What is a Plateau

In geography you must have read about plateaus, plains, mountains, valleys and so on. These are the different types of landforms that have been formed over the years. This article mainly deals with plateaus, how they are formed, the different types of plateaus and so on. It talks about the basic features of the plateau which differentiates it from the other landforms. Given below are some useful information on plateaus.

What is a Landform (or Plateau)?

Plateaus are landforms with a flat top and are elevated around thousands of feet above the surface area. But not all landforms with a flat top and nearly 1000 feet (usually 1500 feet or more) above the surface area can be termed as plateau; for that at least one side of the plateau should have a steep side. These plateaus can also be termed as either tableland or sometimes as high plateaus or flat topped mountains. Those plateaus which have eroded over time are referred to as the dissected plateaus and those which are formed due to some kind of volcanic activities are called volcanic plateaus. Plateaus can be found in all the continents of the world, some having names while some are still nameless. Some plateaus are located at such high levels that it makes habitat a major problem, while others are situated at lower levels thus providing favorable living conditions. These plateaus might either cover a very small area or some might extend to several square miles. 45% of the earth's surface is covered by plateau.

Formation of Plateaus

Now that you know what are the various features of a plateau, let us now learn how plateaus are formed. There are various ways in which a plateau can be formed and it takes not one or two but millions of years for a plateau to form. In your geography class you must have read about the various ways in which these plateaus are formed. This is just a refresher to what all you have studied.

• Upward movement of the surface of the earth is one way in which a plateau can be formed. This can happen when the magma below the surface of the earth starts rising but it does not break through. Instead what happens is, a particular section of the earth's surface is raised, thus forming a plateau.
• Sometimes if the same magma, does break through the earth's surface, they spread out and then start forming one layer on top of another and years later it forms a plateau.
• Erosion is another cause of formation of plateau. Due to constant exposure to wind and water for years, mountains and glaciers or other high landforms have been reduced to plateaus.

Thus these are some of the common ways in which plateaus are formed. It takes years for plateaus to form. These plateaus can be classified into 3 distinct categories, depending upon their surrounding area. These three categories are:

• Intermontane plateaus which are the highest plateaus and they are surrounded by mountains. e.g. Tibetan Plateau
• Piedmont plateaus are the ones which has sea or plain on one side and mountains on the other side.
• Continental plateaus, on the other hand, are surrounded by plains or sea but not mountains. These plateaus are formed away from the mountains.

Now, let us take a look at some of the examples of a plateau around the world.

Plateaus Around the World

• Tibetan Plateau (largest plateau in the world; often called the 'Roof of the World')
• Antarctic Plateau (second largest)
• Andean Plateau (South America; 3rd largest plateau)
• Colorado Plateau (Arizona, North America)
• Deccan Plateau (India)
• Transylvanian Plateau (Europe)
• Hardangervidda (Europe)
• Central Siberian Plateau (Russia)
• Western Plateau (Australia)

These were some of the famous plateaus in the world. Besides these, there are more plateaus that you will find across the world, some which have been named and some are yet to be named. Next time, you will not get confused wondering whether it's a hill or a mountain or a plateau that you are seeing.