plateau
Sign in to savethumb|upright=1.25|Satellite image of the Tibetan Plateau between the Himalayan mountains to the south and the [[Taklamakan Desert to the north]]
AI overview
A plateau is a large, flat area of land that sits at a high elevation, like the Tibetan Plateau shown here nestled between mountains and desert. Plateaus matter because they cover significant portions of Earth's surface and create distinct environments that affect climate, ecosystems, and human settlement patterns.
AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.
Article
16 sectionsContents
- Formation
- Volcanic
- Tectonic
- Erosion
- Classification
- Large plateaus by continent
- Africa
- Antarctica
- Asia
- North America
- Oceania
- South America
- See also
- References
- Bibliography
- External links
thumb|upright=1.25|Satellite image of the Tibetan Plateau between the Himalayan mountains to the south and the [[Taklamakan Desert to the north]]
In geology and physical geography, a plateau (; ; : plateaus or plateaux), also called a high plain or a tableland, is an area of highland consisting of flat terrain that is raised sharply above the surrounding area on at least one side. Often one or more sides have deep escarpments or 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 wider ones.