Plateau
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DaughterofSun
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/* See also */ interwiki
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{{for|other meanings|Plateau (disambiguation)}}
[[Image:Mt Roraima in Venezuela 001.JPG|right|thumb|[[Monte Roraima]]]]
In [[geology]] and [[earth science]], a '''plateau''', also called a '''high plateau''' or '''tableland''', is an area of [[highland (geographic feature)|highland]], usually consisting of relatively flat terrain. A highly eroded plateau is called a [[dissected plateau]].
A [[volcanic plateau]] is a plateau produced by [[volcanic activity]].
The largest and highest plateau in the world is the [[Tibetan Plateau]], called the "[[roof of the world]]", which is still being formed by the collisions of the [[Indo-Australian Plate|Indo-Australian]] and [[Eurasian Plate|Eurasian]] [[tectonic plate]]s. In all the Tibetan plateau covers an area of some 2.5 million square kilometres which is approximately 5000m above sea level. The height of this plateau is such that it is enough to reverse the Hadley convection cycles and drive the monsoons of India to the south.
[[Image:Bogota Centro.jpg|right|thumb|[[Bogotá]],[[Colombia]] is located in a high plateau, over 8600 ft high]]
== Oceanic plateaus ==
''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 shelf|continental shelves]]. Others, like the [[Ontong Java Plateau]] are [[large igneous province]]s made of [[flood basalt]]s.
==References==
*[http://www.scienceclarified.com/landforms/Ocean-Basins-to-Volcanoes/Plateau.html "Plateau"] at scienceclarified.com
==See also==
*[[Table Mountain (disambiguation)]]
*[[Mesa]]
*[[Potrero]]
*[[Tuya]]
*[[Butte]]
[[Category:Plateaus| ]]
[[ar:هضبة]]
[[zh-min-nan:Koân-phiâⁿ]]
[[bg:Плато]]
[[ca:Altiplà (geografia)]]
[[da:Plateau]]
[[de:Hochebene]]
[[et:Lavamaa]]
[[et:Platoo]]
[[el:Υψίπεδο]]
[[es:Meseta]]
[[eu:Goi-ordoki]]
[[fr:Plateau (géographie)]]
[[ko:고원]]
[[he:רמה (גאוגרפיה)]]
[[hi:पठार]]
[[id:Dataran tinggi]]
[[it:Altopiano]]
[[nl:Plateau (geografie)]]
[[ja:台地]]
[[ug:ئېگىزلىك]]
[[pl:Płaskowyż]]
[[pt:Planalto (geografia)]]
[[ru:Плато]]
[[fi:Ylänkö]]
[[simple:Plateau]]
[[sv:Platå]]
[[tl:Talampas]]
[[tr:yayla (Coğrafya)]]
[[uk:Плато]]
[[zh:高原]]