Mescal Bajada | ||
| Bar | Natural submerged sandbank that rises from a body of water to near the surface | natural=reef + reef=sand | Tag:natural=reef | If the bar is exposed at low tide, use natural=shoal.
E.g., Cardigan Bar | |
| Barchan | Crescent-shaped dune | natural=dune + dune=barchan?? | Tag:natural=dune | Unless it is stabilized by vegetation, a single barchan dune is likely to be too mobile to map effectively in OSM. Consider landform=dune_system for an area of multiple dunes. | |
| Barren land | An area of bare land where the soil is exposed and there is no appreciable vegetation | natural=ground | Proposal:Natural=ground | Note that this is distinct from natural=bare_rock, natural=sand, natural=scree, etc. because a surface of dirt or clay is exposed where the proportion of rock or sand is relatively low.
Historically, several tags have been used for this without documentation and without a clear preference among mappers: natural=bare_ground, natural=bare_earth, natural=bare_soil, natural=earth, natural=ground, natural=soil. The recent Proposal:Natural=ground attempts to consolidate these tags. E.g., Many areas of Badlands National Park | |
| Barrier bar | Natural submerged sandbank that rises from a body of water to near the surface | natural=reef + reef=sand | Tag:natural=reef | If the bar is exposed at low tide, use natural=shoal.
E.g., Haulover Sandbar | |
| Barrier island | Coastal dune landform that forms by wave and tidal action parallel to the mainland coast | place=island | Tag:place=island | E.g., Moreton Island | |
| Basin | A natural depression or relatively low area enclosed by higher land | natural=basin? / natural=valley / natural=flat? / natural=depression? | Use natural=valley for a relatively narrow, sloping landform with higher terrain on three sides and lower terrain on one side, and natural=basin for a broad area of lower terrain surrounded by higher terrain on all sides. In some cases, a basin may be a relatively flat and gently sloping area leading toward a valley at one end.
However, the natural=basin tag has been used for a variety of features ranging from reservoirs to watersheds. Consider using natural=valley, natural=flat, or natural=depression if one these tags might be more appropriate. E.g., Two Ocean Basin | ||
| Bay | Recessed, coastal body of water connected to an ocean or lake | natural=bay | Tag:natural=bay | E.g., Golfo dei Poeti | |
| Baymouth bar | Sandbank that partially or completely closes access to a bay | natural=cape / natural=beach | Tag:natural=cape | E.g., Rodeo Beach | |
| Bayou | French term for a body of water typically found in flat, low-lying area | natural=water | Tag:natural=water | Use waterway=* for flowlines and navigation.
E.g., Parker Bayou | |
| Beach | Area of loose particles at the edge of the sea or other body of water | natural=beach + surface=* | Tag:natural=beach | E.g., Bambou Plage | |
| Beach cusps | Shoreline formations made up of various grades of sediment in an arc pattern | ??? | Possibly too small and ephemeral to map? | ||
| Beach ridge | Wave-swept or wave-deposited ridge running parallel to a shoreline | natural=berm? | E.g., Beach ridge on the island of Düne | ||
| Bench | Long, relatively narrow land bounded by distinctly steeper slopes above and below | natural=cliff / natural=earth_bank + earth_bank=* | Tag:natural=cliff | E.g., One of several benches along the east side of Wharfedale | |
| Bend | One of a series of regular sinuous curves in the channel of a river or other watercourse | waterway=bend? | Used where a particular meander is notable enough to have a well-established name. As the main course of the waterway will be tagged with waterway=river or waterway=stream, overlay a second way along the named portion and tag it with waterway=bend
E.g., George Ruby Bend | ||
| Bight | Shallowly concave bend or curve in a coastline, river, or other geographical feature | natural=bay | Tag:natural=bay | E.g., Jossac Bight | |
| Blockfield | A surface covered by boulder- or block-sized rocks | natural=blockfield | Tag:natural=blockfield | Aka block field, felsenmeer, boulder field, or stone field. Blockfields differ from screes and talus slope in that blockfields do not originate from the movement of rock down slopes under the force of gravity.
E.g., Big Stone River | |
| Blowhole | Hole at the top of a sea-cave which allows waves to force water or spray out of the hole | natural=blowhole | Tag:natural=blowhole | E.g., Hummanaya Blow Hole | |
| Blowout | Depressions in a sand dune ecosystem caused by the removal of sediments by wind | natural=blowout?? | Following the same pattern as natural=dune? Blowouts in areas of mobile dunes are likely not stable enough to be mapped. Blowouts may be mapped where dunes are stablilized by vegetation or surrounding landforms. | ||
| Blue hole | A large marine cavern or sinkhole, which is open to the surface and has developed in a bank or island composed of a carbonate bedrock | natural=sinkhole + sinkhole=bluehole | Key:sinkhole | E.g., Conch Sounds Oceanic Blue Hole | |
| Bluff | Tall, near vertical rock face | natural=cliff | Tag:natural=cliff | E.g., Dalle du Tirage | |
| Boulder | A large rock fragment | natural=stone | Tag:natural=stone | If the rock remains attached to the bedrock, it should be tagged as natural=rock. Areas of exposed bedrock should be taged natural=bare_rock.
E.g., Overlap Stone | |
| Bornhardt | A large dome-shaped, steep-sided, bald rock | natural=peak + geological=bornhardt?? | Tag:natural=peak | E.g., Pão de Açúcar | |
| Braid bar | A temporary, unstable deposit of sediment in the middle of a river channel | natural=shingle / natural=sand | Tag:natural=shingle | Aka channel bar. As braid bars typically consist of unsorted sediment, they may contain rocks and gravel in addition to sand. In braided rivers that carry a substantial amount of silt, natural=mud may be appropriate. Note that the unstable nature of braid bars may make it difficult to map them individually.
A braid bar is distinguished from an islet or island by its size and stability, and whether or not it will be submerged or moved if the river floods. E.g., Unstable bars in the channel of Rakaia River | |
| Braided channel | Network of river channels separated by small, and often temporary, islands | natural=water | Tag:natural=water | Use waterway=* for flowlines and navigation; see also Relation:waterway for side streams and anabranches.
E.g., Rio Tocantins | |
| Butte | Isolated hill with steep, often vertical sides and a small, relatively flat top | natural=cliff & natural=peak | Tag:natural=cliff | Map the edge of the butte as natural=cliff and the summit of the butte as natural=peak. Additional tags are commonly placed on the summit node but may be placed on the cliff. Proposal:Tag:natural=butte is not widely adopted.
E.g., Factory Butte | |
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| Calanque | Narrow, steep-walled inlet on the Mediterranean coast | natural=bay + geological=calanque?? | Tag:natural=bay | If steep, the sides may be natural=cliff.
E.g., Calanque de Sormiou | |
| Caldera | Cauldron-like volcanic feature formed by the emptying of a magma chamber | geological=volcanic_caldera_rim + natural=cliff / natural=ridge | Tag:natural=volcano#Crater_rim | E.g., Grábrókafell | |
| Canyon | Deep ravine between cliffs | natural=gorge / natural=valley | Tag:natural=gorge | If the sides are steep enough they could be natural=cliff.
E.g., Acid Canyon | |
| Cape | Large headland extending into a body of water, usually the sea | natural=cape | Tag:natural=cape | E.g., Punta Rasa | |
| Carolina bay | Elliptical depressions concentrated along the Atlantic seaboard of North America | * + geological=carolina_bay?? | Map as currently presented, e.g., natural=ridge, natural=water, natural=wetland, natural=depression?, etc.
E.g., Lake Waccamaw | ||
| Cave | Natural underground space large enough for a human to enter | natural=cave_entrance & natural=cave | Cave | Consider also Proposal:Natural=cave
E.g., Hospitaalgrot | |
| Cenote | Natural pit or sinkhole that exposes groundwater underneath | natural=sinkhole + sinkhole=pit | Tag:sinkhole=pit | Map the underground water using layer=-1.
E.g., Cenote Nabula | |
| Channel | Type of landform in which part of a body of water is confined to a relatively narrow but long region | natural=strait | Tag:natural=strait | Consider also seamark:type=sea_area + seamark:sea_area:category=gat / seamark:sea_area:category=sea_channel per Seamarks/Categories_of_Objects.
E.g., Nørredyb | |
| Chenier | A sandy or shelly beach ridge that is part of a strand plain, called a “chenier plain,” consisting of cheniers separated by intervening mud-flat deposits with marsh and swamp vegetation | natural=ridge + geological=chenier?? | Tag:natural=ridge | E.g., Grand Chenier Ridge | |
| Cirque | The amphitheatre-like head of a valley, steep and rounded on three sides and open on the side toward lower ground | natural=cirque? | Aka Corrie or Cwm, see also Head of the valley.
