Most of the plateaus border the mountain ranges. They owe their current location to the very similar uplifts responsible for the formation of the nearby mountains. These plateaus tend to appear as a land strip standing between a tile of plains usually in the coastal regions and certain mountains. The best examples of these plateau types include:. There are also plateaus which are formed due to volcanic eruptions.
The eruptions build up slowly over some time to create the plateaus. Such plateaus are known as volcanic plateaus and are generally built by the flow of lava. However, the smaller sized plateaus which are degraded are as a result of the resistant lava caps.
The caps always protect the land from possible erosion as it makes its high elevation constant following the wearing away of the surrounding area. The primary examples of the volcanic plateau are:.
This type of plateau is made up of the most complicated world plateaus. They have various unique characteristics on their surfaces. The best example in this category is the Tibetan plateau, the Mexican and the plateau of Peru and Bolivia. It is estimated to be four times the size of France and covers an area of 2. The Colorado Plateau, in the western United States, has been rising about.
A volcanic plateau is formed by numerous small volcanic eruptions that slowly build up over time, forming a plateau from the resulting lava flows. Erosion can influence the shape of a plateau. Soft rock often erodes away on the top of a plateau. Many plateaus are therefore topped with a hard, durable surface called caprock. Caprock protects the plateau from erosion of the soil underneath it.
Valleys form when river water cuts through the plateau. If no button appears, you cannot download or save the media. Text on this page is printable and can be used according to our Terms of Service. Any interactives on this page can only be played while you are visiting our website.
You cannot download interactives. Search through these resources to discover more about unique landforms and landscapes around the world. Landforms are natural and distinctive features. Explore how they show up in various landscapes. These resources can be used to teach middle schoolers more about the natural world, its distinctive features, and landscapes.
Erosion is the process where rocks are broken down by natural forces such as wind or water. There are two main types of erosion: chemical and physical. In physical erosion, the rock breaks down but its chemical composition remains the same, such as during a landslide or bioerosion, when plants take root and crack rocks.
Explore the process of erosion with this collection of resources. Encyclopedic entry. It can be divided into five major physical regions: mountain systems; plateaus; plains, steppes, and deserts; freshwater environments; and saltwater environments. What allows some societies to flourish while others to plateau or disappear? Join Pulitzer Prize winning author and National Geographic Explorer Jared Diamond as he travels to one of the last remaining populations of Hunter Gathers as he researches this important question.
Join our community of educators and receive the latest information on National Geographic's resources for you and your students. Skip to content. Twitter Facebook Pinterest Google Classroom. Encyclopedic Entry Vocabulary. This cowboy gazes out from a small plateau in Monument Valley, Arizona, across an enormous plateau—the Colorado Plateau, which covers most of the American Southwest. Photograph by Brendan Schoon, My Shot. Tibetan Plateau. Media Credits The audio, illustrations, photos, and videos are credited beneath the media asset, except for promotional images, which generally link to another page that contains the media credit.
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