Plains: characteristics and types. The largest plains in Russia: names, map, borders, climate and photos

Mainland	Plain	A country
	Great Chinese
	Eastern European	RF, Ukraine, Belarus, Moldova.
	Deccan plateau
	Dzhungar lowland
	West Siberian Lowland
	Indo-Gangetic lowland	India, Pakistan, Bangladesh
	Mesopotamian lowland	Iraq, Iran, Syria, Kuwait.
	Caspian lowland	RF, Kazakhstan
	Central Siberian Plateau
	Tarim (Kashgar)
	Turanian Lowland	Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan
	East African Plateau	Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania, Zambia, Malawi, Somalia, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia.
South America	Guiana Plateau	Venezuela, Brazil, Guyana, Suriname, Guiana
	Brazilian plateau	Brazil
	Amazonian lowland	Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru
North America	Mississippian lowlands
	Atlantic lowland
	Mexican lowland
	Great Plains	USA, Canada
	Central Plains	USA, Canada

Bottom relief world oceans

The bottom topography includes the following parts:

Shelf(continental shelf) - the underwater edge of the continent adjacent to the shores of the land. Shelf width up to 1500 km, depth from 50 – 100 to 200 m (2000 m South Kuril Basin Sea of Okhotsk), makes up 8% of the world's oceans. The shelf is the most productive part of the world's oceans, where fishing areas (90% of seafood) and the largest mineral deposits are located.

continental slope lies below the shelf boundary at a depth of up to 2000 m (sometimes up to 3600 m), making up 12% of the area of the world's oceans. This part of the bottom is characterized by seismicity.

Bed The world ocean is located at a depth of 2500 to 6000 m and occupies up to 80% of the area of the world ocean. The productivity of this part of the ocean is low. The bed has a complex topography. Examples of these forms include:

a) mid-ocean ridges (Mid-Atlantic Ridge, Central Indian with Arabian-Indian, Gakkel Ridge), which arose as a result of the movement of lithospheric plates. The peaks of mid-ocean ridges that emerge on the surface form islands (Iceland, St. Helena, Easter Islands);

b) deep-sea trenches - narrow depressions with steep slopes (Table 6).

The bottom of the world's oceans is covered with marine sediments, which cover 75% of the ocean floor and their thickness reaches up to 200 m.

Table 6

Deep sea trenches of the world's oceans

Gutter name	Depth, m	Ocean
Mariana
Tonga (Oceania)
Philippine
Kermaden (Oceania)
Izu-Ogasawara
Kurilo-Kamchatsky
Puerto Rico		Atlantic
Japanese
South Sandwich		Atlantic
Chilean
Aleutian
Sunda		Indian
Central American

Processes influencing the formation of the earth's crust.

Processes that contribute to the formation of relief are divided into:

external (exogenous) expressed in the action of the gravitational force of the Moon and the Sun, the activity of flowing waters (fluvial processes), wind (aeolian processes), and the activity of the glacier (glacial processes). External processes may manifest themselves in the following:

mudflow - a flow of water, mud, stones merged into a viscous single mass;

landslides - displaced masses of loose rocks sliding under the influence of gravity;

landslides – collapse of large boulders and slopes of mountain systems;

avalanches - masses of snow falling from mountain slopes;

weathering is the process of destruction and chemical change of rocks.

External processes form small landforms (for example, ravines).

Relief forms such as shields, “ram’s foreheads” (low rocks in the Polar Urals), moraine hills, sandy plains - outwash, troughs, were formed during the movement of the glacier. About a million years ago, a noticeable cooling of the climate occurred on the globe. The last ice age of the Earth was named by the English naturalist C. Lyol in 1832 Pleistocene. This glaciation covered North America and Eurasia (Scandinavian Mountains, Polar Urals, Canadian Arctic Archipelago).

internal (endogenous) uplift individual sections of the earth's crust and form large landforms (mountains).

The main sources of these processes are internal heat in the bowels of the Earth, which causes the movement of magma, volcanic activity, and earthquakes.

Tests for self-control:

Exogenous processes include:

Weathering

Volcanism

Earthquake

Glacier activity

2. Determine the mountain range within which the peak with the greatest absolute height is located:

Pyrenees 2. Andes 3. Cordillera 4. Alps

3. In one era of folding, the following were formed:

Cordillera and Pyrenees 2. Atlas and Sikhote-Alin

3. Andes and Scandinavian mountains 4. Altai and the Great Dividing Range

4. Plains with absolute heights of more than 500 m are called:

plateaus 2) lowlands 3) hills 4) depressions.

5. The Philippine groove is an element:

geosynclinal zone

mid ocean ridge

central part of the ocean basin

young platform

6. Are the following statements correct (yes, no):

in the central parts of oceanic basins, sedimentation proceeds more slowly than near continents

Volcanic eruptions can occur both on land and at the bottom of the oceans

The Antarctic Peninsula formed in the Ordovician.