E.g., Corrie of Farchal | ||
| Cliff | Tall, near vertical rock face | natural=cliff | Tag:natural=cliff | E.g., Preikestolen | |
| Coast | Area where land meets the sea or ocean | natural=coastline | Coastline | E.g., Coastline at Mato Nacional do Urso | |
| Col | Lowest point on a mountain ridge between two peaks | natural=saddle | Tag:natural=saddle | E.g., Augustine Pass | |
| Columnar jointing | A geological structure where sets of intersecting closely spaced fractures, referred to as joints, result in the formation of a regular array of polygonal prisms, or columns | geological=columnar_jointing | Tag:geological=columnar_jointing | E.g., Giant's Causeway | |
| Combe | A steep, narrow valley, or a small valley or large hollow on the side of a hill | natural=valley | Tag:natural=valley | E.g., Combe de la Mitière | |
| Complex crater | Large impact craters with uplifted centres | geological=meteor_crater* | Tag:geological=meteor_crater | May be natural=water + water=lake. Also map rim and central peak if present.
E.g., Mistastin Lake | |
| Complex volcano | Landform of more than one related volcanic centre | * | Map individual features. | ||
| Confluence | Meeting of two or more bodies of flowing water | ??? | Is there a reason to map this separately from the water/waterway features? | ||
| Continental shelf | Coastal and oceanic landform | seamark:type=sea_area + seamark:sea_area:category=shelf_edge | Seamarks/Categories_of_Objects | ||
| Coral reef | Outcrop of rock in the sea formed by the growth and deposit of stony coral skeletons | natural=reef + reef=coral | Tag:natural=reef | If the reef is exposed at low tide, use natural=shoal.
E.g., Saba Bank | |
| Couloir | A narrow gully with a steep gradient in a mountainous terrain | natural=gully / natural=valley | Tag:natural=gully | The natural=couloir tag is also in use but not documented.
E.g., Couloir de la Clapière | |
| Cove | Small sheltered bay or coastal inlet | natural=bay | Tag:natural=bay | E.g., Hamilton Cove | |
| Cove (valley) | Small valley in the Appalachian Mountains between two ridge lines | natural=valley | Tag:natural=valley | E.g., Chestnut Cove | |
| Crevasse | A deep crack, or fracture, in an ice sheet or glacier | natural=crevasse | Tag:natural=crevasse | Note that natural=crevasse is only for cracks in ice or glaciers and not for cracks in rocks.
E.g., Crevasse in Antarctica | |
| Crevasse splay | Sediment deposited on a floodplain by a stream which breaks its levees | natural=sediment?? + geological=crevasse_splay?? | |||
| Cryovolcano | Type of volcano that erupts volatiles such as water, ammonia or methane, instead of molten rock | * | Not a terrestrial feature. | ||
| Cuesta | Hill or ridge with a gentle slope on one side and a steep slope on the other | natural=ridge / natural=cliff | Tag:natural=ridge | E.g., Ridge in Westonaria, South Africa | |
| Cuspate foreland | Features found on coastlines and lakeshores that extend outwards from the shoreline in a triangular shape | natural=cape | Tag:natural=cape | Note that cuspate forelands not stabilized by vegetation may migrate, and so may not be permanent enough to map.
E.g., Point Pelee | |
| Cut bank | Outside bank of a water channel, which is continually undergoing erosion | natural=earth_bank + earth_bank=cut_bank | Tag:natural=earth_bank | Possibly natural=cliff if the edge is steep enough. | |
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| Dale | Low area between hills, often with a river running through it | natural=valley | Tag:natural=valley | Possibly mapped using the same way as the waterway.
E.g., Rudstone Dale | |
| Defile | Narrow pass or gorge between mountains or hills | natural=valley / natural=gorge + narrow=yes | Tag:natural=valley | If the sides are steep enough they could be natural=cliff
E.g., Snežná diera | |
| Dell | Small secluded hollow | natural=valley | Tag:natural=valley | E.g., Rocky Dell | |
| Delta, River | Silt deposition landform at the mouth of a river | * | Map individual water, waterway, and land features.
E.g., Delta do Amazonas | ||
| Depression | A landform sunken or depressed below the surrounding area | natural=depression? + geological=* | Depressions are formed by various geological processes, so the value of the geological=* tag may vary.
E.g., Eckfelder Maar | ||
| Desert | A region of land that is very dry because it receives low amounts of precipitation | * | Deserts may be composed of various landforms in various climates, including surfaces of sand, coarser sediment, rock, and even snow. Deserts should be mapped as their individual features, including canyons, buttes, mesas, ergs, arroyos, dry washes, dry lakes, rock outcrops, mountains, valleys, wadis, etc. For a region of sand dunes in a desert (i.e., an erg), use landform=dune_system. However, note that even though deserts receive little precipition they typically have a broad range of vegetation.
Although the natural=desert tag is in use, it does not capture the variation in landforms and ground cover present in desert environments and so its use for areas is not recommended. Perhaps place=region + region:type=desert might be an alternative for named desert areas? Using natural=desert on a node to mark the center of a desert area is appropriate. E.g., Little Sandy Desert | ||
| Desert pavement | Type of desert earth surface | natural=desert_pavement?? | Analogous to the tagging for natural=sand
E.g., Varnished desert pavement near Joshua Tree National Park | ||
| Diatreme | Volcanic pipe associated with a gaseous explosion | geological=diatreme?? | Possibly useful where erosion has revealed a dike formed in a diatreme?
E.g., Moses Rock Dike, Utah | ||
| Dike | A sheet of rock that is formed by the intrusion of magma into a fracture of a pre-existing rock body | geological=dike?? | Aka Dyke. Note that a sheet of rock formed by crystalization of dissolved minerals is a vein, not a dike. The natural=dike tag is also in use.
E.g., Jagged Rock | ||
| Dirt cone | Depositional glacial feature of ice or snow with an insulating layer of dirt | * | Possibly too ephemeral to map? | ||
| Disappearing stream | A stream or river that loses water as it flows downstream and terminates without a surface connection to another body of water | waterway=stream_end | Tag:waterway=stream_end | The more glamorous form of a disappearing stream is one that continues its flow underground through karst terrain and may re-emerge at a later point. This is gets a lot of attention and is currently documented on the OSM Wiki Waterways page with the suggestion to terminate a disappearing stream at a feature tagged with natural=sinkhole + sinkhole=ponor. Then the underground portion of the stream could be mapped with appropriate level=* and tunnel=* tags.
However, the more prosaic, ordinary form of a disappearing stream simply loses water to evaporation and drainage into the local aquafer. This type of disappearing stream can occur in non-karst terrain, does not terminate in a sinkhole, and does not re-emerge. The waterway=stream_end tag marks the end of a waterway that does not connect to another body of water and does not flow into a sinkhole, so that validators don't identify this as a mapping error. | |
| Dissected plateau | Plateaus area that has been severely eroded so that the relief is sharp | * | Map individual features.
E.g., Chapada Diamantina | ||
| Doab | Land between two converging, or confluent, rivers | * | Map individual features. | ||
| Doline | A shallow depression of the ground surface formed solution of the surface rock or subsidence collapse into an underground void | natural=sinkhole + sinkhole=doline | Tag:natural=sinkhole | E.g., Провалля від | |
| Dome | A distinct, rounded, spherical-to-ellipsoidal-shaped protrusion on the Earth's surface | geological=dome? | Due to erosion, a feature that is a geological dome may be a flattened cross-section of a fomer dome-shaped structure. Other tags such as natural=peak, natural=hill, natural=cliff, or natural=earth_bank may be appropriate for the shape of the landform.
E.g., Richat Structure | ||
| Drainage basin | Area of land where precipitation collects and drains off into a common outlet | natural=divide? | This usage may not be practical as the location may not be verifiable or even identifiable. | ||
| Drainage divide | Elevated terrain that separates neighbouring drainage basins | natural=divide? | This usage is more practical where mountain ranges form distinct and notable continental divides. The natural=divide tag may be more appropriate on relations than on ways, as the component ways may also be tagged with natural=ridge.
