The totality of irregularities of the entire earth's surface is commonly called the relief of the Earth. Obviously, the surface of the Earth cannot be called absolutely flat, and when studying the relief, one considers such natural formations as mountains and plains.
The concept of the relief of the Earth
In different parts of the planet, the surface height is completely different, the differences can reach several tens of kilometers. The relief of the Earth is unique in that its formation continues at the present time.
This is due to the collision of lithospheric plates, volcanic eruptions and erosion of rocks by rains and rivers. The processes that shape the relief of our planet are divided into two categories - external and internal.
External processes include the activity of winds, flowing waters, glaciers, the impact of plants and animals. It is impossible not to mention human activity, which is an anthropogenic force and actively influences the formation of the earth's relief.
Internal processes are called endogenous, they are represented by subsidence and uplift of the crust, plate movements, earthquakes and volcanism.
Plains and mountains
One of the main landforms is the plain. The plateau is a plain of more than 500 m, a hill - from 200 to 500 m, and a lowland - up to 200 m. Plains and mountains occupy 60% and 40% of the earth's surface.
A vast piece of land with slight slopes and elevation fluctuations is a plain. The plains are classified according to absolute height: those that lie below sea level are the Turpan depression 154 m, the Kattara depression 133 m, the low plains are the Mississippi, Amazonian, Turan and Atlantic plains, the highlands are the Tarim depression, the Great Plains of North America and the Ustyurt plateau.
Elevated plains are also distinguished - these are Rbu al-Khali and the Great Victoria Desert. Plain, i.e. its surface can be concave, inclined, convex and horizontal.
There are other classifications: ridged, stepped, flat, hilly. In many ways, the appearance of the plain depends on its history of structure and development.
A significant part of the plains is composed of layers of sedimentary rocks of great thickness and is confined to the slabs of young and ancient platforms. Such plains are called stratal. Example: West Siberian lowland.
The Great Chinese Plain, Indogan and Kura-Araks are alluvial plains. The foothills of Altai, the Alps and the Caucasus are glacial plains, and the north of Russia and Europe, as well as the north of North America, are glacial plains.
The Kazakh sandbox, the plains of the Baltic and Canadian shields are denudation plains. Vivid examples of plateaus, flat surfaces, which are limited by ledges, are the Deccan, Ustyurt and Colorado plateaus.
Extensive, sharply dissected and highly elevated above the plains areas of the earth's surface are called mountains. Such plots of land have sharp differences in height and have a folded-block structure.
The plain is one of the main forms of the earth's relief. On the physical map of the world, the plains are marked with three colors: green, yellow and light brown. They occupy about 60% of the entire surface of our planet. The most extensive plains are confined to plates and platforms.
Characteristics of the plains
A plain is a piece of land or seabed that has a slight fluctuation in elevation (up to 200 m) and a slight slope (up to 5º). They are found at different heights, including at the bottom of the oceans.
A distinctive feature of the plains is a clear, open horizon line, straight or wavy, depending on the surface topography.
Another feature is that the plains are the main territories inhabited by people.
Natural areas of the plains
Since the plains occupy a vast territory, almost all natural zones exist on them. For example, tundra, taiga, mixed and broad-leaved forests, steppes and semi-deserts are represented on the East European Plain. Most of the Amazon lowland is occupied by selva, and on the plains of Australia there are semi-deserts and savannahs.
Plain types
In geography, the plains are divided according to several criteria.
1. Altitude distinguish:
. base . The height above sea level does not exceed 200m. A striking example is the West Siberian Plain.
. Exalted - with a height difference from 200 to 500 m above sea level. For example, the Central Russian Plain.
. upland plains , whose level is measured by marks over 500 m. For example, the Iranian Highlands.
. hollows The highest point is below sea level. An example is the Caspian lowland.
Separately, underwater plains are distinguished, which include the bottom of basins, shelves and abyssal areas.
