Maarg Manthan · Topic 3.28

Plateaus: Formation, Types (Dissected, Volcanic), Economic Significance, Major Plateaus of the World

Geography › Geomorphic Processes and Landform Evolution · Topic 3.28

A plateau is an extensive, elevated, relatively flat area bounded by steep slopes on at least one side, standing well above the surrounding land. Plateaus form by upwarping of the crust, by outpouring of lava, by erosion of folded ranges, or by uplift between mountain ranges. By position they are intermontane, piedmont and continental, and by origin they include volcanic (lava) and dissected plateaus. They hold minerals, pasture and hydropower, and the Tibetan Plateau is the highest and largest in the world.

5 min read · UPSC Prelims · Geography · Geomorphic Processes and Landform Evolution

At a Glance

Definition Elevated flat-topped land with a steep edge
Types Intermontane, piedmont, continental, volcanic, dissected
Highest Tibetan Plateau
Lava plateau Deccan, Columbia
Value Minerals, pasture, power
Exam link UPSC Prelims, Geography: Geomorphic Processes and Landform Evolution

Where Does It Fit?

This topic completes the macro with the second of the great upland landforms. It follows the topic on mountains and uses ideas from lava eruptions, uplift and erosion described earlier. Previous topic: Landforms of the World: Fold Mountains, Block Mountains, Volcanic Mountains. Next topic: Continental Drift Theory (Alfred Wegener, 1912): Pangea, Panthalassa, Laurasia, Gondwanaland.

What Is a Plateau and How Does It Form?

In short: a plateau is a high tableland, and it forms by uplift, lava or the wearing down of mountains.

Uplift of crust: large blocks are raised slowly by tectonic forces, such as the Tibetan Plateau, raised by the collision of India and Asia.
Lava outpouring: fissure eruptions build layers of basalt, as with the Deccan Traps, Columbia Plateau and the Siberian Traps.
Erosion of old mountains: long wearing down leaves a worn upland, like the Peninsular plateau.
Deposition and upwarping: plateaus may also rise as a result of upwarped crust over rising mantle, as in East Africa.

Plateaus differ from mountains by having a flat top and from plains by being much higher. Their height ranges from a few hundred metres to over 4,500 metres.

What Are the Types of Plateaus?

Type	Description	Examples
Intermontane	Surrounded by mountains; the highest and largest plateaus	Tibetan Plateau, Altiplano (Bolivia), Iranian Plateau, Colorado Plateau in part
Piedmont	At the foot of a mountain, bordered by plains or sea on the other side	Patagonian Plateau (Argentina), Piedmont of the Appalachians
Continental	Large upland rising abruptly from a plain or the sea, formed by broad uplift	Deccan Plateau, Arabian Plateau, Australian Plateau, Brazilian Highlands
Volcanic (lava)	Built by successive lava flows	Deccan Traps, Columbia Plateau, Ethiopian Highlands
Dissected	Cut by rivers into hills and valleys, so the flat top remains in only a few places	Chota Nagpur Plateau, the Scottish Highlands, parts of the Deccan

The classification overlaps, since a plateau can belong to more than one class: the Deccan is a continental plateau with a volcanic surface in the northwest, and it is dissected by rivers.

Which Are the Major Plateaus of the World and India?

Tibetan Plateau: the highest and largest, with an average elevation of over 4,500 m, called the Roof of the World, and the source of major Asian rivers.
Altiplano: an Andean plateau in Bolivia and Peru, about 3,700 m high, with Lake Titicaca.
Ethiopian Highlands: a volcanic plateau called the Roof of Africa, the source of the Blue Nile.
Colorado Plateau: in the USA, cut by the Grand Canyon. The Columbia Plateau is a lava plateau.
Deccan Plateau: the large triangular peninsular tableland of India, rising towards the west and sloping to the east, with basaltic soil in the northwest.
Chota Nagpur and Malwa: the Chota Nagpur plateau in Jharkhand is rich in coal, iron ore and mica. Malwa is a lava plateau, and Meghalaya (Shillong) is a detached part of the Peninsula.
Others: the Mongolian, Anatolian, Arabian, Brazilian, Patagonian and Mexican plateaus, and the Katanga plateau of the Copperbelt in Africa.

What Is the Economic Significance of Plateaus?

