Tableland facts for kids
A tableland is a type of landform that looks like a giant table! Imagine a huge, flat area of land that sits much higher than the land around it. These elevated areas often have very steep sides, like cliffs, which separate them from the lower ground. Depending on their size and shape, you might hear them called different names such as a butte, mesa, or plateau. Even under the sea, there are similar flat-topped mountains called guyots.
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What Makes a Tableland?
Tablelands are amazing examples of how nature shapes our Earth over millions of years. They are usually formed when softer rocks around them wear away, leaving behind harder, more resistant rock layers at the top.
How Tablelands Are Formed
Most tablelands are created through a process called erosion. This is when wind, water, and ice slowly break down and carry away rock and soil.
Formed by Sedimentary Rocks
Many tablelands begin as layers of sedimentary rocks, like sandstone and conglomerate. These rocks are formed from tiny bits of sand, pebbles, and other materials that settle in layers over time and get pressed together. If these layers are mostly flat and haven't been pushed or folded much by Earth's movements, they can become tablelands.
Over a very long time, rivers and streams cut into these flat rock layers. They carve out valleys, and the steep sides of these valleys slowly move backward. This process leaves behind large, flat-topped areas.
- A very large tableland is often called a plateau.
- As erosion continues, these plateaus can break into smaller, isolated flat-topped hills. These smaller ones are known as mesas (which means "table" in Spanish) or buttes. Buttes are usually smaller and taller than mesas.
- A fantastic example of sedimentary tablelands are the tepuis in South America. These are ancient, flat-topped mountains made of very hard sandstone that rise dramatically above the surrounding jungle.
Formed by Other Rocks
Tablelands aren't just made from sedimentary rocks. Other types of hard, flat layers can also form their tops:
- Duricrusts: These are very hard layers of soil or rock that form near the surface, often in hot, dry climates. Think of them as a natural concrete cap. Once rivers cut through this hard layer, the surrounding softer material erodes, leaving the duricrust as the flat top of a tableland. The Panchgani Tableland in India is a great example of this.
- Volcanic Rocks: When lava or ash flows out of a volcano, it can spread out in flat layers. Once these volcanic rocks cool and harden, they become very tough. Just like with duricrusts, if rivers cut into these hardened volcanic layers, they can form tablelands with flat, rocky tops.
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