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CLASS
VI
CBSE-i
UNIT-6
GEOGRAPHY
Landform
plateaus
STUDENTS’ MANUAL
Shiksha Kendra, 2, Community Centre, Preet Vihar, Delhi-110 092 India
CBSE-i
GEOGRAPHY
Landform
plateaus
STUDENTS’ MANUAL
CLASS
VI
UNIT-6
Shiksha Kendra, 2, Community Centre, Preet Vihar, Delhi-110 092 India
The CBSE-International is grateful for permission to reproduce
and/or translate copyright material used in this publication. The
acknowledgements have been included wherever appropriate and
sources from where the material has been taken duly mentioned. In
case anything has been missed out, the Board will be pleased to rectify
the error at the earliest possible opportunity.
All Rights of these documents are reserved. No part of this publication
may be reproduced, printed or transmitted in any form without the
prior permission of the CBSE-i. This material is meant for the use of
schools who are a part of the CBSE-International only.
Preface
This International Curriculum initiated by Central Board of Secondary Education - (CBSE) is a progressive step in making the
educational content and methodology more sensitive and responsive to the global needs. It signifies the emergence of a fresh
thought process in imparting a curriculum which would restore the autonomy of the learner to pursue the learning process in
harmony with the existing personal, social and cultural ethos.
The Central Board of Secondary Education has been providing support to the academic needs of the learners worldwide. It has
about 12500 schools affiliated to it and over 158 schools situated in more than 23 countries. The Board has always been conscious
of the varying needs of the learners and has been working towards contextualizing certain elements of the learning process to the
physical, geographical, social and cultural environment in which they are engaged. The International Curriculum being
designed by CBSE-i, has been visualized and developed with these requirements in view.
The nucleus of the entire process of constructing the curricular structure is the learner. The objective of the curriculum is to
nurture learner autonomy, given the fact that every learner is unique. The learner has to understand, appreciate, protect and
build on values, beliefs and traditional wisdom, make the necessary modifications, improvisations and additions wherever and
whenever necessary.
The recent scientific and technological advances have thrown open the gateways of knowledge at an astonishing pace. The
speed and methods of assimilating knowledge have put forth many challenges to educators, forcing them to rethink their
approaches for knowledge processing by their learners. In this context, it has become imperative for them to incorporate those
skills which will enable young learners to become 'life long learners'. The ability to stay current, to upgrade skills with emerging
technologies, to understand the nuances involved in change management and the relevant life skills have to be a part of the
learning domains of the global learners. The CBSE-i curriculum has taken cognizance of these requirements.
The CBSE-i aims to carry forward the basic strength of the Indian system of education while promoting critical and creative
thinking skills, effective communication skills, interpersonal and collaborative skills along with information and media skills.
There is an inbuilt flexibility in the curriculum, as it provides a foundation and an extension curriculum, in all subject areas to
cater to the different pace of learners.
The CBSE introduced classes I and X in the session 2010-11 as a pilot project in schools. It was further extended to classes II, VI
and X in the session 2011-12. In the seesion 2012-13, CBSE-i is going to enter in third year with classes III, VII and XI. The focus of
CBSE-i is to ensure that the learner is stress-free and committed to active learning. The learner would be evaluated on a
continuous and comprehensive basis consequent to the mutual interactions between the teacher and the learner. There are some
non-evaluative components in the curriculum which would be commented upon by the teachers and the school. The objective of
this part or the core of the curriculum is to scaffold the learning experiences and to relate tacit knowledge with formal
knowledge. This would involve trans-disciplinary linkages that would form the core of the learning process. Perspectives,
SEWA (Social Empowerment through Work and Action), Life Skills and Research would be the constituents of this 'Core'. The
Core skills are the most significant aspects of a learner's holistic growth and learning curve.
The International Curriculum has been designed keeping in view the foundations of the National Curricular Framework (NCF
2005) NCERT and the experience gathered by the Board over the last seven decades in imparting effective learning to millions of
learners, many of whom are now global citizens.