2. By origin plains are:
. accumulative (marine, river and continental) - formed as a result of the influence of rivers, tides and tides. Their surface is covered with alluvial deposits, and in the sea - with marine, river and glacial deposits. From the sea, one can cite as an example the West Siberian lowland, and from the river - the Amazon. Among continental plains, marginal lowlands with a slight slope towards the sea are referred to as accumulative plains.
. Abrasive - formed as a result of the impact of the surf on land. In areas where strong winds prevail, sea waves are frequent, and the coastline is formed from weak rocks, this type of plains is more often formed.
. Structural - the most complex in origin. In place of such plains, mountains once rose. As a result of volcanic activity and earthquakes, the mountains were destroyed. The magma flowing from cracks and splits fettered the surface of the land, like armor, hiding all the unevenness of the relief.
. Lake - formed on the site of dried-up lakes. Such plains are usually small in area and are often bordered by coastal ridges and ledges. An example of a lake plain is Jalanash and Kegen on the territory of Kazakhstan.
3. By type of relief plains are distinguished:
. flat or horizontal - Great Chinese and West Siberian Plains.
. wavy - are formed under the influence of water and water-glacial flows. For example, the Central Russian Upland
. hilly - in the relief there are separate hills, hills, ravines. An example is the East European Plain.
. stepped - are formed under the influence of the internal forces of the Earth. Example - Central Siberian Plateau
. concave - they include the plains of intermountain depressions. For example, the Tsaidam basin.
There are also ridge and ridge plains. But in nature, a mixed type is most often found. For example, the Pribelskaya undulating plain in Bashkortostan.
Plains climate
The climate of the plains is formed depending on its geographical location, the proximity of the ocean, the area of the plain itself, its length from north to south, and the climatic zone. Free movement of cyclones provides a clear change of seasons. Often the plains abound with rivers and lakes, which contribute to the formation of climatic conditions.
The largest plains in the world
Plains are common on all continents, with the exception of Antarctica. In Eurasia, the largest are the East European, West Siberian, Turan, East China plains. In Africa - the East African Plateau, in North America - the Mississippi, Great, Mexican, in South America - the Amazonian lowland (the largest in the world, its area is over 5 million square kilometers) and the Guiana Plateau.
Plains- vast areas of the earth's surface with small (up to 200 m) elevation fluctuations and slight slopes.
Plains occupy 64% of the land area. In tectonic terms, they correspond to more or less stable platforms that have not shown significant activity in recent times, regardless of their age - they are ancient or young. Most of the plains on land are located on ancient platforms (42%).
According to the absolute and height of the surface, plains are distinguished negative-
lying below the level of the World Ocean (Caspian), base- from 0 to 200 m in height (Amazonian, Black Sea, Indo-Gangetic lowlands, etc.), sublime- from 200 to 500 m (Central Russian, Valdai, Volga Uplands, etc.). Plains also include plateau (high plains), which, as a rule, are located above 500 m and are separated from the adjacent plains by ledges (for example, the Great Plains in the USA, etc.). The height of the plains and plateaus determines the depth and degree of their dismemberment by river valleys, gullies and ravines: what
the higher the plain, the more intensely they are dissected.
In appearance, plains can be flat, wavy, hilly, stepped, and according to the general slope of the surface - horizontal, inclined, convex, concave.
The different appearance of the plains depends on their origin and internal structure, which largely depend on the direction of neotectonic movements. On this basis, all plains can be divided into two types - denudation and accumulative (see Scheme 14-A-1-1). Within the former, the processes of denudation of loose material predominate, within the latter, its accumulation.
It is quite obvious that denudation surfaces experienced ascending tectonic movements for most of their history. It is thanks to them that the processes of destruction and demolition - denudation - prevailed here. However, the duration of denudation can be different, and this is also reflected in the morphology of such surfaces.
