Plateau

In geology and earth science, a plateau (alternatively spelt in a false French spelling plâteau, the real spelling in French being plateau) is an area of highland, usually consisting of relatively flat open country if the uplift was recent in geologic history. Plateaus (or plâteaux), like mesas and buttes, are formed when land has been uplifted by tectonic activity and then eroded by wind or water. Flat-topped, sheer-sided plateaus, like the tepuis of Guiana, are formed when a section of land is uplifted that is topped with a layer of particularly resistant rock, and underlain by softer rock.

Related Topics:
Geology - Earth science - French - Highland - Geologic history - Mesa - Butte - Tectonic - Eroded - Wind - Water - Tepui - Guiana

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Plateau is also used to describe undersea geologic formations. Some undersea plateaus, like the Seychelles plateau, are fragments of continental crust that lie separate from continents; they are analogous to continental shelves, but without the continents. Some, like the Seychelles, have peaks that rise from the sea as islands; others rest entirely below the surface. Other undersea plateaus were formed by outpourings of flood basalts, and were never associated with continents; the vast Ontong Jaya Plateau of the western Pacific is an example of such.

Related Topics:
Seychelles - Continental shelves - Flood basalts - Ontong Jaya Plateau

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~