The Board does not interpret this development as an alternative to other curricula existing at the international level, but as an
exercise in providing the much needed Indian leadership for global education at the school level. The International Curriculum
would evolve building on learning experiences inside the classroom over a period of time. The Board while addressing the
issues of empowerment with the help of the schools' administering this system strongly recommends that practicing teachers
become skillful learners on their own and also transfer their learning experiences to their peers through the interactive platforms
provided by the Board.
I profusely thank Shri G. Balasubramanian, former Director (Academics), CBSE, Dr. Sadhana Parashar, Director (Training)
CBSE, Dr. Srijata Das, Education Officer CBSE, CBSE along with all the Officers involved in the development and
implementation of this material.
The CBSE-i website enables all stakeholders to participate in this initiative through the discussion forums provided on the
portal. Any further suggestions for modifying any part of this document are welcome.
Vineet Joshi
Chairman , CBSE
Advisory
Shri Vineet Joshi, Chairman, CBSE
Dr. Sadhana Parashar, Director (Training), CBSE
Ideators VI-VIII
Ms. Aditi Mishra
Ms. Guneet Ohri
Ms. Sudha Ravi
Ms. Himani Asija
Ms. Neerada Suresh
Dr. Rajesh Hassija
Ms. Preeti Hans
Ms. Neelima Sharma
Ms. Gayatri Khanna
Ms. Urmila Guliani
Ms. Anuradha Joshi
Mrs. Sonali Sinha
Conceptual Framework
Shri G. Balasubramanian, Former Director (Acad), CBSE
Ms. Abha Adams, Consultant, Step by Step, School, Noida
Dr. Sadhana Parashar, Director (Training), CBSE
Ms. Charu Maini
Dr. Usha Sharma
Prof. Chand Kiran Saluja
Dr. Meena Dhani
Ms. Vijay Laxmi Raman
Mrs. Avanita Bir
Ms. Malini Sridhar
Ms. Leela Raghavan
Dr. Rashmi Sethi
Ms. Seema Rawat
Ms. Suman Nath Bhalla
Prof. Om Vikas
Material Production Groups: Classes VI-VIII
English :
Ms. Neha Sharma
Ms. Dipinder Kaur
Ms. Sarita Ahuja
Ms. Gayatri Khanna
Ms. Preeti Hans
Ms. Rachna Pandit
Ms. Renu Anand
Ms. Sheena Chhabra
Ms. Veena Bhasin
Ms. Trishya Mukherjee
Ms. Neerada Suresh
Ms. Sudha Ravi
Ms. Ratna Lal
Ms. Ritu Badia Vashisth
Ms. Vijay Laxmi Raman
Core - Research
Ms. Renu Anand
Ms. Gayatri Khanna
Dr. N K Sehgal
Ms. Anita Sharma
Ms. Rashmi Kathuria
Ms. Neha Sharma
Ms. Neeta Rastogi
Ms. Manjushtha Bose
Mathematics :
Dr. Ram Avtar
Mr. Mahendra Shankar
Chemistry
Ms. Poonam Kumar Mendiratta Ms. Deepa Gupta
Ms. Gayatri Chowhan
Ms. Rashmi Sharma
Ms. N Vidya
Ms. Kavita Kapoor
Ms. Divya Arora
Ms. Mamta Goyal
Ms. Chhavi Raheja
Physics :
Ms. Vidhu Narayanan
Hindi:
Ms. Meenambika Menon
Mr. Akshay Kumar Dixit
Ms. Patarlekha Sarkar
Ms. Veena Sharma
Ms. Neelam Malik
Ms. Nishi Dhanjal
Biology:
Ms. Kiran Soni
Mr. Saroj Kumar
CORE-SEWA
Ms. Rashmi Ramsinghaney
Ms. Vandna
Ms. Prerna Gosain
Ms. Nishtha Bharati
Ms. Seema Kapoor
Mr. Manish Panwar
Ms. Seema Bhandari
Ms. Vikram Yadav
Ms. Seema Chopra
Ms. Monika Chopra
Ms. Reema Arora
Ms. Jaspreet Kaur
Ms. Neha Sharma
Ms. Preeti Mittal
ICT
Ms. Shipra Sarcar
Ms. Leela Raghavan
Mr. Yogesh Kumar
Ms. Varsha Manku
Dr. K L Chopra
Ms. Nancy Sehgal
Ms. Purvi Srivastava
Ms. Babita Mahajan
Ms. Ritu Arora
Ms. Swati Panhani
Ms. Chanchal Chandna
Geography:
Ms. Suparna Sharma