With continuous or almost continuous slow (epeirogenic) tectonic uplift, which continued throughout the entire existence of the territories, there were no conditions for the accumulation of sediments on them. There was only a denudation cut of the surface by various exogenous agents, and if thin continental or marine sediments accumulated for a short time, then during subsequent uplifts they were carried outside the territory. Therefore, in the structure of such plains, an ancient plinth comes to the surface - folds cut off by denudation, only slightly covered by a thin cover of Quaternary deposits. Such plains are called basement; it is easy to see that the basement plains in tectonic terms correspond to the shields of ancient platforms and the protrusions of the folded basement of young platforms. Basement plains on ancient platforms have a hilly relief, most often they are elevated. Such, for example, are the plains of Fennoscandia - the Kola Peninsula and Karelia. Similar plains are located in northern Canada. Basement hills are widespread in Africa. As a rule, long-term denudation cut off all the structural irregularities of the base, so such plains are astructural.
The plains on the "shields" of young platforms have a more "restless" hilly relief, with residual hill-type elevations, the formation of which is associated either with lithological features - more
hard stable rocks, or with structural conditions - former convex folds, microhorsts or exposed intrusions. Of course, all of them are structurally determined. This is how, for example, the Kazakh upland, partly the Gobi plains look like.
Plates of ancient and young platforms, which experience steady uplift only in the neotectonic stage of development, are composed of layers of sedimentary rocks of great thickness (hundreds of meters and a few kilometers) - limestones, dolomites, sandstones, siltstones, etc. Over millions of years, the sediments have hardened, become rocky and acquired stability to washout. These rocks lie more or less horizontally, as they once were deposited. The uplift of territories during the neotectonic stage of development stimulated denudation on them, which made it impossible for young loose rocks to be deposited there. Plains on the plates of ancient and young platforms are called reservoir. From the surface, they are often covered by loose Quaternary continental deposits of small thickness, which practically do not affect their height and orographic features, but determine their appearance due to morphosculpture (East European, southern part of West Siberian, etc.).
Since the stratified plains are confined to the platform plates, they are pronounced structural - their macro- and even mesoforms of the relief are determined by the geological structures of the cover: the nature of the bedding of rocks of different hardness, their slope, etc.
During the Pliocene-Quaternary subsidence of territories, even if relative, they began to accumulate sediments carried from the surrounding areas. They filled in all the previous surface irregularities. So formed accumulative plains, composed of loose, Pliocene-Quaternary deposits. Usually these are low-lying plains, which sometimes lie even below sea level. According to the conditions of sedimentation, they are divided into marine and continental - alluvial, eolian, etc. An example of accumulative plains is the Caspian, Black Sea, Kolyma, Yano-Indigirskaya lowlands, composed of marine sediments, as well as Pripyat, Leno-Vilyuyskaya, La Platskaya, etc. Accumulative plains , as a rule, are confined to syneclises.
In large basins among the mountains and at their foothills, the accumulative plains have a surface inclined from the mountains, cut through by the valleys of many rivers flowing down from the mountains and complicated by their alluvial fans. They are difficult
loose continental sediments: alluvium, proluvium, deluvium, lacustrine sediments. For example, the Tarim Plain is composed of sands and loesses, the Dzungarian Plain is composed of thick sand accumulations brought from neighboring mountains. The ancient alluvial plain is the Karakum desert, composed of sands brought by rivers from the southern mountains in the pluvial epochs of the Pleistocene.
Plain morphostructures usually include ridges. These are linearly elongated hills with rounded outlines of peaks, usually no more than 500 m high. They are composed of dislocated rocks of different ages. An indispensable feature of the ridge is the presence of a linear orientation inherited from the structure of the folded area on the site of which the ridge arose, for example, Timansky, Donetsk, Yenisei.
It should be noted that all the listed types of plains (basement, stratal, accumulative), as well as plateaus, plateaus and ridges, according to I. P. Gerasimov and Yu. structure 1 .
