The Earth's surface is characterized mainly by a flat landscape, prevailing over the mountain not only on land but also under water.
What are the plains?
The plains are relatively flat vast territories of the earth's surface, on which the heights of neighboring sections vary within 200 m, they have a weak slope (not more than 5 m). The most significant example of a classical plain is the West Siberian Lowland: it has an exceptionally flat surface, the elevation difference on which is almost imperceptible.
Relief features
As we already understood from the above definition, plains are terrain with a flat and almost even relief, without tangible ups and downs, or hilly, with a smooth alternation of elevations and depressions of the surface.
Flat plains are generally small in size. They are located near the seas and large rivers. Hilly plains with uneven terrain are more common. For example, the relief of the East European (Russian) plain is characterized by the presence of both hills more than 300 meters high and depressions whose height is below sea level (Caspian lowland). Other famous plains of the world are Amazonian, Mississippian. They have a similar relief.
Features of the plains
A distinctive feature of all the plains is the clearly defined, clearly visible horizon line, which can be straight or undulating, which is determined by the relief of a particular area.
Since ancient times, people preferred to create settlements on the plains. Since these places are rich in forests and fertile soil. Therefore, to date, the plains are still the most densely populated. Most of the minerals are mined in the plains.
Given that the plains are terrain with a huge area and a large extent, they are characterized by a variety of natural zones. So, on the East European Plain there are territories with mixed and deciduous forests, tundra and taiga, steppe and semi-desert. The plains of Australia are represented by savannahs, and the Amazonian lowland is represented by selwa.
Climatic features
The climate of the plain is a fairly broad concept, as it is determined by many factors. This geographical location, climatic zone, area of the region, extent, relative proximity to the ocean. In general, the flat terrain is characterized by a clear change of seasons due to the movement of cyclones. Often on their territory there is an abundance of rivers and lakes, which also affect climatic conditions. Some plains have an arid climate, their vast area consists of a continuous desert (Turan Lowland, Western Plateau of Australia).
Plains and mountains: what is the difference between them
Unlike the plains, mountains are patches of land that rise sharply above the surrounding surface. They are characterized by significant fluctuations in heights and large slopes of the relief. But small sections of flat terrain are also found in the mountains, between the mountain ranges. They are called intermountain basins.
Plains and mountains are landforms whose differences are based on their origin. Most of the mountains formed under the influence of tectonic processes, the movement of strata occurring deep in the earth's crust. In turn, the plains lie mainly on platforms - stable sections of the earth's crust, they were influenced by the external forces of the Earth.
Among the differences between mountains and plains, in addition to appearance and origin, we can distinguish:
- maximum height (in the plains it reaches 500 m, in the mountains - over 8 km);
- area (the area of mountains on the entire surface of the Earth is significantly inferior to the area of plains);
- probability of earthquakes (on the plains it is practically zero);
- degree of development;
- ways to use a person.
Largest plains
The Amazonian lowland, located in South America, is the largest in the world, with an area of about 5.2 million square meters. km It has a low population density. It is characterized by a hot and humid climate, dense tropical forests occupying vast territories and teeming with animals, birds, insects and amphibians. Many species of wildlife in the Amazonian lowlands are not found anywhere else.
The East European (Russian) plain is located in the eastern part of Europe, its area is 3.9 million square meters. km Most of the plains are located in Russia. It has a gently flat relief. The bulk of large cities are located here, and a significant proportion of the country's natural wealth is concentrated.
The Central Siberian Plateau is located in Eastern Siberia. Its area is about 3.5 million square meters. km The peculiarity of the plateau is the alternation of mountain ranges and wide plateaus, as well as the frequent permafrost, the depth of which reaches 1.5 km. The climate is sharply continental, deciduous forests predominate from vegetation. The plain is rich in minerals and has an extensive river basin.