Plateau
Topic: Topographical Maps: Relief Representation and Interpretation · NCERT: Class 11, Ch 5 "Topographical Maps"
Meaning
A plateau is a broad highland with a fairly flat top and fairly steep sides. It stands well above the plains or sea around it. On a topographical map, its contours are crowded close together at the edges, where the sides are steep. The innermost contour encloses a wide area, because the top is flat. Plateaus may be flat, undulating or cut up by rivers (dissected).
Example
The Meghalaya Plateau (Shillong Plateau) in north-east India rises steeply from the plains of Bangladesh to the south. A toposheet shows tightly packed contours along its southern edge and wide, gently changing ground on top around Shillong.
Don't confuse with
- Conical hill: its contours are evenly spaced and close in to a narrow top. A plateau has crowded edges and a wide flat top.
- Plain: this is also flat, but it is low-lying. It has no steep edges marked by crowded contours.