E.g., Continental Divide | ||
| Draw | Terrain feature perpendicular to a slope, defined by two parallel ridges or spurs with low ground in between, typically with a relatively steep fall line | natural=gully | Tag:natural=gully | ||
| Drumlin | Elongated hill formed by glacial action | natural=hill + geological=drumlin?? | Tag:natural=hill | E.g., Drumlin in the Empire Prairies State Natural Area - Westport Drumlin Unit | |
| Dry lake | Basin or depression that formerly contained a standing surface water body | natural=dry_lake + surface=salt / surface=silt / surface=clay | Proposal:Dry_lake | Some existing features have been tagged as natural=mud which doesn't seem to capture the normal state of the feature. Using intermittent=yes to indicate that a feature tagged with natural=water + water=lake rarely contains water is a Trolltag that negates the meaning of the main tags. The natural=playa tag is also in use. | |
| Dry wash | A dry riverbed that contains water only during times of heavy rain | waterway=stream + intermittent=yes & natural=wadi? | Proposal:Wadi | Aka arroyo or wadi. As with perennial streams and rivers, the main course of the waterway is mapped using waterway=stream + intermittent=yes. As washes enter flat land, they broaden and the course of the waterway becomes erratic, shifting each time the water flows. Map this as a single waterway, approximating the recent watercourse, rather than mapping each braid of successive meanders. In addition, map broad areas with natural=wadi, analogous to the natural=water area of a broad perennial river, with boundaries defined by well-defined banks or changes in vegetation.
E.g., Coyote Wash | |
| Dune | Hill of loose sand built by aeolian processes or the flow of water | natural=dune + dune=*?? | Tag:natural=dune | See Aeolian dune shapes for possible values of dune=*? Map areas of mobile dunes as landform=dune_system.
E.g., Langas kāpa | |
| Dune system | Hill of loose sand built by aeolian processes or the flow of water | landform=dune_system | Tag:landform=dune_system | E.g., Dune du Pilat | |
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| Earthflow | A downslope viscous flow of fine-grained materials that have been saturated with water and moves under the pull of gravity. | natural=landslide + landslide=earthflow?? | Tag:natural=landslide | E.g., Slumgullion Earthflow | |
| Ejecta blanket | Symmetrical apron of ejecta that surrounds an impact crater | ??? | Possibly not preserved in terrestrial landforms? | ||
| Endorheic basin | Closed drainage basin that allows no outflow | natural=divide? | Aka sink. Note that the basin does not necessarily correspond to the area of a (possibly dry) endorheic lake.
E.g., Tarim Basin | ||
| Endorheic lake | Body of water that does not flow into the sea | natural=water + water=lake + geological=endorheic_lake?? | Tag:water=lake | E.g., Great Salt Lake | |
| Erg | Broad area of desert covered with wind-swept sand | landform=dune_system | Tag:landform=dune_system | This could also be natural=sand or natural=desert + surface=sand.
E.g., Erg Tahinaouine | |
| Escarpment | Steep slope or cliff separating two relatively level regions (scarp) | natural=cliff | Tag:natural=cliff | Aka scarp. E.g., Wylie Scarp | |
| Esker | Long, winding ridge of stratified sand and gravel associated with former glaciers | natural=ridge + geological=esker?? | Tag:natural=ridge | The natural=esker tag is in use but geological=esker might be preferred the same way that geological=moraine is preferred over natural=moraine.
E.g., Parnell Esker | |
| Estuary | Partially enclosed coastal body of brackish water | water=* + tidal=yes | Key:estuary | Note that tidal=yes is much more common than estuary=yes. | |
| Estavelle | A sinkhole which, depending on weather conditions and season, can serve either as a sink or as a source of fresh water | natural=sinkhole + sinkhole=estavelle | Tag:sinkhole=estavelle | E.g., Gornjepoljski Vir | |
| Exhumed river channel | Ridge of sandstone that remains when the softer flood plain mudstone is eroded away | natural=ridge + geological=exhumed_river_channel?? | Tag:natural=ridge | E.g., Fossilized riverbed near Green Valley, Utah | |
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| Faceted spur | Ridge that descends towards a valley floor or coastline that is cut short and that ends in a triangular face, with a broad base and an apex pointing upward | natural=ridge + geological=faceted_spur?? | Tag:natural=ridge | ||
| Fault | A planar fracture or discontinuity in a volume of rock across which there has been significant displacement as a result of rock-mass movements | * + geological=fault | Tag:geological=fault | Map the surface features as appropriate, e.g., natural=cliff, natural=earth_bank + earth_bank=scarp, natural=fissure, etc.
E.g., Faille du Jasneuf | |
| Fault scarp | Small vertical offset on the ground surface | natural=earth_bank + earth_bank=scarp | Tag:natural=earth_bank | E.g., разрез Милановского | |
| Firth | Scottish word used for various coastal inlets and straits | natural=bay / natural=strait | Tag:natural=bay | E.g., Firth of Lorn | |
| Fissure | A long, narrow crack opening along the surface of Earth | natural=fissure?? | Note that natural=crevasse is widely used but there is no analogous tag for a crack in the earth. | ||
| Fissure vent | Linear volcanic vent through which lava erupts | geological=volcanic_vent + volcanic_vent:type=* | Tag:geological=volcanic_vent | Some mappers have added more detail with the volcanic_vent:type=* suggested in Proposal:Volcanic_features.
E.g., Holuhraun | |
| Fjard | Glacially formed, broad, shallow inlet | natural=bay + bay=fjard?? | Tag:natural=bay | The natural=fjard tag is also in use but not documented.
E.g., Somes Sound | |
| Fjord | Long, narrow inlet with steep sides or cliffs, created by glacial activity | natural=bay + bay=fjord | Tag:bay=fjord | E.g., Bjærangfjorden | |
| Flat | Relatively level surface of land within a region of greater relief | natural=flat? | E.g., Pine Flat | ||
| Flatiron | Steeply sloping triangular landform | natural=cliff / natural=ridge + geological=flatiron?? | Tag:natural=cliff | E.g., 2nd Flatiron | |
| Floodplain | Land adjacent to a river which is flooded during periods of high discharge | natural=floodplain | Proposal:Floodplain | E.g., Saaraue Güdingen | |
| Fluvial island | Exposed landmass within a river. | place=islet / place=island | Tag:place=islet | E.g., Oliver's Island | |
| Fluvial terrace | Elongated terraces that flank the sides of floodplains and river valleys | natural=earth_bank + earth_bank=cut_bank* | Tag:natural=earth_bank | A fluvial terrace may also be depositional, in which case the earth_bank=cut_bank would be inappropriate.
E.g., Обрыв в Старосиверской | |
| Foiba | Type of deep natural sinkhole | natural=sinkhole + sinkhole=pit | Tag:natural=sinkhole | E.g., Jama | |
| Fumarole | A vent in the surface of the Earth from which hot volcanic gases and vapors are emitted | natural=fumarole | Tag:natural=fumarole | This differs from geological=volcanic_vent because it only emits gases and vapors.
E.g., Caldeiras das Furnas | |
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| Gat | A strait that is constantly eroded by currents flowing back and forth, such as tidal currents | natural=strait | Tag:natural=strait | E.g., Osterems | |
| Geo | Inlet, a gully or a narrow and deep cleft in the face of a coastal cliff | natural=bay + bay=geo?? | Tag:natural=bay | If the sides are steep enough they could be natural=cliff.
E.g., Geo of Sclaites | |
| Geyser | A spring characterized by an intermittent discharge of water ejected turbulently and accompanied by steam | natural=geyser + geyser:type=* | Tag:natural=geyser | Use geyser:type=volcanic for geysers of hot water and steam, and geyser:type=co2 for geysers driven by the release of carbon dioxide.
The geological=volcanic_geyser tag has been used but geyser:type=volcanic may be preferred. | |
| Giant's kettle | A typically large and cylindrical pothole drilled in solid rock underlying a glacier either by water descending down a deep moulin or by gravel rotating in the bed of subglacial meltwater stream | natural=depression? + geological=giants_kettle | Tag:geological=giants_kettle | E.g., Gletschertopf | |
| Glacial erratic | A glacially deposited rock differing from the type of rock native to the area in which it rests. | natural=stone + geological=glacial_erratic | Tag:geological=glacial_erratic | E.g., Mørupstenen | |
| Glacial lake | A body of water formed when a glacier erodes the land and then melts, filling the depression created by the glacier | natural=water + water=lake + geological=glacial_lake? | Note that a glacial lake fills a depression formed by a glacier, while a proglacial lake is dammed by a glacier or glacial debris. | ||
| Glacial polish | A smooth or grooved surface ground into bedrock by the motion of a glacier | natural=bare_rock + geological=glacial_polish? | E.g., Rupe Magna | ||
| Glacier | Persistent body of ice that is moving under its own weight | natural=glacier + glacier:type=* | Tag:natural=glacier | See Key:glacier:type to tag the type of glacier.
E.g., Lacuna Glacier | |
| Glacier cave | Cave formed within the ice of a glacier | natural=cave_entrance + material=ice | Tag:natural=cave_entrance | Consider also Proposal:Natural=cave.