Plains on land form two latitudinal series corresponding to the platforms of Laurasia and Gondwana. Northern range of plains formed within the relatively stable in modern times ancient North American and East European platforms and the young Epipaleozoic West Siberian platform - a plate that experienced even a slight subsidence and was predominantly a low-lying plain expressed in relief.
The Central Siberian Plateau, and in the morphological and structural sense, these are high plains - a plateau, formed on the site of the ancient Siberian platform, activated in modern times due to resonant movements from the east, from the side of the active geosynclinal West Pacific belt. The so-called Central Siberian Plateau includes volcanic plateaus(Putorana and Siverma), tuff plateaus(Central Tunguska), trap plateaus(Tungusskoye, Vilyuiskoye), formation plateaus(Priangarskoe, Prilenskoe), etc.
The orographic and structural feature of the plains of the northern row is peculiar: beyond the North
“Often, plateaus and plateaus are distinguished only by their appearance and degree of dissection, without taking into account their geological structure. Plateaus are considered less dissected landforms and are classified as high plains. Plateaus are usually higher, dissected in the marginal parts more intensely and deeper, therefore they are referred to as mountains.
the Arctic Circle is dominated by low coastal accumulative plains; to the south, along the so-called active 62° parallel, there is a strip of basement hills and even plateaus on the shields of ancient platforms - Laurentian, Baltic, Anabar; in middle latitudes along 50° N. sh. - again a strip of stratal and accumulative lowlands - North German, Polish, Polissya, Meshchera, Sredneobskaya, Vilyuyskaya.
On the East European Plain, Yu. A. Meshcheryakov also revealed another pattern: the alternation of lowlands and uplands. Since the movements on the East European Platform were of an undulating nature, and their source in the neotectonic stage was the collisions of the Alpine belt, he established several alternating bands of uplands and lowlands, fanning out from southwest to east and taking on an increasingly meridional direction as they move away from the Carpathians. . The Carpathian strip of uplands (Volynskaya, Podolskaya, Pridneprovskaya) is replaced by the Pripyat-Dnieper lowland strip (Pripyatskaya, Pridneprovskaya), then follows the Central Russian strip of uplands (Belarusian, Smolensk-Moscow, Central Russian); the latter is replaced successively by the Upper Volga-Don strip of lowlands (Meshcherskaya lowland, Oka-Donskaya plain), then by the Volga upland, Zavolzhskaya lowland and, finally, by the strip of Cis-Ural uplands.
In general, the plains of the northern row are inclined to the north, which is consistent with the course of the rivers.
Southern range of plains corresponds to the Gondvan platforms that have experienced activation in recent times. Therefore, within its limits, elevations predominate: layered (in the Sahara) and basement (in southern Africa), as well as plateaus (Arabia, Hindustan). Only within the limits of the inherited troughs and syneclises did stratal and accumulative plains form (the Amazonian and La Plata lowlands, the Congo depression, and the Central Lowland of Australia).
In general, the largest areas among the plains on the continents belong to layered plains, within which the primary plain surfaces are formed by horizontal layers of sedimentary rocks, and the socle and accumulative plains are of subordinate importance.
In conclusion, we emphasize once again that mountains and plains, as the main forms of relief on land, are created by internal processes: mountains gravitate towards mobile folded belts.
Lands, and plains - to platforms (Table 14). Relatively small, relatively short-lived landforms created by external exogenous
processes are superimposed
into large ones and give them a peculiar appearance. They will be discussed below.
Table 14
Areas of the main types of continent morphostructures (%)
Plains of the plains
areas of the land surface, the bottom of the oceans and seas, characterized by slight fluctuations in altitude. On land, plains are distinguished below sea level, low-lying (altitude up to 200 m), elevated (from 200 to 500 m) and upland (above 500 m). According to the structural principle, the plains of the platform and orogenic (mountain) regions are distinguished (mainly within the intermountain and foothill troughs); according to the predominance of certain external processes - denudation, formed as a result of the destruction of elevated landforms, and accumulative, arising from the accumulation of layers of loose deposits. Collectively, plains cover most of the Earth's surface. The greatest plain in the world is the Amazonian (over 5 million km 2).