Ms. Aditi Babbar
History :
Ms. Leeza Dutta
Ms. Kalpana Pant
Ms. Ruchi Mahajan
Political Science:
Ms. Kanu Chopra
Ms. Shilpi Anand
Economics :
Ms. Leela Garewal
Ms. Anita Yadav
CORE-Perspectives
Ms. Madhuchhanda
Ms. Varsha Seth
Ms. Neha Sharma
Chief Co-ordinator : Dr. Srijata Das, EO
Coordinators:
Ms. Sugandh Sharma, EO
Dr Rashmi Sethi, EO
Ms. S. Radha Mahalakshmi, E O Ms. Madhuchhanda, RO (Inn)
Mr. Navin Maini, RO (Tech) Shri Al Hilal Ahmed, AEO Shri R. P. Singh, AEO
Ms. Anjali Chhabra, AEO
Ms. Neelima Sharma,
Consultant (English)
Mr. Sanjay Sachdeva, SO
Sh. R. P. Sharma
Consultant (Science)
Ms. Reema Arora
Consultant (Chemistry)
Contents
Plateaus-
Definition as a Landform Feature
1
Basis of Formation:
How are they Formed?
9
Classification/Types
On the basis of
i)
Process of Formation
ii)
Location
13
Economic Significance
Resources and Usage
Conservation
Need and Efforts
9
Case Studies
Famous Plateaus
11
i)
Colorado Plateau (USA)
ii)
Deccan Plateau (India)
iii) Siberian Traps (Russia)
iv) Tibetan Plateau (China)
UNIT – VI
LANDFORM - PLATEAUS
INTRODUCTION
The Deccan, Tibetan, Colorado and the Siberian landforms have one thing in common and
that is that they are all elevated and have broad similarities. However there exist distinctive
differences. All these differences result in their being worthy of individual discussion/study.
They are completely different from all other elevated landforms found on the earth’s surface.
All this requires categorizing the information into defined groups thereby assisting a logical
understanding of the conceptual differences between various types.
PLATEAU- AN OVERVIEW
A plateau is a broad and rather level stretch of land rising sharply from the neighbouring
lowland. Its height can vary between 90 m to 900 m.
Plateaus cover almost 18% of the earth's surface. They are large elevated areas that have a
flat almost even top and steep slopes unlike the mountains.
Their Classification is based upon
I.
The Method of Formation
The plateaus are formed by many methods. The emission from the earth, water, glacier,
wind, etc., form plateaus.
Plateaus formed by Lava
The lava comes out on the surface of the earth through regions of weakness and spreads in
the surroundings areas and forms plateau eg. The Plateau of Columbia.
1
Fig : Plateau of Columbia, USA
Plateaus formed by Running Water
High Mountains are eroded down by rivers. Plateaus formed as a landform in the last part of
the cycle of erosion. Brazil is one such a Plateau.
Plateaus formed by Glaciers
Glaciers form plateaus in two ways: - (a) by deposition and (b) by erosion. The Russian
plateau and the plateau of Finland are examples of plateaus formed by deposition. Among the
plateaus formed by erosion are the plateaus of Greenland and Antarctica.
Mount Owen is the highest mountain in Kahurangi, at 1,875 metres. The Owen plateau is
regarded by scientists as the finest example of glacial karst (weather worn limestone), in
the Southern Hemisphere. It contains the longest cave system in New Zealand. All
approaches to the plateau are on rough steep tracks. On day 1 we climb a steep track
approximately 4 hours through beech forest, then drop down into Blue Gorge, and then
into Granity pass (total time approx 6-8 hours).