E.g., Glaciar Cave | |
| Glacier foreland | The region between the current leading edge of the glacier and the moraines of latest maximum | ??? | |||
| Glen | Name for valley commonly used in Ireland, Scotland and the Isle of Man | natural=valley | Tag:natural=valley | E.g., Glen Affric | |
| Gorge | Deep ravine between cliffs | natural=gorge / natural=valley | Tag:natural=gorge | If the sides are steep enough they could be natural=cliff. | |
| Graben | Depressed block of planetary crust bordered by parallel normal faults | natural=valley + geological=graben?? & natural=earth_bank + earth_bank=scarp | Tag:natural=valley | Map valley floor and sides separately. Note that a graben may be too large to map as a single feature in OSM. | |
| Gulch | Deep V-shaped valley formed by erosion | natural=valley | Tag:natural=valley | E.g., Bitter Spring Gulch | |
| Gulf | A gulf is a large inlet from the ocean into the landmass | place=sea | Tag:place=sea | E.g., Gulf of California | |
| Gully | Landform created by running water and/or mass movement eroding sharply into soil | natural=gully | Tag:natural=gully | E.g., McAdam Ravine | |
| Gut | A gut is a narrow coastal body of water, a channel or strait, usually one that is subject to strong tidal currents flowing back and forth. The term is also used in some places for a small creek. | natural=strait / waterway=stream | Tag:natural=strait | E.g., Judges Gut or Peach Orchard Gut | |
| Guyot | Isolated, flat-topped underwater volcano mountain | seamark:type=sea_area + seamark:sea_area:category=guyot | Seamarks/Categories_of_Objects | ||
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| Hanging valley | A tributary valley that meets the main valley above the valley floor | natural=valley & natural=cliff / waterway=stream + waterway=waterfall | Tag:natural=valley | The valley and cliff would be mapped as two separate features in OSM.
E.g., Bridalveil Fall | |
| Headland | A point of land usually high and often with a sheer drop, that extends into a body of water | natural=cape | Tag:natural=cape | As the coastline must be mapped as a way tagged with natural=coastline, the cliffs on a headland may be mapped using a multipolygon relation tagged with natural=cliff. See Tag:natural=coastline.
E.g., Ras Nouadhibou | |
| Hill | Landform that extends above the surrounding terrain | natural=hill | Tag:natural=hill | E.g., Pistern Hill | |
| Hilly area | A range or group of hills, as distinguished from surrounding terrain | natural=hills | Tag:natural=hill | Individual hills in the area may still be tagged with natural=hill, especially if they are named or have other unique attributes.
E.g., Buuraha Yiroowe | |
| Hogback | A long, narrow ridge with a narrow crest and steep slopes of nearly equal inclination on both flanks. Typically, the term is restricted to a ridge created by the differential erosion of outcropping, steeply dipping (greater than 30–40°), homoclinal, and typically sedimentary strata. | natural=ridge / natural=cliff + geological=hogback?? | Tag:natural=ridge | E.g., Teufelsmauer | |
| Hollow | A small valley surrounded by mountains or ridges | natural=valley | Tag:natural=valley | E.g., Stillhouse Hollow | |
| Homoclinal ridge | Ridge with a moderate sloping backslope and steeper frontslope | natural=ridge / natural=cliff + geological=homoclinal_ridge?? | Tag:natural=ridge | Following the convention for natural=cliff, the right side of the way could be the steeper side of the ridge. | |
| Hoodoo | Tall, thin spire of relatively soft rock usually topped by harder rock | natural=cliff + geological=hoodoo | Tag:geological=hoodoo | Combine geological=hoodoo with natural=cliff rather than natural=rock because natural=cliff implies a vertical face of bare rock and is used on nodes to map standing pinnacles (see below). | |
| Horst | Raised fault block bounded by normal faults | * + geological=horst?? | May present as plateaus, mountains, or ridges on either side of a Graben valley. Map individual features. Note that a horst may be too large to map as a single feature in OSM.
E.g., Rwenzori Mountains | ||
| Hot spring | A spring produced by the emergence of geothermally heated groundwater onto the surface of the Earth | natural=hot_spring | Tag:natural=hot_spring | E.g., Dirty Socks Hot Spring | |
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| Ice cap | A mass of ice with an area of less than 50,000 km2 (19,000 sq mi) that completely covers the underlying terrain including mountains and ridges | natural=glacier + glacier:type=icecap | Key:glacier:type | E.g., Ad Astra Iskappe | |
| Ice field | A mass of interconnected valley glaciers (also called mountain glaciers or alpine glaciers) through which rock ridges or summits protrude | natural=glacier + glacier:type=icefield | Key:glacier:type | E.g., Northern Patagonian Ice Field | |
| Ice sheet | A mass of ice with an area of greater than 50,000 km2 (19,000 sq mi) that completely covers the underlying terrain including mountains and ridges | natural=glacier + glacier:type=icesheet? | E.g., Sermersuaq (Greenland Ice Sheet) | ||
| Impact crater | Circular depression in a solid astronomical body formed by the impact of a smaller object | geological=meteor_crater | Tag:geological=meteor_crater | Aka meteor crater. The rim may be tagged natural=cliff. | |
| Inlet | Indentation of a shoreline | natural=bay | Tag:natural=bay | E.g., 沙頭角海 Starling Inlet | |
| Inselberg | Isolated, steep rock hill on relatively flat terrain | natural=hill + geological=inselberg?? | Tag:natural=hill | Aka Monadnock or koppie.
E.g., Piedra del Peñol | |
| Interfluve | Land between two converging, or confluent, rivers | * | Map individual features. | ||
| Inverted relief | Landscape features that have reversed their elevation relative to other features | * | Map individual features. | ||
| Island | Piece of subcontinental land completely surrounded by water | place=island | Tag:place=island | E.g., Tristan da Cunha | |
| Islet | Very small island | place=islet | Tag:place=islet | E.g., Isla de las muñecas | |
| Isthmus | Narrow strip of land connecting two larger land areas | natural=isthmus | Tag:natural=isthmus | E.g., Drageidet | |
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| Joint | A break (fracture) of natural origin in a layer or body of rock that lacks visible or measurable movement parallel to the surface (plane) of the fracture | geological=joint? | Unless a joint is large and prominent, this type of feature may be too small to be effectively mapped. | ||
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| Kame | Mound formed on a retreating glacier and deposited on land | natural=hill + geological=kame?? | Tag:natural=hill | E.g., Johnson Hill | |
| Kame delta | Glacial melt water landform | natural=sediment?? + geological=kame_delta?? | |||
| Karst | Topography from dissolved soluble rocks | * | Map individual features.
E.g., Dent de Crolles | ||
| Karst fenster | Unroofed portion of a cavern which reveals part of a subterranean river | natural=sinkhole + sinkhole=estavelle | Key:sinkhole | E.g., Entonnoir de Moutonne | |
| Karst valley | Topography from dissolved soluble rocks | * | Map individual features. | ||
| Kettle | Depression or hole in an outwash plain formed by retreating glaciers or draining floodwaters | natural=depression? + geological=kettle? | May be natural=water + water=lake / water=pond if the kettle is filled with water.
E.g., Greenbush Kettle | ||
| Kīpuka | Area of land surrounded by one or more younger lava flows | * + geological=kipuka?? | Map as currently presented.
E.g., Kīpuka Puaulu | ||
| Knoll | Small hill | natural=hill | Tag:natural=hill | E.g., Downie Hillock | |
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| Lacustrine plain | A plain formed due to the past existence of a lake and its accompanying sediment accumulation | * | Map individual features. | ||
| Lacustrine terrace | A lake (lacustrine) terrace represents the former shoreline of either a nonglacial, glacial, or proglacial lake. As with marine terraces, a lake terrace can be formed by either the abrasion or erosion of materials comprising the shoreline, the accumulations of sediments in the shallow-water to slightly emerged environments, or some combination of these. | * + geological=lacustrine_terrace?? | Tag:natural=earth_bank | Map individual features. | |
| Lagoon | Shallow body of water separated from a larger one by a narrow landform | natural=water + water=lagoon | Tag:water=lagoon | E.g., Laguna di Venezia | |
| Lake | Large body of relatively still water | natural=water + water=lake | Tag:water=lake | E.g., Lake Minnetonka | |
| Landslide | One of several forms of mass wasting that may include a wide range of ground movements, such as rockfalls, shallow or deep-seated slope failures, mudflows, and debris flows | natural=landslide + landslide=* | Tag:natural=landslide | Aka landslip. Use the Hungr-Leroueil-Picarelli classification for possible values of the landslide=* tag.
