A plateau is a broad area of elevated land that is flat or gently rolling, with one or more sides located significantly above the surrounding area. There are several types of plateaus, including intermontane plateaus between mountain ranges, dissected plateaus with deep valleys, and piedmont plateaus bounded by mountains on one side and lowlands on the other. Plateaus can form through volcanic eruption or uplift and are often rich in minerals, though their surfaces may be unsuitable for agriculture except where soil fertility allows farming. Examples of large plateaus include the Deccan Plateau in India and the Tibetan Plateau between the Himalayas and Kunlun Mountains.

1. PLATEAUS

2. WHAT IS A PLATEAU?
•A plateau is also called as a high plain or a
table land.
•It is an area of high land with a flat terrain
with one or more steep sides.
Example: Deccan plateau in India andTibet
plateau.

3. CHARACTERISTICS OF PLATEAUS
• A plateau is a broad raised land above the
neighbouring lowland.
• The surface is not always smooth.
• They are u suitable for agriculture but they are
rich in minerals.
• The Tibetan plateau is the’ Roof of the world.’

4. TYPES OF PLATEAUS
•1. Intermontane plateaus.
•2. Dissected plateaus.
•3. Piedmont plateaus.
•4. Volcanic plateaus.

5. INTERMONTANE PLATEAUS
• They are situated between
two or more mountain
ranges.
Example : Tibetan plateau
lies between the Himalayas
and Kunlun mountains.

6. DISSECTED PLATEAUS
• When running water or
streams cut enough deep
valleys in different parts of
a plateau it becomes a
dissected plateau.
• Mesas in Spain is of this
type.

7. PIEDMONT PLATEAUS
• They are surrounded by
mountains ranges on one
side and bounded by plain
or an ocean or a sea on
the opposite side.
Example Applacian plateau
in USA.

8. VOLCANIC PLATEAUS
• They are formed due to
volcanic eruption through
wide narrow cracks. The
flows and spreads like an
horizontal sheet. Example
Deccan plateau in India.

9. ADVANTAGES OF PLATEAUS
• Plateaus are not much fertile
and are not fit for farming.
But they are useful for cattle
rearing.
• Wherever soil is fertile
agriculture is practised.

10. • They are rich in minerals and
hence develops mining
industries.
• Chotanagpur plateau in India
yields iron, copper, mica and
other minerals.

11. HOMEWORK
•1. Differentiate between intermontane and
piedmont plateau.
•2. Write the advantages of a plateau.
•3. What are the characteristics of plateau?
•4. Give reason: Tibetan plateau is an intermontane
plateau.