Source: http://www.naturetreks.co.nz/mtowen.htm
2
Plateaus formed by Wind
When winds blow from a desert in a certain direction, fine dust particles along with the winds
reach far-off places. For example, the western winds coming from the Gobi desert have built
up the loess plateau of China.
Located at the intersection of Shanxi Province and Shannxi Province on the Loess
Plateau, the Hukou Waterfall is the second largest waterfall in China. "Hukou" means the
spout of teapot in Chinese. When the Yellow River flows through Jinshang Gorge, the
river surface shrinks suddenly from 400 meters to 50 meters, so the river has to roll down
from the small gorge, just like water flows through the spout of teapot.. As the color of
the waterfall is yellow, Hukou Waterfall has also been named "The largest yellow
waterfall in the world."
Source: http://scenery.cultural-china.com/en/111Scenery6758.html
II. Location:
Piedmont Plateau
The plateaus that are situated at the foot of the mountains and are bounded on other sides by
a plain or an ocean are called piedmont plateau. The Appalachian situated between the
Appalachian Mountain and the Atlantic Coastal plain in U.S.A is an example.
Continental Plateau
They are formed either by an extensive continental uplift or by the spread of horizontal basic
lava sheets completely covering the original topography to great depth. The Snake River
Plateau in North West USA is the example of this type.
3
Intermontane Plateau
These plateaus extend along with mountains and are known as the highest plateaus of the
world. The plateaus of Bolivia and Tibet belong to this type.
The Tibetan Plateau is the highest and most widespread plateau in
the world, with an average altitude of 16,400 feet.
Case Study - Table Mountain – South Africa
One of the most popular tourist spots in South Africa is the Table Mountain, a flat-topped
mountain forming a prominent landmark overlooking the city of Cape Town. This
significant tourist attraction used cableway to get to the top. Hiking is another alternative
to get to the top.
4
DO YOU KNOW?
The term "mesa" is used throughout the United States to describe a flat-topped mountain
or hill. In Spanish such a landform is more usually known as a meseta.
Tucumcari Mountain is a mesa outside of Tucumcari, New Mexico, USA.
How are Plateaus formed?
There are various ways in which a plateau can be formed and it takes not one or two but
millions of years for a plateau to form.
Upward movement of the surface of the earth when the magma below the surface of
the earth starts rising but it does not come up on the earth's surface. A particular
section of the earth's surface is thus raised, forming a plateau.
Sometimes if the magma, rises through the earth's surface, spreads out and then starts
forming one layer on top of another and years later it forms a plateau.
Erosion also causes the formation of plateau. Due to constant exposure to wind and
water for years, mountains and glaciers or other high landforms have been reduced to
plateaus.
Case study- Land of extremes-Antarctica
"Antarctica is the coldest, highest, windiest, driest, and iciest plateau on earth"
5
The Antarctic Plateau is a large area of Central Antarctica, which extends over a diameter
of about 1,000 kilometres and which includes the region of the South Pole. This plateau is
at an average elevation of about 3,000 meters. It is known as the Polar Plateau. The clean
air, water and ice of Antarctica are now of global importance to science to understand
how the Earth's environment is changing both naturally and as a result of human activity.
Classification of Plateau
On basis of formation
On Basis of Location
Intermontane Plateaus
Location: lies between mountain
ranges.
Eg: Plateau of Tibet
Tectonic Plateaus
Formation: As a result of
tectonic movements which
caused uplift of the crust
Eg : Bolivian Plateau
P
L
A
T
E
A
U
S
Volcanic Plateaus
Formation: Result of solidifying of lava
emerging from fissures in the earths
crust
Eg: Deccan plateau of India
Dissected Plateaus
formation: Through continuous
process of weathering and erosion.
Eg: Chotta Nagpur Plateau of India
6
Piedmont Plateau
Location: Lies at the foot of the
mountain.