E.g., Jagueyes Landslide | |
| Lava | Molten rock expelled by a volcano during an eruption | natural=bare_rock + geological=volcanic_lava_flow | Proposal:Volcanic_features | E.g., Lengua de Vulcano | |
| Lava dome | Roughly circular protrusion from slowly extruded viscous volcanic lava | natural=bare_rock + geological=volcanic_lava_dome?? | Proposal:Volcanic_features | E.g., Volcán Chaitén | |
| Lava field | Large, mostly flat area of lava flows | natural=bare_rock + geological=volcanic_lava_field | Tag:geological=volcanic_lava_field | Aka lava plain. A lava field may consist of multiple lava flows from separate volcanic eruptions.
E.g., Bryðjuhraun | |
| Lava flow | An outpouring of molten or partially molten rock during an effusive volcanic eruption | natural=bare_rock + geological=volcanic_lava_flow | Tag:geological=volcanic_lava_flow | The geological=volcanic_lava_flow tag applies to the area covered by lava in a single volcanic eruption.
E.g., Lava Flow of 1840 | |
| Lava lake | Molten or solidified lava contained in a volcanic crater | geological=volcanic_lava_lake?? | Proposal:Volcanic_features | E.g., Erta Ale | |
| Lava spine | Vertical growth of solid volcanic lava | natural=* + geological=volcanic_lava_spine?? | Proposal:Volcanic_features | Tag as appropriate for the feature. | |
| Lava tube | Natural conduit through which lava flows beneath the solid surface | natural=cave_entrance + geological=volcanic_lava_tube | Proposal:Volcanic_features | E.g., Furna da Maria Encantada | |
| Lavaka | Type of gully, formed via groundwater sapping | natural=gully + geological=lavaka?? | Tag:natural=gully | E.g., Lavaka in Madagascar | |
| Levee | Natural ridge or wall that holds back water | natural=ridge* + geological=natural_levee?? | Tag:natural=ridge | Is this use of natural=ridge appropriate?
Note that artificial levees should be mapped as man_made=dyke. | |
| Limestone pavement | Natural karst landform consisting of a flat, incised surface of exposed limestone | natural=bare_rock + material=limestone | Tag:natural=bare_rock | E.g., Orton Scar | |
| Loess | Sediment of accumulated wind-blown dust | * | Map individual features.
E.g., 黄土高原 (Loess Plateau) | ||
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| Maar | Low-relief volcanic crater | natural=depression? + geological=volcanic_caldera_rim | Tag:natural=volcano#Crater_rim | Also map related features such as lakes, ridges, or cliffs.
E.g., Eichholzmaar | |
| Machair | Fertile low-lying dune grassland unique to Western Scotland and north-west Ireland | * | Map individual features and land cover. | ||
| Malpaís | Rough and barren landscape of relict and largely uneroded lava fields | natural=bare_rock + geological=volcanic_lava_field | Proposal:Volcanic_features | E.g., Malpaís de Güímar | |
| Mamelon | Rock formation created by eruption of relatively thick or stiff lava through a narrow vent | natural=hill + geological=volcanic_lava_mamelon?? | Tag:natural=hill | E.g., Piton de la Fournaise | |
| Marine terrace | Emergent coastal landform | natural=cliff + geological=marine_terrace?? | Tag:natural=cliff | E.g., Tongue Point | |
| Marsh | Wetland that is dominated by herbaceous rather than woody plant species | natural=wetland + wetland=marsh | Tag:wetland=marsh | E.g., Blessington Marsh | |
| Massif | Section of a planet's crust that is demarcated by faults or flexures | * | Possibly natural=mountain_range. Map individual features.
E.g., Massif Central | ||
| Meander | One of a series of curves in a channel of a matured stream | * | Map individual features. | ||
| Mesa | Elevated area of land with a flat top and sides that are usually steep cliffs | natural=cliff & natural=peak | Tag:natural=cliff | Map the edge of the mesa as natural=cliff and the summit of the mesa (if there is one) as natural=peak. Additional tags are commonly placed on the summit node but may be placed on the cliff. Alternately, consider Proposal:Tag:natural=mesa.
E.g., Rain God Mesa | |
| Mid-ocean ridge | Basaltic underwater mountain system formed by plate tectonic spreading | seamark:type=sea_area + seamark:sea_area:category=ridge | Seamarks/Categories_of_Objects | ||
| Mogote | Steep-sided residual hill of limestone, marble, or dolomite on a flat plain | natural=hill + geological=mogote?? | Tag:natural=hill | E.g., Parque Nacional Los Haitises | |
| Moraine | Glacially formed accumulation of debris | natural=hill / natural=ridge + geological=moraine | Tag:geological=moraine | E.g., Sandriegel | |
| Moulin | Shaft within a glacier or ice sheet which water enters from the surface | natural=moulin?? | Following the same pattern as natural=crevasse. Possibly natural=water + water=lake + geological=moulin? | ||
| Mountain | Large natural elevation of the Earth's surface | natural=peak | Tag:natural=peak | E.g., Chimborazo | |
| Mountain pass | Route through a mountain range or over a ridge | highway=* + mountain_pass=yes / natural=saddle | Tag:mountain_pass=yes | Use highway=* + mountain_pass=yes to mark the highest point of a highway as it crosses over a crest. Use natural=saddle to mark the lowest point along a ridge or between two mountain tops and the highest point between adjacent valleys or lowlands. Note that the location of the saddle may not be at the highest point of the highway.
E.g., Kang La | |
| Mountain range | Geographic area containing several geologically related mountains | natural=mountain_range | Tag:natural=mountain_range | E.g., Western Alps | |
| Mud volcano | Landform created by the eruption of mud or slurries, water and gases | geological=mud_volcano? | The geological=volcanic_mudpot tag has been discussed on the Proposal:Volcanic_features page but it is not in use. | ||
| Mudflat | Coastal wetlands that form in intertidal areas where sediments have been deposited by tides or rivers | natural=wetland + wetland=tidalflat | Tag:wetland=tidalflat | E.g., Έλος Ακόνι | |
| Mushroom rock | Naturally occurring rock whose shape resembles a mushroom | natural=rock + geological=mushroom_rock?? | Tag:natural=rock | Would natural=cliff be better than natural=rock in some cases? Or is there a more specific way to tag this feature?
E.g., Mushroom Rock | |
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| Nadir | The lowest point of a dry basin or depression, or the deepest point of a body of water or ice | natural=depression? | Map this feature as a node, not as a line or area. Although this type of feature is not currently rendered in OSM Carto, perhaps an inverted form of the peak symbol with the tip of the triangle pointing down would be appropriate. | ||
| Narrows | A restricted land or water passage such as a strait, a water gap, or a wind gap | narrow=yes + waterway=* / natural=valley / natural=gorge | Key:narrow | Also "Narrow." Note that a strait is understood to be narrow, so narrow=yes should not be used with natural=strait.
E.g., The Narrows | |
| Natural arch | Arch-shaped natural rock formation | natural=arch | Tag:natural=arch | E.g., Mesa Arch | |
| Nunatak | The summit or ridge of a mountain that protrudes from an ice field or glacier that otherwise covers most of the mountain or ridge | natural=peak / natural=ridge + geological=nunatak?? | E.g., Prøvestenen | ||
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| Oasis | Fertile area in a desert environment | * | Map individual features.
E.g., Ein Gedi | ||
| Oceanic basin | Geologic basin under the sea | seamark:type=sea_area + seamark:sea_area:category=basin | Seamarks/Categories_of_Objects | ||
| Oceanic plateau | Relatively flat submarine region that rises well above the level of the ambient seabed | seamark:type=sea_area + seamark:sea_area:category=plateau | Seamarks/Categories_of_Objects | ||
| Oceanic ridge | An underwater mountain system formed by plate tectonic spreading | seamark:type=sea_area + seamark:sea_area:category=ridge | Seamarks/Categories_of_Objects | ||
| Oceanic trench | Long and narrow depressions of the sea floor | seamark:type=sea_area + seamark:sea_area:category=trench | Seamarks/Categories_of_Objects | E.g., Fiordland Trench | |
| Outcrop | A visible exposure of bedrock or ancient superficial deposits | natural=bare_rock + geological=outcrop | Tag:geological=outcrop | Consider natural=rock for a notable individual outcrop as opposed to natural=bare_rock for a broader area of exposed bedrock.
E.g., Tranquility Cracks | |
| Outwash fan | Fan-shaped body of sediments deposited by braided streams from a melting glacier | natural=sediment?? + geological=outwash_fan?? | Possibly geological=outwash? See "Alluvial fan" above for features created by processes other than glaciation. | ||
| Outwash plain | Plain formed from glacier sediment transported by meltwater | natural=plain? + geological=outwash_plain?? | E.g., Skeiðarársandur | ||
| Oxbow lake | U-shaped lake or pool | natural=water + water=oxbow | Tag:water=oxbow | Aka billabong.
