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.
Types of plateaus:
There are two types of plateaus are as follow:-
- Dissected plateau
- Volcanic Plateau
Dissected Plateau:- There is an upward movement in crusts of the earth which forms dissected plateaus. The collisions occurring in tectonic plates caused this upward movement. The plateau breaks down into numerous smaller particles, forming a dissected plateau. A dissected plateau has intensely eroded so that its relief becomes sharp. It is elevates from sea level.
- examples: The Colorado Plateau, Tibetan plateau
Volcanic Plateau:- Volcanic plateau is form by volcanic eruptions. Numerous small particles have slowly built up since old times. The flow of lava from these eruptions forms a plateau known as the volcanic plateau. The volcanic plateau rises by the activity of volcanic eruption.
- Further Volcanic plateaus are of two types: Lava plateau and Pyroclastic plateaus.
- Examples of volcanic plateaus are The Antrim plateau in Northern Ireland, The Deccan plateau in India, and The Columbia plateau in the United States.
Lava Plateaus: – This plateau is form by numerous eruptions. It form when eruptions occur and some volcano fluid remains in that extensive area. The lava creates a large and flat surface of igneous rock. Sometimes it is part of a single volcano.
- example: Ontong Java Plateau.
Pyroclastic Plateaus: – Pyroclastic plateaus are called ignimbrite plateaus too. They are form by massive pyroclastic flows underlain by pyroclastic rocks cemented into tufts, mafic, and felsic.
- example: Shirasu-Daichi and the North Island Plateau in New Zealand.
Tectonic Plateau:- These plateaus are form by the movement cause by the earth which uplifts the uniform altitude.
- Examples : Meseta of Central Iberia and Harz of Germany.
Read Also : Classification Of Plateaus