Eg: Colorado plateau
Continental Plateau
Location: Rise abruptly from the
plains
Eg: Plateau of Africa
Types of Plateaus – A pictorial overview
Bolivian Plateau (Tectonic plateau)
Plateau of Tibet (Intermontane plateau)
Deccan Plateau (lava plateau)
Colorado Plateau (Piedmont Plateau)
Chota Nagpur Plateau (Dissected plateau)
Waterberg Plateau South Africa
(Continental Plateau)
Fig : The Colorado Plateau – A piedmont plateau
7
Fig : Interior Plateau, an Intermontane Plateau in the Rocky Mountains
Fig : Deccan Plateau, an Intermontane Plateau (between three mountain ranges)
8
Usefulness of Plateaus to Man
1.
Storehouse of minerals: The plateaus are famous for minerals. The plateau of
France, the Deccan plateau of India, Western Australian plateau and Brazilian
plateau are very good sources of minerals. Iron, copper, gold, diamonds, Manganese,
coal, etc., are found in them.
2.
Hydel power: Rivers falling down the edges of plateaus from water-falls. These
water-falls provide ideal sites for generating hydel-power.
3.
Impact on climate: The higher parts of the plateaus even in tropical and sub-rearing
regions have cool climate. Hence, they have attracted Europeans to settle there and
develop their economy e.g. South and East Africa.
4.
Agriculture and pasturelands. Plateaus have large grassland areas suitable for
animal-rearing specially Sheep goat and cattle. They provide a variety of products
such as wool, milk, meat and hide and skin.
5.
The lava plateaus as compared to all other plateau are richer in agriculture since
their soil is very fertile
6.
Tourism.
Conservation of the plateaus - Need and Efforts
Plateaus have resources that are very precious and have great utility. These resources need to
be sustained over a long time period. They are limited and exhaustible such as minerals, soil,
and water. Degradation of land and successive erosion due to reckless felling of trees and
unchecked mining in the regions across the globe has endangered the endemic flora and fauna
of the region.
Case Study- Dogon Plateau in Mali
The problems on the Dogon Plateau are:
A shortage of land to cultivate and thin soils
A high population density
Low rainfall which has diminished over the last 20 years
High rates of rainfall runoff from stony surfaces
9
High rates of erosion - both by water and by wind Overgrazing by livestock.
Some Measures:
Stone lines are built where land is flatter.
Soil taken from river beds is added to bed side terraces
Transported earth gardens are being created.
"When we make the basins and pits the water which would have left the field stays
put, and so in the dry weather there is less crop damage. The yield is now higher.
When we have enough rain the crops ripen well. By harvest time when we haven't
used the techniques the millet can dry out, but everywhere we do use the techniques,
the millet stays green". Boukary Yebeize
DO YOU KNOW?
Wildlife Conservation in the Plateau Regions of the World
The Worm-eating Warbler (Helmitheros vermivorus) inhabits the Interior Low Plateaus.
Source: http://gapanalysis.usgs.gov/blog/2010/08/18/bird_conservation_planning/
In the Interior Low plateaus: The major threat to the warbler is cutting down of the
tropical rain forests abound with the Juniper tree (their major habitat) at a rapid pace for
agriculture and human settlement.
Habitat models for the Interior Low Plateaus were prepared.
Their goals were to identify
10
1.
Species-where they are found ,their richness,
2.
Identify and prioritize areas for potential conservation
3.
Shortlist areas with high restoration potential so that maximum impact can be
estimated.
4.
Identify wetlands where nesting bird management can be done with high success
rate, and
5.
Allocate a budget and a list of inventories to start operations
Since the habitats in the Interior Low Plateaus are highly fragmented. Hence in these
regions efforts are being made to acquire public land to conserve the existing ecosystem.
Case Study – Effect of Mining on Plateaus
Potash solution-mining ponds along the Colorado River near Moab
(http://cpluhna.nau.edu/Change/mining.htm)
On the Colorado Plateau, a few large coal-mining operations are in operation, including
the largest strip mine in the world, the Kayenta/Black Mesa mining complex on Black Mesa
in the Navajo Nation. The establishment of Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument
in 1996 prevented the strip mining of coal resources found atop the Kaiparowits Plateau in
south-western Utah.
