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Formation and Types of Plateaus

Plateaus are areas of high, relatively flat terrain that are significantly raised above the surrounding land. They can form through various geological processes, including the upwelling of volcanic magma, lava extrusion, and erosion by water and glaciers. Volcanic plateaus specifically result from volcanic activity, where magma rises and causes the ground to swell upward or lava spreads outward from cracks in the crust. Erosion by glaciers on mountain ranges can also leave plateaus sitting between the ranges, and water erosion can wear down mountains into plateaus over time.

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37 views2 pages

Formation and Types of Plateaus

Plateaus are areas of high, relatively flat terrain that are significantly raised above the surrounding land. They can form through various geological processes, including the upwelling of volcanic magma, lava extrusion, and erosion by water and glaciers. Volcanic plateaus specifically result from volcanic activity, where magma rises and causes the ground to swell upward or lava spreads outward from cracks in the crust. Erosion by glaciers on mountain ranges can also leave plateaus sitting between the ranges, and water erosion can wear down mountains into plateaus over time.

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sajal aggarwal
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In geology and physical geography, a plateau ( /pləˈtoʊ/,

/plæˈtoʊ/, or /ˈplætoʊ/; French: [pla.to]; plural plateaus or


plateaux[1][2]), also called a high plain or a tableland, is
an area of a highland, usually consisting of relatively flat
terrain, that is raised significantly above the surrounding
area, often with one or more sides with deep hills.
Plateaus can be formed by a number of processes,
including upwelling of volcanic magma, extrusion of lava,
and erosion by water and glaciers. Plateaus are classified
according to their surrounding environment as
intermontane, piedmont, or continental. A few plateaus
may have a small flat top while others have wide ones.
Plateaus can be formed by a number of processes,
including upwelling of volcanic magma, extrusion of lava,
and erosion by water and glaciers.
Volcanic[edit]
Main article: volcanic plateau
Volcanic plateaus are produced by volcanic activity. The
Columbia Plateau in the northwestern United States is an
example. They may be formed by upwelling of volcanic
magma or extrusion of lava.
The underlining mechanism in forming plateaus from
upwelling starts when magma rises from the mantle,
causing the ground to swell upward. In this way, large, flat
areas of rock are uplifted to form a plateau. For plateaus
formed by extrusion, the rock is built up from lava
spreading outward from cracks and weak areas in the
crust.
Erosion[edit]
Plateaus can also be formed by the erosional processes of
glaciers on mountain ranges, leaving them sitting between
the mountain ranges. Water can also erode mountains
and other landforms down into plateaus. Dissected
plateaus are highly eroded plateaus cut by rivers and
broken by deep narrow valleys. Computer modeling
studies suggest that high [clarification needed]
plateaus may also be partially a result from the feedback between tectonic deformation and dry
climatic conditions created at the lee side of growing orogens.[3]

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