E.g., Oude Durme | |
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| Paleoplain | A buried erosion plain; a particularly large and flat erosion surface | * | Not a surface feature. | ||
| Panhole | A depression or basin eroded into flat or gently sloping cohesive rock formed by weathering, dissolution of the rock, and/or biological erosion | natural=depression? + geological=panhole? | Aka gnamma or rock holes (Australia), armchair hollows, weathering pans (or pits) and solution pans (or pits).
E.g., Pias do Serlei | ||
| Parasitic cone | A cone-shaped accumulation of volcanic material not part of the central vent of a volcano | natural=volcano + volcano:type=* + volcano:status=* + geological=parasitic_cone? | E.g., Monte Orlando | ||
| Pediment | Very gently sloping inclined bedrock surface | * | Map individual features. | ||
| Pediplain | Extensive plain formed by the coalescence of pediments | * | Map individual features. | ||
| Peneplain | Low-relief plain formed by protracted erosion | * | Map individual features. | ||
| Peninsula | Landform surrounded mostly, but not entirely by water | natural=peninsula | Tag:natural=peninsula | E.g., Χερσόνησος Ροδωπού (Rodopou Peninsula) | |
| Pingo | Mound of earth-covered ice | natural=hill + geological=pingo?? | Tag:natural=hill | ||
| Pinnacle | An individual column of rock, isolated from other rocks or groups of rocks, in the shape of a vertical shaft or spire | natural=cliff | Tag:natural=cliff | Aka pillar. Note that pinnacles are distinguished from hoodoos because hoodoos are capped with harder rock and have profiles that vary in width, while pinnacles have a smoother, more uniform profile.
E.g., Wolgan Pinnacle | |
| Pit crater | Depression formed by a sinking or collapse of the surface lying above a void or empty chamber | natural=sinkhole + sinkhole=pit | Tag:natural=sinkhole | E.g., Sima Martel | |
| Plain | Expanse of land which is mostly flat and treeless | natural=plain? | E.g., Niziny Środkowopolskie | ||
| Plate boundary | Location where two tectonic plates meet | geological=plate_boundary? | Map the surface features as appropriate, e.g., natural=cliff, natural=earth_bank + earth_bank=scarp, natural=fissure, etc.
This is distinct from geological=fault because faults may occur in places that are not at the boundary of a tectonic plate. E.g., Mid-Atlantic Ridge | ||
| Plateau | Highland area, usually of relatively flat terrain | natural=plateau | Proposal:Tag:natural=plateau | E.g., Adamawa Plateau | |
| Playa | Basin or depression that formerly contained a standing surface water body | natural=dry_lake + surface=salt / surface=silt | Proposal:Dry_lake | The natural=playa tag is also in use.
E.g., Great Salt Lake Desert | |
| Plunge pool | Depression at the base of a waterfall | natural=water + water=stream_pool | Tag:water=stream_pool | E.g., Plunge Pool on Riu Foix | |
| Point bar | Depositional feature made of alluvium that accumulates on the inside bend of streams and rivers below the slip-off slope | natural=shingle* + geological=point_bar?? | Tag:natural=shingle | Use natural=reef if the bar remains below water. Note that a point bar is not typically sand but also consists of stones. However, depending on the situation, natural=sand or natural=mud may also be appropriate. | |
| Polje | Type of large plain found in karst regions | natural=plain? / natural=valley | E.g., Livanjsko polje | ||
| Pond | Relatively small body of standing water | natural=water + water=pond | Tag:water=pond | E.g., Golden Pond | |
| Ponor | A natural opening in karst landscape where surface water enters into underground passages | natural=sinkhole + sinkhole=ponor | Tag:sinkhole=ponor | May also be tagged as natural=cave_entrance.
E.g., Kovači | |
| Pothole | A smooth, bowl-shaped or cylindrical hollow, generally deeper than wide, found carved into the rocky bed of a watercourse | natural=depression? + geological=pothole?? | Aka pot, (stream) kettle, giant's kettle, evorsion, hollow, rock mill, churn hole, swirlhole, eddy mill, and kolk. A larger pothole may be tagged with geological=giants_kettle.
E.g., Hiidenkirnu | ||
| Potrero | Long mesa that at one end slopes upward to higher terrain | * | Map individual features. | ||
| Proglacial lake | A lake formed either by the damming action of a moraine during the retreat of a melting glacier, a glacial ice dam, or by meltwater trapped against an ice sheet | natural=water + water=lake + geological=proglacial_lake?? | Tag:water=lake | Note that a proglacial lake is dammed by a glacier or glacial debris, while a glacial lake fills a depression formed by a glacier.
E.g., Tasman Lake | |
| Promontory | A raised mass of land that projects into a lowland, such as a hard ridge of rock that has resisted erosion on either side, or the high ground that remains between two valleys | natural=peak / natural=ridge / natural=cliff | Aka point, where the term is not used to refer to a peninsula or cape. The choice of tags depends on the local topography. Use natural=peak for locations with locally high elevation or points with steep drops on three sides. Use natural=ridge for locations without a single local high point and for plateaus with cliffs or valleys on three sides.
E.g., Promontory Point | ||
| Pseudocrater | Volcanic landform | natural=depression? + geological=volcanic_rootless_cone?? | Possibly natural=water + water=lake if the depression contains water.
E.g., Mývatn | ||
| Pull-apart basin | Type of basin in geology | natural=basin? / natural=depression? + geological=pull_apart_basin?? | Possibly natural=water + water=lake if the basin contains water.
E.g., Salton Sea | ||
| Pyramidal peak | Angular, sharply pointed mountainous peak | natural=peak + geological=pyramidal_peak?? | Tag:natural=peak | Aka glacial horn.
E.g., Matterhorn | |
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| Raised beach | Emergent coastal landform | natural=cliff + geological=marine_terrace?? | Tag:natural=cliff | E.g., Cliffs near Santa Cruz, California | |
| Rapid | River section with increased velocity and turbulence | waterway=rapids / water=rapids | Tag:waterway=rapids | Use waterway=rapids for a segment of the waterway and water=rapids for a broader water area.
E.g., Bremgartner Welle | |
| Ravine | Small valley, often due to stream erosion | natural=valley / natural=gorge | Tag:natural=valley | Depending on the scale of the feature.
E.g., McAdam Ravine | |
| Reef | A ridge or shoal of rock, coral or similar relatively stable material, lying beneath the surface of a natural body of water | natural=reef | Tag:natural=reef | Use natural=shoal if the feature is exposed when the water level is low (e.g., at low tide).
E.g., Baniaga Reef | |
| Ria | A coastal inlet formed by the partial submergence of an unglaciated river valley | natural=bay + geological=ria?? | Tag:natural=bay | E.g., Pearl Harbor | |
| Ridge | Long, narrow, elevated landform | natural=ridge | Tag:natural=ridge | E.g., Cordillera San Juan Bosco | |
| Riffle | Shallow landform in a flowing channel | whitewater:section_grade=1 | Proposal:Whitewater | E.g., Voikoski | |
| Rift valley | Linear lowland created by a tectonic rift or fault | natural=valley | Tag:natural=valley | ||
| River | Natural flowing watercourse | natural=water + water=river | Rivers | E.g., Yangtze | |
| River delta | Silt deposition landform at the mouth of a river | * | Map individual water, waterway, and land features.
E.g., Delta do Amazonas | ||
| River island | Exposed landmass within a river. | place=island / place=islet | Tag:place=island | E.g., Goose Island | |
| Rôche moutonnée | Rock formation created by the passing of a glacier | natural=bare_rock + geological=roche_moutonnee? | E.g., McAvoy Rock | ||
| Rock glacier | Rock glaciers are masses of talus or scree that move under their own weight aided by interstitial ice or an underlying layer of permafrost | natural=scree + geological=rock_glacier | Key:glacier:type | Since rock glaciers have a surface of scree (or boulders), many existing features are tagged simply as natural=scree without any additional tags. Although the use of natural=glacier + glacier:type=rock is documented, there is some consensus that using natural=glacier for rock glaciers is incorrect.
E.g., Timpanogos Glacier | |
| Rock shelter | Shallow cave-like opening at the base of a bluff or cliff | natural=rock_overhang | Tag:natural=rock_overhang | E.g., Henry Lawson Cave | |
| Rock-cut basin | Cylindrical depression cut into stream or river beds | natural=depression? / waterway=stream_pool + geological=rockcut_basin?? | |||
| Rogen moraine | Landform of ridges deposited by a glacier or ice sheet transverse to ice flow | natural=hill / natural=ridge + geological=moraine | Tag:geological=moraine | E.g., Bierstadt Moraine | |
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| Saddle | A location that is simultaneously the low point between two or more adjacent peaks and the high point between two or more adjacent valleys | natural=saddle | Tag:natural=saddle | Aka gap. For the highest point of a mountain road, railway or path as it passes over a crest, use mountain_pass=yes on a highway node, but note that the highest point on a highway and the topographical saddle point may be at different locations.