7. The longest mountains__________________________________________

8. The highest peak of Antarctica___________________________

9. The greatest heights and degree of dissection of the relief are characterized by:

Central Siberian Plateau

The East European Plain

West Siberian Plain

Amazonian lowland

10. Find a logical connection between the listed pairs and insert the missing one:

Central Russian Upland – Precambrian;

Ural - Paleozoic;

Verkhoyansk Range – Mesozoic;

Sredinny ridge of Kamchatka – Cenozoic;

Siberian Uvaly – _________________.

11. Moraine hills and ridges were formed as a result of geological activity...

flowing waters

12. On all continents, with the exception of Antarctica, there are landforms created by geological activity...

permafrost and flowing waters

flowing waters and wind

wind and glaciers

glaciers and permafrost

13. B South America east of the Andes predominate

high and mid-altitude mountains

lowlands and plateaus

lowlands and hills

low and medium altitude mountains

14. In terms of the general features of their relief, they are most similar...

Africa and South America

South America and North America

North America and Australia

Australia and Eurasia

If you look at the physical map of the world, you will notice that mountains and plains are the main types of earthly relief, and plains are larger in area than mountain ranges. Most of our planet's population lives on plains, which are characterized by fertile soils and a climate favorable for agriculture.

Interestingly, not all continents are equally level. Most of the plains are located in Africa (about 84%), in Asia, on the contrary, 57% of the continent’s territory is occupied by the largest mountain systems in the world: Tibet, Altai, the Himalayas, the Pamirs, etc.

What are plains and how did they appear?

Before learning the history of the appearance of the plains and classifying them according to existing types, let us define the term itself. In principle, the word itself already contains the answer to the question of what plains are. These are flat areas on the bottom of the oceans or on the surface of the Earth, often occupying huge areas. The largest plain on our planet is the Amazon Lowland in South America.

The plains differ from each other in geological structure, relief nature and height. Briefly, geologists explain their appearance on land this way: once in prehistoric times, mountains rose in the place where the plains are now, then over a long period these mountains were destroyed by earthquakes until they were almost completely leveled.

At first glance, it may seem that the plains are almost flat spaces. In fact, their relief is complex and diverse. Thus, in some areas of the Earth the plains are indeed almost flat, for example, in the semi-deserts north of the Caspian Sea; in other places their surface is crossed by ridges, hills and ridges - hills with gentle slopes. Such a hilly plain is, for example, the East European one.

Classification of plains by absolute height

It is not difficult to describe a plain, because, as we have already found out, this term means a vast expanse of land with a flat or hilly topography. All plains, depending on the height at which they are located relative to sea level, are divided into several types.

The first is the lowlands. They can be located either below sea level, like the Caspian, or their height does not exceed 200 meters above sea level, like, for example, the West Siberian. Where the earth's crust sags, there are coastal plains. One of these places is the Padana Lowland, on which the city of Venice is located.
Uplands are the next type of plains. Their height above sea level ranges from 200 to 500 meters. Uplands are a mixture of hilly and flat areas, such as the Central Plains of North America.
The highest plains on Earth are plateaus with flat or hilly terrain, located at altitudes from 500 m to 1 km and above. An example of a plateau is the Anatolian in Turkey or the Altiplano in South America.

the East European Plain

The second largest plain in the world is the East European Plain, which is also called Russian. It extends from the White Sea coast in the north to the Caspian coast in the south. The Russian plain belongs to the type of hills, since it average height above sea level reaches 170 m.

In most of its part the climate is temperate continental, only in the far north is it subarctic. Despite urbanization, almost half of the territory of the East European Plain is covered by forests, and in some of its areas the Askania Nova nature reserves have been created, Belovezhskaya Pushcha, Vodlozersky national park and etc.

West Siberian Plain

Between the Central Siberian Plateau and the Ural Mountains is the West Siberian Plain - the third in area after the Amazon and Russian. Its main feature is its very smooth terrain. The climate throughout its territory is continental with sharp temperature changes and unstable weather.

The Siberian Plain is rich in mineral resources. In addition to gas and oil, iron ore, peat, and brown coal are mined here. There are about a million lakes on the plain different sizes and several vegetation zones: tundra, forest-tundra, forest-steppe, forest swamps and steppe.

Severe swampiness large areas- another one distinguishing feature Siberian Plain. This is due to several reasons: permafrost, low temperatures, flat relief, excessive moisture.

In conclusion, we note that the relief of the plains is most convenient for economic activity and life, so their territories have been significantly modified by humanity.

Plains and mountains are the main forms earth's surface. They were formed as a result of geological processes that have shaped the face of the Earth throughout geological history. Plains are vast spaces with calm, flat or hilly terrain and relatively small fluctuations in relative heights (no more than 200 m).

Plains are divided by absolute height. Plains with an absolute height of no more than 200 m are called lowlands, or lowlands (West Siberian). Plains, the absolute height of which is from 200 to 500 m, are called elevated, or hills (East European, or Russian). Plains whose height is over 500 m above sea level are called high or plateaus (Central Siberian).

