A Plateau is a flat land, it is flat-topped land standing above the surrounding area. It is elevated from the surrounding area but flat on the top-like table structure. The Plateau is one of the major landforms. The plateau is a landform that sharply rises from surrounding areas at least from one side.

How is a Plateaus formed?

• A plateau is formed as a result of the surrounding land being eroded by rivers, floods, and glaciers.
• A plateau can also develop over time as a result of numerous lava flows.
• When magma rises up toward the crust’s surface, a plateau is formed. Plateaus can arise in a variety of ways.
• Instead of breaking through the crust, the magma rises a portion of it, creating a plateau.
• It is also shaped by the effects that wind and water erosion on land areas over millions of years can have.
• A stream that flows in particular manner layers the rock over time and carves channels that continue to reach deep.
• The various process that creates the plateaus are volcanism (Deccan Plateau), crustal shortening (Tibetian Plateau), and thermal expansion (Ethiopian Highlands).

Features of Plateaus

• Generally, plateaus have an abundance of mineral resources.
• As a result, many of the world’s mining sites are situated on plateaus. Gold and diamond mining are well-known on the African plateau.
• The Chota Nagpur plateau in India contains massive amounts of iron, coal, and manganese.
• As the river falls from a large height in the plateau sections, there may be multiple waterfalls.
• The Hundru falls on the river Subarnarekha on the Chota Nagpur plateauand the Jog falls in Karnataka are two instances of such waterfalls in India.
• The lava plateaus have a lot of black soil, which is productive and suitable for farming. Many plateaus feature beautiful scenery and are popular with visitors.
• The black soil region known as Deccan Trap is one of the distinctive characteristics of the Peninsular plateau.
• The rocks are igneous because they are of volcanic origin. Actually, these boulders have depleted through time and are the cause of black soil development.
• The Aravalli Hills are located on the Peninsular Plateau’s western and northern edges.
• These are degraded hills that appear like fractured hills. They run in a southwest-northeast direction from Gujarat to Delhi.

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