Some volcanic centers, such as the San Francisco Volcanic Field along the southern
Plateau, are being mined for cinders used as construction material. In August of 2000 an
historic agreement was reached to close down a large pumice mine on the San Francisco
11
Peaks near Flagstaff, Arizona after years of protest by a coalition of 13 Indian tribes and
several environmental groups.
The most important effects of mining activities on the region's biota are habitat loss due
to extensive strip-mining operations and infiltration of mine waste into local riparian and
groundwater systems. An indirect effect of large mines in the region can be degradation of
riparian areas due to consumption of water for mine operations.
Case Study of Deccan Plateau
The Western part of the Deccan Plateau in the state of Tamil Nadu. It is largely made up
of basalt lava, covers some 300,000 square miles in west-central India. (Agriculture being
practiced)
The poor growing conditions on the Deccan plateau in Southern India require the
implementation of careful and complex farming strategies in order for farmers to produce
enough food to sustain their families throughout the year. In such environments
biodiversity and food security are inextricably intertwined.
12
DO YOU KNOW?
WILDLIFE IN THE INTERIOR UPLANDS
A Tibetan sand fox
Foxes are of great help to keep the rodent population in check, especially Pikas (mousehare Deer are kept for antler production. Antlers are commonly used as a materia medica
in Traditional Chinese medicine, known as 'malujiao'. Preferred are antlers still in velvet,
the phase in which it is still growing - antlers regrow each year.
A captive herd of Kham Red Deer (Cervus elaphus mcneilii) in Riwoche's Chamoling
Nature Reserve
Source: http://www.danielwinkler.com/wildlife_photos_from_the_tibetan_plateau.htm
DO YOU KNOW?
Alashan Plateau—China's Unknown Gobi (is a desert and a plateau)
Massive sand dunes ripple over China's Alashan Plateau. This arid though diverse region
covers some 260,000 square miles (673,400 square kilometers) in China and Mongolia and
13
is home to wild horses, snow leopards, and rare Bactrian camels.
Source: http://science.nationalgeographic.com/science/earth/surface-of-the-earth
CASE STUDY - A Visit to Tibet
Sabhia who lives in Abu Dhabi wished to visit Lhasa in order to see and learn about the
plateau of Tibet. She had heard a lot of stories and had also collected a lot of material
over the months. She had a list of queries to ask at the travel desk in the Tourism office.
She was given a brochure with the following information
‘It is now possible to take the train all the way across the Tibetan Plateau from Lhasa to
Xining.’
The much anticipated train to Lhasa opened to the public on July 1, 2006. China has spent
many years and many billions of dollars building this railway over the frozen northern
Tibetan Plateau.
With the help of the brochure she planned her trip and reached Lhasa to board the train to
take first hand pictures of the plateau.
In her Diary she wrote
China had spent many years and many billions of dollars building this railway over the
frozen northern Tibetan Plateau. The train station is beautiful and is built in Tibetan
design. The train station lies 14km from downtown, but a new bridge over the Kyi River
will shorten the distance to about 8km. farming areas. I saw many Tibetans working in
their fields. Further north, there were some nomads in yak hair tents grazing their herds.
The train passed by a couple of beautiful high elevation lakes and several high mountain
passes. The scenery in this area of Tibet is amazing.
14
Case Study - Environment in Tibet
The great difference of altitudes and rainfall in Tibet creates ecosystem that vary from
tropical cloud forests to high altitude deserts. The Tibetan plateau is the world’s highest
ecosystem and one of the world’s last great untouched wildernesses. Many mountain
ecosystems are disappearing as result of excessive use of resources, mining and
inappropriate infrastructure development, deforestation and natural hazards.