E.g., Curmătura Prislop | |
| Salt marsh | Coastal ecosystem between land and open saltwater that is regularly flooded | natural=wetland + wetland=saltmarsh | Tag:wetland=saltmarsh | Possibly with tidal=yes.
E.g., Turtle Creek | |
| Salt pan | Flat expanse of ground covered with salt and other minerals (salt flat) | natural=dry_lake + surface=salt | Proposal:Dry_lake | E.g., Mud Lake | |
| Sand boil | Cone formed by the ejection of sand on a surface from a central point | * | Aka sand volcano. Possibly too small and ephemeral to map. | ||
| Sandhill | Type of ecological community or xeric wildfire-maintained ecosystem | natural=hill | Tag:natural=hill | The distinction is possibly ecological rather than geological? | |
| Sandur | Plain formed from glacier sediment transported by meltwater | natural=plain? | E.g., Skeiðarársandur | ||
| Scowle | Landscape features that range from amorphous shallow pits to irregular labyrinthine hollows up to several meters deep | natural=depression? + geological=scowle?? | |||
| Scree | Broken rock fragments at the base of a cliff or other steep rocky mass that has accumulated through periodic rockfall | natural=scree | Tag:natural=scree | E.g., Лағжиши замини Ҳоит (Hoit Landslide) | |
| Sea cave | Cave formed by the wave action of the sea and located along present or former coastlines | natural=cave_entrance | Tag:natural=cave_entrance | E.g., The World's End | |
| Seamount | Mountain rising from the ocean seafloor that does not reach to the water's surface | seamark:type=sea_area + seamark:sea_area:category=seamount | Seamarks/Categories_of_Objects | E.g., Bremen Seamount | |
| Shield volcano | Low-profile volcano usually formed almost entirely of fluid lava flows | natural=volcano + volcano:type=shield | Proposal:Volcanic_features | E.g., Volcán La Cumbre | |
| Shoal | Natural submerged sandbank that rises from a body of water to near the surface | natural=shoal | Tag:natural=shoal | Use natural=reef if the feature remains submerged at all times.
E.g., Sandy Cay | |
| Shore | Area where land meets the sea or ocean | natural=coastline | Coastline | E.g., Coastline of Santiago | |
| Shut-in | A rock formation where a waterway carves through a mountain range, forming a complex of pools, rivulets, rapids and plunge pools | * | Map individual features. | ||
| Side valley | Valley with a tributary to a larger river | natural=valley | Tag:natural=valley | E.g., Mohawk Canyon | |
| Sinkhole | Geologically-formed topological depression | natural=sinkhole | Tag:natural=sinkhole | E.g., Santa Rosa | |
| Slickenside | A smoothly polished surface caused by frictional movement between rocks along a fault | geological=slickenside? | E.g., Harnisch | ||
| Slope | An area of ground that tends evenly upward or downward such as a mountain side or hillside | natural=slope? | E.g., Treppenhalde | ||
| Snow field | An accumulation of permanent snow and ice, typically found above the snow line, normally in mountainous and glacial terrain | natural=snowfield? | Aka snowfield or neve.
E.g., Passo della Vedretta | ||
| Sound | A long, relatively wide body of water, connecting two larger bodies of water | natural=strait | Tag:natural=strait | E.g., Sound of Mull | |
| Spit | Coastal bar or beach landform deposited by longshore drift | natural=cape | Tag:natural=cape | E.g., Moondarewa Spit | |
| Spring | A point at which water emerges from an aquifer to the surface | natural=spring | Tag:natural=spring | E.g., 銀嶺水 (Ginreisui Spring) | |
| Stack | Geological landform consisting of a steep and often vertical column or columns of rock and stump | place=islet + natural=cliff | If a stack is a pinnacle or spire, it may be mapped as a single node. Since the outline of an ocean stack also must be tagged with natural=coastline, the place=islet + natural=cliff tags should be applied to a multipolygon relation with the outline way(s) as members. See Tag:natural=coastline for details.
E.g., McCann Stack | ||
| Strait | Naturally formed, narrow, typically navigable waterway that connects two larger bodies of water | natural=strait | Tag:natural=strait | E.g., مضيق تيران (Straits of Tiran) | |
| Strandflat | A flattish erosion surface on the coast and near-coast seabed | * | Map individual features. | ||
| Strath | Large valley | natural=valley | Tag:natural=valley | E.g., Strathnairn | |
| Stratovolcano | Type of conical volcano composed of layers of lava and tephra | natural=volcano + volcano:type=stratovolcano | Proposal:Volcanic_features | E.g., Mount Yotei | |
| Stream | Body of surface water flowing down a channel | waterway=stream | Tag:waterway=stream | E.g., Koukopuro | |
| Stream pool | Deep and slow-moving stretch of a watercourse | natural=water + water=stream_pool | Tag:water=stream_pool | E.g., Las Piedras | |
| Strike ridge | Ridge with a moderate sloping backslope and steeper frontslope | natural=cliff / natural=ridge + geological=homoclinal_ridge?? | Tag:natural=cliff | Following the convention for natural=cliff, the right side of the way could be the steeper side of the ridge. | |
| Structural bench | Long, relatively narrow land bounded by distinctly steeper slopes above and below | natural=cliff / natural=earth_bank + earth_bank=* | Tag:natural=earth_bank | E.g., One of several benches along the east side of Wharfedale | |
| Structural terrace | A step-like landform | natural=cliff / natural=earth_bank + earth_bank=* | Tag:natural=earth_bank | ||
| Subglacial mound | Volcano formed when lava erupts beneath a thick glacier or ice sheet | natural=volcano + volcano:type=subglacial_mound | Tag:natural=volcano | E.g., Pyramid Mountain | |
| Submarine canyon | Steep-sided valley cut into the seabed of the continental slope | seamark:type=sea_area + seamark:sea_area:category=canyon | Seamarks/Categories_of_Objects | ||
| Submarine volcano | Underwater vents or fissures in the Earth's surface from which magma can erupt | ??? | Not in Seamarks/Categories_of_Objects or Proposal:Volcanic_features.
E.g., Lōʻihi Seamount | ||
| Summit | Location with a higher elevation than all immediately adjacent terrain | natural=peak | Tag:natural=peak | E.g., Пантир (Pantyr) | |
| Supervolcano | Volcano that has erupted 1000 cubic km of lava in a single eruption | natural=volcano + volcano:type=supervolcano | Tag:natural=volcano | E.g., Taupō Volcano | |
| Surge channel | a narrow inlet, usually on a rocky shoreline, formed by differential erosion by coastal wave action | ??? | E.g., Surge channels cut into the rocky shoreline on Vancouver Island | ||
| Swamp | A forested wetland | natural=wetland + wetland=swamp | Tag:wetland=swamp | E.g., Vuelta Mansa | |
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| Talus slope | A slope composed of loose material accumulated at the base of a cliff or other rocky slope from which it has eroded | natural=scree | Tag:natural=scree | Some sources distinguish scree as being composed of smaller, gravel-size rocks, and talus as being composed of larger rocks or boulders. However, this distinction is not universal.
E.g., Rocky Talus | |
| Tar pit | A naturally formed pool of asphalt fed by a subsurface crude oil deposit | natural=tar_pit?? | Water may pool on top of a tar pit and if it completely covers the asphalt, the feature may be tagged natural=water. The historic=archaeological_site tag is likely an appropriate combination.
E.g., La Brea Pitch Lake | ||
| Tepui | Table-top mountain or mesa in the Guiana Highlands of South America | natural=cliff & natural=peak | Tag:natural=cliff | Map the edge of the mesa as natural=cliff and the summit of the mesa (if there is one) as natural=peak. Additional tags are commonly placed on the summit node but may be placed on the cliff. Alternately, consider Proposal:Tag:natural=mesa.
