30 Examples of Plateaus


A plateau It is a type of relief that is characterized by being a raised surface with a flat or flattened top, which has a height greater than 400 meters above sea level.

The plateau is surrounded by lower ground and is not characterized by its extension but by its height. It is often said that a plateau is the middle ground between a plain or plain and a mountain.

Plateaus found on the continental surface are known as continental plateaus, for example: the Tibetan plateau in the Himalayas; There are also underwater plateaus found under the sea, for example: the Campbell Plateau in the South Pacific Ocean.

Andean highlands
The Andean Altiplano or plateau of Titicaca is located in the Andes Mountains.

How does a plateau originate?

A plateau originates from a series of events and geographic phenomena that occur over millions of years.

  • Elevation of strata of tectonic plates. These plates are raised horizontally and form a plateau.
  • Erosion of the surrounding terrain. When a subsidence occurs in the land, generally delineated by rivers, the surrounding areas sink and thus form the plateau.
  • Mountain erosion. This erosion is produced by the action of rain, winds and other erosive factors.
  • Volcano action. There are plateaus of volcanic origin that are originated by the erosion of the surrounding terrain of a volcano or of the upper parts of the volcanic cone.

plateau

Example of continental plateaus

  1. Andean Highlands. It is located east of the Andes Mountains in South America at more than 3000 meters above sea level.
  2. Conococha Plateau. It is located in the south of the Ancash region in Peru at 4000 meters above sea level.
  3. Great Pajonal. It is located in Peru, more than 3000 meters above sea level.
  4. Marcahuasi. It is located in the Andes Mountains, east of Lima, Peru. This has a height of 4000 meters above sea level.
  5. Central plateau. It is located in Spain. It occupies a large part of the surface of the Iberian Peninsula.
  6. Piedmont plateau. It is a low plateau found in the eastern United States.
  7. Rocco Plateau. It is located in Australia and is known as the densest plateau on the planet.
  8. Plateau of Payunia. It is located in Argentina, in the province of Mendoza at 2200 meters above sea level.
  9. Center Table or Central Table. It is located in the central region of Mexico. It has plateaus ranging from 1700 to 2300 meters above sea level.
  10. The Puna de Atacama. It is found in northern Argentina and Chile at more than 4000 meters above sea level.
  11. Altiplano cundiboyacense. It is located in the eastern mountain range of the Colombian Andes.
  12. Patagonian plateau. It is located in the extreme south of the American continent in Argentine territory, less than 2000 meters high.
  13. Ethiopian massif. It is found in northeast Africa in Ethiopia, Eritrea and Somalia at more than 1500 meters above sea level.
  14. Colorado Plateau. It is located in the southwestern United States.
  15. Deccan Plateau. It is located in south-central India.
  16. Ozark Plateau. It is located in the midwest of the United States with a maximum altitude of 780 meters above sea level.
  17. Missionary plateau. It is located in the province of Misiones, in the northeast of Argentina.
  18. Atherton Plateau. It is part of the Great Dividing Range in Queensland, Australia at more than 600 meters above sea level.
tibet plateau
The Tibetan Plateau is the highest plateau in the world.

Examples of oceanic plateaus

  1. Agulhas Plateau. It is located in the Southwest Indian Ocean south of South Africa.
  2. Burdwood Bank or Namuncurá Bank. It is located 200 km south of the Falkland Islands and 600 km from Cape Horn in the South Atlantic Ocean.
  3. Colombian Caribbean Plateau. It is located in the Caribbean.
  4. Exmouth Plateau. It is located in the Indian Ocean.
  5. Hikurangi Plateau. It is located in the Southwest Pacific Ocean.
  6. Kerguelen Plateau. It is located in the Indian Ocean.
  7. Manihiki Plateau. It is located in the Southwest Pacific Ocean.
  8. Mascarena Plateau. It is located in the Indian Ocean east of Madagascar.
  9. Plateau Naturaliste. It is located in the Indian Ocean in western Australia.
  10. Ontong Java Plateau. It is located in the Southwest Pacific Ocean east of the Solomon Islands.
  11. Yermak Plateau. It is located in the Arctic Ocean.
  12. Shatsky rise. It is located in the North Pacific Ocean east of Japan.