The Himalayas were declared a Biodiversity Hot Spot in 2005. The Qinghai-Tibet plateau
has been warming faster than the global average with temperatures rising 0.16°C per
year. If the trend continues glaciers will recede significantly. Some Tibetans are angry
about polluting factories built by the Chinese. Tibetans living in Gabu Village in a Tibetan
area of Qinghai Province are incensed about an aluminum smelter there that belches out
grayish smoke and leaves a grimy film on clothes and buildings. Beijing is using rockets and
artillery to seed clouds with rain-inducing chemicals.
In Madoi County in Qinghai Province the program is so intense during the summer that the
blasts of artillery keep people awake at night. Authorities insist the program is working
and increasing rain and replenishing glaciers. Locals say the rockets just anger the gods
and perpetuate the drought. In western Tibet-Qinghai there is a mysterious "ozone valley"
that thus far scientists have been unable to explain.
15
In the 1980s and early 1990s, the Chinese logged the forested areas of Tibet very
intensively. Deforestation has turned once clear streams muddy brown. An increase in the
number of livestock and a rising demand for fuel is threatening to strip the valleys of
vegetation. Run-off from denuded mountain slopes is believed to have been a factor in
excessive flooding of the Yangtze River in 1998. Deforestation has been slowed since the
1998 Yangtze flood. Logging has been banned in Omda, Markam and Gonjo counties in
Tibet in part to prevent erosion from filling in the Three Gorges Dam reservoir on the
Yangtze. Large reforestation projects are being carried out.
DO YOU KNOW?
The beauty and diversity of Tibet is staggering: from Mount Everest to the world's deepest
gorge, from tropical jungles to arctic-like tundra, from trees twenty feet in diameter to
vast herds and solitary specimens of some of the least-known animals on the planet.
16
GLOSSARY
Basalt: A dark, dense volcanic rock, about 50 percent of which is silica.
Continental drift: The hypothesis proposed by Alfred Wegener that the continents are
not stationary, but have moved across the surface of Earth over time.
Convection current: The circular movement of a gas or liquid between hot and cold
areas.
Crust: The thin, solid, outermost layer of Earth.
Erosion: The gradual wearing away of Earth surfaces through the action of wind and
water.
Fault: A crack or fracture in Earth's crust along which rock on one side has moved
relative to rock on the other.
Lithosphere: The rigid uppermost section of the mantle combined with the crust.
Mantle: The thick, dense layer of rock that lies beneath Earth's crust.
Plates: Large sections of Earth's lithosphere that are separated by deep fault zones.
Plate tectonics: The geologic theory that Earth's crust is composed of rigid plates that
"floats" toward or away from each other, either directly or indirectly, shifting
continents, forming mountains and new ocean crust, and stimulating volcanic
eruptions.
Uplift: In geology, the slow upward movement of large parts of stable areas of Earth's
crust.
17
WORKSHEET NO.1
Name of the Student:
I.
Class:
Section:
Complete the table given below: (you may have to do some research to identify the
pictures and complete the worksheet)
On the basis of location
Features of this plateau
Distinctive Features
Economic activities
Examples:
Piedmont Plateau
Distinctive Features
Economic activities
Examples:
Continental Plateau
Distinctive Features
Economic activities
Examples:
Intermontane Plateau
P.S. This work sheet can be attempted after dividing the class into groups prior to
commencement.
18
WORKSHEET NO.2
Name of the Student:
1.
Class:
Section:
Given below are two pictures of plateaus. Some interesting facts about them are
mentioned below. Read them carefully and answer the questions that follow"
Mount Owen Plateau New Zealand
Mount Owen is the highest mountain in Kahurangi, at 1,875 metres. The Owen plateau is
regarded by scientists as the finest example of glacial action, in the Southern Hemisphere. It
contains the longest cave system in New Zealand. All approaches to the plateau are on rough
steep tracks.
The Hukou Waterfall on the Shannxi Province on the Loess plateau of China
19
Located at the intersection of Shanxi Province and Shannxi Province on the Loess Plateau, the
Hukou Waterfall is the second largest waterfall in China. "Hukou" means the spout of teapot in
Chinese. As the color of the waterfall is yellow, Hukou Waterfall has also been named "The
largest yellow waterfall in the world."
i. Name a specific feature of each of these plateaus.
ii. What does 'Hukou' mean in Chinese'.
iii. What do you think the crack in the Owen plateau indicates?
iv. Why is the colour of the water of the Hukou waterfall yellow?
