What is a Plateau?
Plateaus are types of landforms that possess a flat top and are elevated thousands of feet above a surrounding area. These landforms can be found in every continent on the globe. In some areas of the world, the plateaus are at such an elevated height that living conditions are harsh, while plateaus in other locations offer more benign environments suitable for agriculture.
Plateaus are level structures of land that usually rise about 1,500 feet (457 meters) above the surface of the ground. In order to be considered a plateau, it must possess at least one steep side. Some plateaus were formed as a result of upward movements of the Earth's crust.
Other plateaus were formed as sections of the Earth's crust collided with another. These particular plateaus are situated between mountains. Lava flows have also been responsible for forming plateaus, elevating the ground as it flowed across the surface of the land. Such plateaus formed by lava are called basalt or lava plateaus. Still other plateaus are created because of the erosion of land.
Different types of smaller landforms exist on plateaus. As water sculpts these natural structures, it creates domes, mesas, buttes, towers, rock bridges, rock arches, and other natural structures. Plateaus built from sedentary rock will possess horizontal layers of rock. Landforms on this type of plateau will possess flat tops. Plateaus built on rocks featuring different types of hardness will result in landforms that can be pointed or level.
The Colorado Plateau located in the U.S. is a famous landform that spans 130,000 square miles (336,700 sq. km.). This particular plateau is circular in shape and spreads across the southeastern part of Utah, the northern section of Arizona, northwestern New Mexico, and the western part of Colorado. The Deccan Plateau in India is another well-known plateau that was formed by lava millions of years ago. It spans about 300,000 square miles (770,000 sq. km.), and sprawls across the Indian states of Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu.
The Siberian Traps is a landform in Russia formed by lava millions of years ago as well. It spreads across 750,000 square miles (1,942,500 sq. km.). Tibet is home to the Tibetan Plateau, the highest and largest plateau in the world. A sprawling 888,000 square miles (2.3 million sq. km.), it covers an area about half the size of the connected 48 US states. This Tibetan landform boasts an elevation of more than 16,400 feet (5,000 m.).
Written by K T Solis