E.g., Kukenán Tepuy | |
| Terrace | A step-like landform | natural=cliff / natural=earth_bank + earth_bank=* | Tag:natural=cliff | E.g., One of several benches along the east side of Wharfedale | |
| Terracette | Small natural step-arranged soil ridges on hillsides | natural=earth_bank + earth_bank=* | Tag:natural=earth_bank | ||
| Tessellated pavement | Relatively flat rock surface that is subdivided into more or less regular shapes by fractures | natural=bare_rock + geological=tessellated_pavement?? | Tag:natural=bare_rock |
E.g., Tessellated Pavement | |
| Thalweg | Line of lowest elevation in a watercourse or valley; also the original watercourse submerged by a body of water such as a reservoir | waterway=river / waterway=stream | Rivers | E.g., Sacramento River passing through Shasta Lake | |
| Tidal marsh | Marsh subject to tidal change in water | natural=wetland + wetland=marsh + tidal=yes | Tag:wetland=marsh | E.g., Allfleets Marsh | |
| Tide pool | Rocky pool on a seashore, separated from the sea at low tide, filled with seawater | natural=water + water=pond + tidal=yes | Key:tidal | E.g., Jongensfontein Tidal Pool | |
| Tombolo | Deposition landform in which an island is connected to the mainland by a sandy isthmus | natural=isthmus | Tag:natural=isthmus | E.g., St Ninian's tombolo | |
| Tor | Large, free-standing rock outcrop on a gentle hill summit | natural=rock + geological=outcrop | Tag:geological=outcrop | E.g., Mam Tor | |
| Tower karst | Tall rock structures made up of soluble rock such as limestone | natural=hill / natural=peak + geological=tower_karst?? | Tag:natural=peak | E.g., Ko Tapu | |
| Towhead | Exposed landmass within a river. | place=island / place=islet | Tag:place=island | E.g., Saint Francis Towhead | |
| Trim line | Clear line on the side of a valley marking the most recent highest extent of the glacier | * | Map individual features. | ||
| Truncated spur | Ridge that descends towards a valley floor or coastline that is cut short | natural=ridge | Tag:natural=ridge | ||
| Tundra polygon | Patterned ground in tundra formed by ice wedges | ??? | The landform=tundra_polygon tag is in use from previous CanVec imports. Similar processes operate in non-tundra landscapes. Is there a more general tag we could use, or should each type of patterned ground have a separate geological=* tag to indicate the type of formation? | ||
| Tunnel valley | Glacial-formed geographic feature | natural=valley / natural=water + geological=tunnel_valley?? | Tag:natural=valley | E.g., Owasco Lake | |
| Turlough | Type of seasonal or periodic lake found in limestone areas of Ireland | natural=water + water=lake + intermittent=yes + geological=turlough?? | Tag:water=lake | E.g., Rahasane Turlough | |
| Tuya | Flat-topped, steep-sided volcano formed when lava erupts through a thick glacier or ice sheet | natural=volcano + volcano:type=tuya? | Tag:natural=volcano | E.g., The Table | |
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| U-shaped valley | Valleys formed by glacial scouring | natural=valley | Tag:natural=valley | E.g., Kamansu Valley | |
| Uvala | Toponym for a closed karst depression | natural=depression? + geological=uvala?? | E.g., Lubenovac | ||
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| Vale | Low area between hills, often with a river running through it | natural=valley | Tag:natural=valley | E.g., Windy Pine Vale | |
| Valley | Low area between hills, often with a river running through it | natural=valley | Tag:natural=valley | E.g., Cañadon "La Angostura" | |
| Valley shoulder | An area on the sides of a valley where the slope is significantly less than the overall slope of the sides of the valley. Some valley shoulders may be flat or nearly flat. | ??? | |||
| Vein | A sheet of a sheet of crystalized minerals formed in a pre-existing rock body | geological=vein?? | Note that a sheet of rock formed by intrusion of magma into pre-existing rock is a dike, not a vein.
E.g., Croft Gill Vein | ||
| Ventifact | Rock that has been eroded by wind-driven sand or ice crystals | natural=rock + geological=ventifact?? | Tag:natural=rock | ||
| Volcanic arc | Chain of volcanoes formed above a subducting plate | natural=volcanic_arc?? | Analogous to the tagging for natural=mountain_range. | ||
| Volcanic cone | Landform of ejecta from a volcanic vent piled up in a conical shape | * | Map individual features. | ||
| Volcanic crater | Roughly circular depression in the ground caused by volcanic activity | natural=cliff / natural=ridge + geological=volcanic_caldera_rim | Tag:geological=volcanic_caldera_rim | E.g., Cerro El Chascón | |
| Volcanic crater lake | Lake formed within a volcanic crater | natural=water + water=lake | Tag:water=lake | E.g., Boeung Yeak Laom | |
| Volcanic dam | Natural dam produced directly or indirectly by volcanism | natural=bare_rock + geological=volcanic_dam?? | Tag:natural=bare_rock | E.g., The Barrier | |
| Volcanic field | Area of Earth's crust prone to localized volcanic activity | geological=volcanic_field?? | Is there a way to map this as a relation or an area?
E.g., Cima Volcanic Field | ||
| Volcanic group | Collection of related volcanoes or volcanic landforms | geological=volcanic_group?? | Is there a way to map this as a relation or an area?
E.g., Niseko Volcanic Group | ||
| Volcanic island | Island of volcanic origin | place=island + geological=volcanic_island?? | Tag:place=island | E.g., Hawaii (Big Island) | |
| Volcanic plateau | Plateau produced by volcanic activity | natural=plateau + geological=volcanic_plateau?? | Proposal:Tag:natural=plateau | ||
| Volcanic plug | Volcanic object created when magma hardens within a vent on an active volcano | natural=peak / natural=cliff + geological=volcanic_plug?? | Tag:natural=cliff | Aka volcanic neck or lava neck.
E.g., Shiprock | |
| Volcanic vent | Rupture in the crust of a planet that allows lava, ash, and gases to escape from below the surface | geological=volcanic_vent + volcanic_vent:type=* | Proposal:Volcanic_features | This differs from natural=fumarole because it allows lava and ash to escape. Some mappers have added more detail with the volcanic_vent:type=* tag suggested in Proposal:Volcanic_features.
E.g., Acatenango | |
| Volcano | Rupture in the crust of a planet that allows lava, ash, and gases to escape from below the surface | natural=volcano + volcano:status=* + volcano:type=* | Tag:natural=volcano | E.g., Etna | |
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| Wadi | River valley, especially a dry riverbed that contains water only during times of heavy rain | waterway=stream + intermittent=yes & natural=wadi? | Proposal:Wadi | Aka arroyo or wash. Current tagging fails to capture the nature of the landform, which is typically a broad, dry portion of a valley floor defined by the periodic meanders of intermittent streams. Milpitas Wash (Bing Aerial) is an example, mapped as a linear feature, but where the actual watercourse varies each time the water runs, and where the boundaries of the wadi are well defined by differences in terrain and vegetation. Consider natural=wadi for the area of the wadi, analogous to the use of natural=water for the area of a broad river?
E.g., Nahal Paran | |
| Waterfall | A point in a river or stream where water flows over a vertical drop | waterway=waterfall | Tag:waterway=waterfall | E.g., Angel Falls | |
| Water gap | A gap that flowing water has carved through a mountain range or mountain ridge and that still carries water today | * | Map the waterway and surrounding landforms separately.
E.g., Heavitree Gap | ||
| Watershed | Area of land where precipitation collects and drains off into a common outlet | natural=divide? | This usage may not be practical as the location may not be verifiable or even identifiable. | ||
| Wave-cut platform | Narrow flat area created by erosion | natural=cliff | Tag:natural=cliff | E.g., Stone Wings Cliff | |
| Wetland | Land area that is permanently, or seasonally saturated with water | natural=wetland | Tag:natural=wetland | E.g., ARIE Riacho Fundo | |
| Wind gap | A gap through which a waterway once flowed that is now dry as a result of stream capture | natural=saddle | Tag:natural=saddle | E.g., Cumberland Gap | |
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| Yardang | Streamlined aeolian landform | natural=rock + geological=yardang?? | Tag:natural=rock | E.g., Tseghaahoodzani (Window Rock) | |
Other possible tagging mistakes
| Questionable tag(s) | Notes |
|---|---|
| It may be better to use a more specific tag to identify the landform. If the aim is to identify an area of natural beauty or conservation, consider protect_class=* as described in DE:Key:protect_class. | |
| Perhaps one of the tags on this page would be more specific. | |
| Possibly better tagged using landcover=*? | |
| Apparently leftover ways from mappers editing natural=coastline. | |
| Deprecated tag that was historically used where place=island and place=islet are now used. See Tag:natural=land. | |
| Tag that was mainly used for CanVec imports in combination with the landform=* tag. This tag can typically be replaced with a more specific tag (as there are many examples above!). See Tag:natural=landform. | |
| Variously used for historical markers and natural tourist attractions. | |
| Perhaps one of the natural=basin?, natural=valley, natural=flat?, or natural=depression? tags would be suitable? | |
| Should be man_made=oilfield. See Oil and Gas Infrastructure. | |
| Likely a protected area. See Tag:boundary=protected_area. | |
| Should be tourism=viewpoint. |