PLAINSPLAINS, areas of the land surface, the bottom of the oceans and seas, characterized by slight fluctuations in altitude. On land, there are plains lying below sea level. (cm. SEA LEVEL), low-lying (height up to 200 m), elevated (from 200 to 500 m) and upland (above 500 m). According to the structural principle, the plains of the platform and orogenic (mountain) regions are distinguished (mainly within the intermountain and foothill troughs); according to the predominance of certain external processes - denudation, formed as a result of the destruction of elevated landforms, and accumulative, resulting from the accumulation of layers of loose deposits. Collectively, plains cover most of the Earth's surface. The greatest plain in the world is the Amazonian (over 5 million km 2).
* * *
Plains, vast, fairly flat areas of the earth's surface. They occupy 15-20% of the land. Altitude fluctuations within them do not exceed 200 m, and slopes are less than 5 °. Plains are one of the most important elements of the relief of both land and the bottom of the seas and oceans.
Types of land plains
Numerous types of plains are distinguished by the nature and height of the surface, geological structure, origin and history of development.
Depending on the appearance and size of irregularities, they distinguish: flat, wavy, ridge, stepped and other plains.
According to the shape of the surface, they are distinguished: horizontal (Great Plain of China (cm. GREAT CHINA PLAIN)), inclined (mainly foothills) and concave (plains of intermountain depressions - the Tsaidam basin (cm. TsAYDAM BELL)) plains.
The classification of plains by height relative to sea level is widespread. Negative plains are located below sea level, often in deserts, for example, the Qattara depression (cm. KATTARA) or the lowest place on land - the Ghor depression (cm. GHOR)(up to 395 m below sea level). The low plains, or lowlands (heights from 0 to 200 m above sea level), include the greatest plains in the world: the Amazonian lowland (cm. AMAZON LOWLAND), The East European Plain (cm. THE EAST EUROPEAN PLAIN) and the West Siberian Plain (cm. WEST SIBERIAN PLAIN). The surface of elevated plains, or hills, is located in the altitude range of 200-500 m (Central Russian Upland (cm. CENTRAL RUSSIAN HIGHLIGHT), Valdai Upland (cm. Valdai hill)). Upland plains rise above 500 m, for example, one of the largest in Central Asia - the Gobi (cm. GOBI (band of deserts and semi-deserts in Mongolia)). Both elevated and upland plains with a flat or undulating surface, separated by slopes or ledges from lower neighboring territories, the term plateau is often used. (cm. PLATEAU).
The role of external processes
The appearance of the plain depends largely on external processes. By the sum of the impact of external processes, the plains are divided into accumulative and denudation. Accumulative plains formed during the accumulation of strata of loose sediments (see accumulation (cm. ACCUMULATION)), are river (alluvial), lacustrine, marine, ash, glacial, water-glacial, etc. For example, the thickness of sediments, mainly river and marine, on the Flanders Lowland (North Sea coast) reaches 600 m, and the thickness of silty rocks ( loess ( cm. LESS)) on the Loess Plateau (cm. LESS PLATEAU)- 250-300 m. Accumulative plains also include volcanic plateaus composed of hardened lavas and loose products of volcanic eruptions (Dariganga plateau in Mongolia, Columbian plateau (cm. COLOMBIA PLATEAU) in North America).
Denudation plains arose as a result of the destruction of ancient hills or mountains and removal by water, wind, etc. (see denudation (cm. DENUDATION)) of the resulting material. Depending on the prevailing process, due to which the destruction of the ancient relief and the leveling of the surface occurred, erosional (with the predominance of the activity of flowing waters), abrasion (created by wave processes on the sea coasts), deflationary (leveled by wind) and other denudation plains are distinguished. Many plains have a complex origin, as they were shaped by various processes. Depending on the mechanism of formation, among the denudation plains, the following are distinguished: penepleny - in this case, the removal and demolition of material occurred more or less evenly from the entire surface of the ancient mountains, for example, the Kazakh upland (cm. KAZAKH SMALL-SOPOCHNIK) or syrts of the Tien Shan; pediplains arising from the destruction of a previously elevated relief, which begins from the outskirts (many plains at the foot of the mountains, mainly the deserts and savannas of Africa, etc.).
