Plateau

For other uses, see Plateau (disambiguation).
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 (/pləˈtoʊ, plæˈtoʊ, ˈplætoʊ/; French: [plato]; pl.: plateaus or plateaux),[1][2] also called a high plain or a tableland, is an area of a highland consisting of flat terrain that is raised sharply above the surrounding area on at least one side.[3] Often one or more sides have deep hills or escarpments.[4] 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.

  1. ^ "plateau". Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary. Merriam-Webster. Retrieved 2017-08-26.
  2. ^ "plateau". Cambridge English Dictionary. Cambridge University Press. Retrieved 2017-08-26.
  3. ^ Huggett 2011, p. 99, Plate Tectonics and Associated Structural Landforms.
  4. ^ Huggett 2011, p. 124, Volcanoes, Impact Craters, Folds, and Faults.