20
WORKSHEET NO.3
Name of the Student:
I.
Class:
Section:
A picture of the Colorado plateau is shown. Briefly describe the type of landform
features you can see in the picture.
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
II.
Identify the following –
i.
Plateaus that are cut by rivers and broken by deep valleys.
___________________________________________________________
ii.
Plateaus that lie between mountain ranges.
_____________________________________________________________
iii.
A volcanic plateau in India.
____________________________________________________________
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iv.
World’s highest plateau.
____________________________________________________________
III.
Study the map give below and answer the question that follows:
Name the mountains that bound the Deccan Plateau of India.
____________________________________________________________
IV.
Study the importance of plateaus and find out how they influence human activities. Use
examples with pictures
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WORKSHEET NO.4
Name of the Student:
1.
Class:
Section:
Study the pictures given below and answer the questions that follow:
The Worm-eating Warbler (Helmitheros vermivorus) inhabits the Interior Low Plateaus Source:
http://gapanalysis.usgs.gov/blog/2010/08/18/bird_conservation_planning
i.
What does this bird survive on?
__________________________________________________________________
ii.
Why has this specie been declared and endangered species?
__________________________________________________________________
iii.
Name some other birds of this region that need to be protected.
__________________________________________________________________
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A captive herd of Kham Red Deer (Cervus elaphus mcneilii)
in Riwoche's Chamoling Nature Reserve
i.
Why is there an urgent need to protect the deer that lives in the Tibetan plateau?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
ii.
Why do you think they are being held captive?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
iii.
What are the resources available in the plateau region that have helped this specie
make this region its home?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
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WORKSHEET NO.5
Name of the Student :
1.
Class:
Map study: Locate the major plateaus of the world on a map given below
Plateaus of Tibet
Mongolian Plateau
Bolivian Plateau
Patagonian Plateau
Deccan Plateau
Colorado Plateau
Maseta of Spain
Chotta Nagpur Plateau of India.
25
Section:
2.
Locate the following physiographic regions on a map of North America.
a.
Piedmont Plateau
b.
Intermontane plateau
26
WORKSHEET NO.6
Name of the Student:
Class:
Section:
Observe the map of the Tibetan plateau given below and answer the questions that
follow:
a)
Name the important rivers that have their source in this region.
_____________________________________________________________________
b)
How has the environment of Tibet been effected by mans activities?
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
27
c)
What steps have been taken by the Government to redress the ecological balance of
the plateau of Tibet?
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
Project: Case study of Colorado Plateau, Plateau of Africa, Plateau of Tibet.
Aspects to be covered (you may also add your own)
a)
Location and extent on map.
b)
Type and process of formation.
c)
Resources present.
d)
Human activity.
e)
Pictorial presentation.
Comparative study of these three types of plateaus
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Resources:
o
NCERT Text Book of Social Studies Class 6
o
A Text Book of Geography 6 by Rita Rajen
o
Certificate Physical and Human Geography by Goh Cheng Leong (Oxford University
Press)
o
Geography in Diagrams by R.B.Bunnett (Longman)
o
http://exchange.smarttech.com/search.html?q=landforms
o
http://www.fao.org/docrep/x5301e/x5301e08.htm
o
Typesof Landforms: Plateaus | eHow.com
o
http://www.ehow.com/info_8214713_types-landforms-lateaus.html#ixzz1kaWTvvd9.
o
http://www.fao.org/docrep/x5301e/x5301e08.htm
o
http://gapanalysis.usgs.gov/blog/2010/08/18/bird_conservation_planning/.
o
http://www.danielwinkler.com/wildlife_photos_from_the_tibetan_plateau.htm
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CENTRAL BOARD OF SECONDARY EDUCATION
Shiksha Kendra, 2, Community Centre, Preet Vihar, Delhi-110 092 India