Minerals: plateaus often contain ancient crystalline rocks with ores. The Chota Nagpur plateau has India’s richest mineral belt, and the Katanga plateau has copper and cobalt, and the Deccan has bauxite and manganese in places. The minerals are described in chromite, nickel, cobalt, tungsten Non-ferrous Copper, bauxite, lead, zinc, tin Precious Gold, silver, platinum Main iron…">Metallic Minerals (Precious, Ferrous, Non-Ferrous).
Soils and crops: lava plateaus weather into fertile black soil, good for cotton, as in Relationship Between Rocks and Soils. Others support grazing and plantations, like tea and coffee on the Western Ghats and the Kenyan highlands.
Hydropower and water: the sharp edge of a plateau gives waterfalls and power sites, such as the Jog Falls and the Sharavathi project, Victoria Falls and Dudhsagar.
Climate and settlement: altitude gives a cooler climate, so highlands in tropical areas have towns and plantations.
Tourism: scenic canyons and falls attract visitors.

As an analytical point, plateau rivers are not navigable and the ground is hard to cut for roads, which holds back transport and often keeps these areas poorer than the plains, despite their mineral wealth. The mineral and energy resources are described in a later macro, and the forces that raise plateaus in Endogenic Processes: Diastrophism, Orogenic and Epeirogenic Processes.

Why Is This Topic Important?

Types Classification is asked
Resources Minerals and power
India Deccan and Chota Nagpur

What Came Next?

The next macro moves to plate tectonics and the distribution of continents and oceans. Next topic: Continental Drift Theory (Alfred Wegener, 1912): Pangea, Panthalassa, Laurasia, Gondwanaland.

Key People and Terms

Plateau Elevated flat tableland
Intermontane Between mountains
Piedmont At the foot of mountains
Lava plateau Plateau of basalt flows
Dissected plateau Plateau cut by valleys
Altiplano High Andean plateau

Exam Corner

Points to Remember

The Tibetan Plateau is the highest and largest.
Intermontane plateaus lie between mountains.
The Deccan Traps are a lava plateau.
Chota Nagpur is India’s mineral-rich plateau.
The Altiplano lies in the Andes.

Do Not Confuse With

Plateau and plain High tableland versus low flat land
Intermontane and piedmont plateau Between ranges versus at the foot of one
Plateau and mountain Flat top versus peaked summit

Memory Hook

Tibet tops, Altiplano high; Deccan lava, Chota Nagpur’s ore is nigh.

Mains Angle

Questions ask for plateaus and mineral wealth. These points add depth.

Origin Uplift, lava, erosion
Wealth Minerals and power
Constraint Access and transport

A Question You May Face

An original practice question, not a past paper question.

“Classify plateaus and discuss their economic importance with reference to the plateaus of India.”

How to Answer

Classify By position and origin.
Examples World and India.
Value Minerals, soils, power.
Limits Transport and water.

GS Relevance

Prelims: types of plateaus, major plateaus, Indian plateaus and their minerals. GS Paper 1: world's physical geography; distribution of resources.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a plateau?

A plateau is a large, elevated area of relatively flat land that rises sharply above the surrounding land on at least one side. It forms by uplift of the crust, by outpouring of lava, or by the wearing down of old mountains. Plateaus range from a few hundred metres to over 4,500 metres in height.

What are the types of plateaus?

Plateaus are classified by position as intermontane, which lie between mountains, piedmont, which lie at the foot of mountains, and continental, which rise from a plain or sea. By origin there are volcanic or lava plateaus built by lava flows, and dissected plateaus cut up by rivers.

Which is the highest plateau in the world?

The Tibetan Plateau is the highest and largest plateau in the world, with an average elevation of over 4,500 metres. Known as the Roof of the World, it was raised by the collision of the Indian and Eurasian plates and is the source of many major Asian rivers.

What is a lava plateau?

A lava plateau is a plateau built by repeated outpourings of fluid basalt lava through fissures, which spread in sheets and pile up in layers. The Deccan Traps in India, the Columbia Plateau in the United States and the Siberian Traps are examples. They weather into fertile black soils.

Why is the Chota Nagpur plateau important?

The Chota Nagpur plateau in Jharkhand and neighbouring states is an old, dissected plateau of crystalline rock rich in minerals such as coal, iron ore, mica, bauxite and copper. It has supported a large industrial belt, and is drained by rivers such as the Damodar and Subarnarekha.

PYQ Practice — Statement Analysis

1 The Tibetan Plateau is the highest plateau in the world.

True

Its average height exceeds 4,500 m.

2 The Deccan Traps are an example of a dissected plateau.

False

They are a lava plateau.

3 An intermontane plateau is surrounded by mountains.