Hills and plateaus are relief features on the surface of the earth. It means that the earth is not a flat piece at all corners or places but is undulating, in the sense, that at places, it is raised in the form of mountains, not so steeply in the form of hills also is elevated like a table above a piece of flat land when we have a plateau. All relief features are not present in all countries of the world, and only a select few are blessed with all relief features. Most people know what they mean when they are talking abut mountains but not so sure when describing a hill. The same can be said about a plateau as not many are aware of this relief feature. To remove the confusion in the minds of the readers, this article attempts to highlight the features of hills and plateaus.
Hill
If you live in plains, you do not encounter hills. These are landforms that rise above the surrounding plain area though this elevation is not so steep to classify the landform as a mountain. Slopes of a hill are gentler than a mountain, and it is not as high as a mountain either. The distinction between a mountain and a hill is somewhat subjective and even arbitrary. In Scotland, we have high mountains being referred to as hills, and in US, there are hills in Oklahama that are as tall as mountain peaks in some other parts of the world. In some parts of the world, the distinction is based upon use of the land rather than its appearance as in Wales. In general, it suffices to say that a hill is gentler and lower than a mountain while a hillock is a small hill. The peaks of hills are rounded suggesting erosion of rocks due to weathering.
Plateau
A plateau is a highland which clearly tells us that it is a piece of land that is suddenly elevated amidst surrounding plain area. Though it is higher than the surrounding area, there are no peaks in a plateau as it consists of flat land only. The flat landform adjacent to mountains is classified as intermontane plateaus, and they are also the highest plateaus of the world such as Tibetan plateau. Plateaus having mountains on one side and plain or sea on the other are classified as piedmont plateaus. When there are plains on all sides of a plateau, it is called a continental plateau.
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What is the difference between Hill and Plateau? • Hills and plateau are different relief features found on the surface of the earth. • Though both are elevated landforms, hills are higher and steeper than plateaus. • Plateaus are suddenly elevated but flat land pieces in themselves. • Hills are gentler than mountains and have rounder peaks than mountains also.
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