The role of internal processes
The participation of tectonic processes in the formation of plains can be both passive and active. With passive participation, the main role in the formation of structural plains is played by a fairly even - horizontal or inclined (monocline) - occurrence of rock layers (see Turgai Plateau (cm. TURGAI PLATEAU)). Many structural plains are simultaneously accumulative, for example, the Caspian lowland (cm. CASPIAN LOWLAND), North German Plain (cm. NORTH GERMAN LOWLAND). With the predominance of denudation in the formation of structural plains, layered plains are distinguished (Swabian-Franconian Jura (cm. Swabian-Franconian Jura)). The socle plains worked out in dislocated rocks (Lake Plateau in Finland) differ from them.
In the course of intermittent tectonic uplifts, followed by a period of rest, sufficient for the destruction and leveling of the relief, layered plains are formed, for example, the Great Plains (cm. GREAT PLAINS).
Geological principle of typification
Platform plains are formed in areas of relatively calm tectonic and magmatic activity. These include most of the plains, including the largest ones. Plains of orogenic regions (see orogen (cm. ORogen)) are characterized by intense activity of the earth's interior. These are the plains of intermountain basins (Fergana Valley (cm. FERGANA VALLEY)) and foothill troughs (Podolsk Upland (cm. PODILSKY HIGHLIGHT)). Sometimes the plains are considered parts of the so-called lowland countries - vast spaces where small areas with highly dissected relief are found (for example, the Zhiguli (cm. ZHIGULI) on the Russian plain (cm. RUSSIAN PLAIN)- flat country).
Land plains are the most favorable for comprehensive development by man. They are home to the majority of the world's population. The largest tracts of forests and arable land with the most fertile soils are concentrated here, full-flowing rivers flow and large lakes are located. On the accumulative plains, oil, gas, coal, salts and other minerals are being extracted. However, part of the plains is characterized by an arid climate, they are occupied by giant deserts - Kyzylkum (cm. KYZILKUM) and the Karakum on the Turan lowland (cm. TURAN LOWLAND), Great Sandy Desert (cm. GREAT SANDY DESERT) and the Great Victoria Desert (cm. GREAT VICTORIA DESERT) on the Western Plateau of Australia, etc.
Types of underwater plains
Among the underwater plains, two types are most common: continental shallows and deep-sea abyssal plains. (cm. ABYSSAL PLAINS). Continental shelf, or shelf (cm. SHELF), usually extends from the coast to depths of 200 m and occupies the underwater margin of the continents (cm. UNDERWATER MATERIAL). The most extensive shoals, more than 1000 km wide, are located on the northern outskirts of Eurasia and North America. Deep-water abyssal plains (wavy, flat, hilly) occupy huge basins - the ocean bed and the transition zone depressions (cm. TRANSITION ZONE) at depths of 3000-7000 m. Abyssal plains are especially numerous in the Atlantic Ocean; the largest of them are the Som and Demerera plains (cm. DEMERARA).
encyclopedic Dictionary. 2009 .
