Editing Plateau (section)

== Formation ==
Plateaus can be formed by a number of processes, including upwelling of volcanic magma, extrusion of lava, [[plate tectonics]] movements, and erosion by water and glaciers.

=== Volcanic ===
{{Main|Volcanic plateau}}
[[File:Pajarito Plateau.jpg|thumb|The [[Pajarito Plateau]] in New Mexico is an example of a volcanic plateau.]]
[[Volcanic plateau]]s are produced by [[volcanism|volcanic activity]]. They may be formed by upwelling of volcanic magma or extrusion of lava. The underlining mechanism in forming plateaus from upwelling starts when magma rises from the [[mantle (geology)|mantle]], causing the ground to swell upward. In this way, large, flat areas of rock are uplifted to form a plateau. For plateaus formed by extrusion, the rock is built up from lava spreading outward from cracks and weak areas in the crust. The [[County Antrim#Geography|Antrim Plateau]] in [[Northern Ireland]], the [[Deccan Plateau]] in [[India]], the [[Big Raven Plateau]] in Canada, and the [[Columbia Plateau]] in the [[United States]] are examples of lava plateaus.

=== Tectonic ===
Tectonic plateaus are formed by tectonic plate movements which cause uplift, and are normally of a considerable size, and a fairly uniform altitude. Examples are the [[Deccan Plateau]] in [[India]] and the [[Meseta Central]] on the [[Iberian Peninsula]].<ref name=":0" />

=== Erosion ===
Plateaus can also be formed by the erosional processes of [[glacier]]s on mountain ranges, leaving them sitting between the mountain ranges. Water can also erode mountains and other landforms down into plateaus. [[Dissected plateau]]s are highly eroded plateaus cut by rivers and broken by deep narrow valleys. An example is the [[Scottish Highlands]].<ref>{{cite journal|last=Garcia-Castellanos |first=D. |date=2007 |title=The role of climate during high plateau formation. Insights from numerical experiments. |journal=[[Earth and Planetary Science Letters]] |volume=257 |issue=3–4 |pages=372–390 |doi=10.1016/j.epsl.2007.02.039 |bibcode=2007E&PSL.257..372G |url=https://docs.google.com/uc?id=0B_xuyENh5ksFMzdiZjg0NGUtNWQ5Zi00YTU0LThkODctODA3ZWMxYjAzNTI2&export=download&hl=en|url-access=subscription }}</ref>