See what "plains" are in other dictionaries:
Areas of the land surface, the bottom of the oceans and seas, characterized by slight fluctuations in altitude. On land, plains are distinguished below sea level, low-lying (altitude up to 200 m), elevated (from 200 to 500 m) and upland (above 500 m). By… … Big Encyclopedic Dictionary
Rivers differ from highlands in that they are at a low altitude above sea level. It can be approximately assumed that the plains are below 150 soots. or 300 m., or 1000 rus. ft. above sea level, and the highlands are higher. Similar to what has already been seen…… Encyclopedia of Brockhaus and Efron
PLAINS, areas of the land surface, the bottom of the oceans and seas, characterized by small slopes and slight fluctuations in heights. On land, there are plains lying below sea level, low-lying (height up to 200 m), elevated (200-500 m) and upland ... ... Modern Encyclopedia
Rivers differ from uplands (see) in that they are at a low altitude above sea level. It can be approximately assumed that the plains are below 150 soots. or 300 m, or 1000 rus. ft. above sea level, and the highlands are higher. Like what already... Encyclopedic Dictionary F.A. Brockhaus and I.A. Efron
Areas of the land surface, the bottom of the oceans and seas, characterized by insignificant. height fluctuations. On land, R. are distinguished, lying below ur. m., low-lying (height up to 200 m), elevated (from 200 to 500 m) and upland (above 500 m). According to the structural principle ... ... Natural science. encyclopedic Dictionary
Plains- Plains, in: Great Plains (plateau) ... Russian spelling dictionary
- (English Sto Plains) a fictional area in the series of books "The Flat World" by Terry Pratchett. Contents 1 General characteristics 2 Cities and countries of the plain Sto 2.1 Sto Lat ... Wikipedia
Lichkov, 1935, vast plains that arise during the era of the existence of high-water streams fed by melting glaciers (for example, Polesie, Meshcherskaya lowland, etc.). Like the great accumulative plains, they are confined to the tect. deflections. The term... ... Geological Encyclopedia
Plains and mountains are the main forms of the earth's surface. They were formed as a result of geological processes that have shaped the face of the Earth throughout geological history. Plains are vast spaces with a calm, flat or hilly terrain and a relatively small fluctuation in relative heights (no more than 200 m).
Plains are subdivided according to absolute height. Plains with an absolute height of no more than 200 m are called lowlands, or lowlands (West Siberian). Plains, the absolute height of which is from 200 to 500 m, are called elevated, or hills (East European, or Russian). Plains whose height is more than 500 m above sea level are called high, or plateaus (Central Siberian).
Plateaus and uplands, in comparison with lowlands, due to their considerable height, usually have a more dissected surface and rugged relief. Elevated plains with a flat surface are called plateaus.
The largest lowlands: Amazonian, Mississippi, Indo-Gangetic, German-Polish. represents an alternation of lowlands (Pridneprovskaya, Black Sea, Caspian, etc.) and uplands (Valdai, Central Russian, Volyn-Podolsk, Volga, etc.). Plateaus are most widespread in Asia (Central Siberian, Arabian, Deccan, etc.), in (East African, South African, etc.), in (West Australian).
The plains are also subdivided according to their origin. On the continents, the majority (64%) of the plains formed on platforms; they are composed of layers of sedimentary cover. Such plains are called stratal, or platform. The Caspian lowland is the youngest plain, and are ancient platform plains, their surface has been largely altered by flowing waters and other external processes.
The plains that arose as a result of the demolition of the products of the destruction of mountains (denudation) from the destroyed base of the mountains (basement) are called denudation, or basement, plains. The destruction of mountains and transport usually occurs under the influence of water, ice and gravity. Gradually, the mountainous country is smoothed out, leveled off, turning into a hilly plain. Denudation plains are usually composed of hard rocks (small hills).
The main lowlands and plateaus of the parts of the world
| lowlands | Plateau |
|---|---|
| German-Polish london pool paris basin Middle Danubian Lower Danube |
Norland Manselka (ridge) Maladeta |
| Mesopotamian Great Plain of China coromandel coast Malabar Coast Indo-Gangetic |
Anatolian Changbaishan |
| Mississippi Mexican Atlantic mosquito coast |
great plains Central Plains Yukon (plateau) |
| Amazonian (Selvas) Orinoco (Llanos) La Platskaya |
Patagonian |
| Central (Great Artesian Basin) Carpentaria |