Due to their considerable height, plateaus and hills usually have a more dissected surface and rugged terrain compared to lowlands. Elevated plains with flat surfaces are called plateaus.

The largest lowlands: Amazonian, Mississippian, Indo-Gangetic, German-Polish. represents an alternation of lowlands (Dnieper, Black Sea, Caspian, etc.) and uplands (Valdai, Central Russian, Volyn-Podolsk, Volga, etc.). Plateaus are most widespread in Asia (Central Siberian, Arabian, Deccan, etc.), in (East African, South African, etc.), in (West Australian).

The plains are also divided by origin. On the continents, the majority (64%) of the plains were formed on platforms; They are composed of layers of sedimentary cover. Such plains are called stratal or platform plains. The Caspian lowland is the youngest plain, and is an ancient platform plain, its surface has been significantly modified by flowing waters and other external processes.

The plains that arose as a result of the removal of products of mountain destruction (denudation) from the destroyed base of the mountains (basement) are called denudation, or base, plains. Mountain destruction and transport usually occurs under the influence of water, ice and gravity. Gradually, the mountainous country smoothes out, levels out, turning into a hilly plain. Denudation plains are usually composed of hard rocks (small hills).

The main lowlands and plateaus of the world

Lowlands	Plateau

German-Polish London Pool Parisian pool Central Danube Lower Danube	Norland Manselka (ridge) Maladeta

Mesopotamian Great Chinese Plain Coromandel Coast Malabar coast Indo-Gangetic	Anatolian Changbai Shan

Mississippi Mexican Atlantic Mosquito Beach	Great Plains Central Plains Yukon (plateau)

Amazonian (Selvas) Orinoco (Llanos) La Plata	Patagonian

Central (Great Artesian Basin) Carpentaria

The Russian Federation occupies a vast territory. Due to its impressive area, the country's topography is very diverse. The rivers, plains and mountains of Russia constitute a unique natural system that reflects the entire identity of the Eurasian continent.

Plains of Russia

Plains are areas of land with a flat or hilly surface, in which fluctuations in elevation will be very small. main feature All plains have relatively flat terrain. But in fact, it is more diverse: in some places the plains are indeed flat, in others they are hilly.

On physical map plains represent green varying degrees of saturation. So, the brighter green color, the higher the flat area is located above sea level. Dark green color indicates lowlands.

Rice. 1. Plains on the physical map.

Plains dominate in Russia: they occupy about 70% of the country's territory. There are three largest plains in the Russian Federation:

East European or Russian Plain . Located west of Ural mountains and occupies more than 4 million square meters. km. Its surface does not have a perfectly flat topography, since it consists of lowlands, hills and hilly areas. Such plains are called hilly.
West Siberian Plain . It is located east of the Ural Mountains and occupies 2.5 million square meters. km. This is one of the lowest plains on the globe. Her distinctive feature- almost perfectly flat surface. Such plains are called flat. Only occasionally there are small hills, not exceeding 300 m in height.
Central Siberian Plateau . It is located east of the West Siberian Plain and occupies about 3 million square meters. km. A plateau is a flat area of land that lies high above sea level. The plateau has much in common with the mountainous terrain, but only the mountains have their peaks “cut off.”

Rice. 2. Central Siberian Plateau

Mountains of Russia

On the territory of Russia, mountains are located in the southern and eastern parts. The mountains were formed in ancient times: hundreds of thousands of years ago, when active displacements of the earth's crust occurred.

Mountains are young and old. Young mountains continue to “grow” upward. As a rule, they are very tall, with sharp peaks. They are often found active volcanoes. The ancient mountains are relatively low, flat, and have been experiencing the destructive effects of wind and melt water for many years.

In Russia there are both young and old mountains:

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Ural Mountains . Some of the most ancient, formed more than 300 million years ago. Stretching from north to south across the entire territory of the country, they separate the European part of Russia from the Asian part. The height of the Ural Mountains is very modest: their highest point is Mount Narodnaya (1895 m). They are very rich in minerals, among which they are of particular value gems and gems.
. These are the highest and youngest mountains. Formed about 25 million years ago. They are divided into two mountain systems: Lesser and Greater Caucasus. The highest point is Mount Elbrus (5642 m). Almost all the peaks of the Caucasus Mountains are covered with eternal snow, which attracts climbers and ski lovers.

Rice. 3. Caucasus Mountains.

Altai and Sayans . Young and high mountains, formed in the south of Siberia. The most high peak Altai Mountains - Belukha Peak (4506 m). They have a unique ecosystem and are included in the World Natural Heritage List.
Kamchatka Mountains . These are young mountains, among which there are more than 140 volcanoes, including 28 active ones. The highest and at the same time active volcano in Kamchatka is Klyuchevaya Sopka (4750 m).

One of the main landforms of our planet are plains. They occupy two to three surfaces of planet Earth and are found even at the bottom of the oceans. A review of the most extensive of them, stretching across four continents, will help determine which plain is the largest in the world.

Plain-giant of Eurasia

The East European Plain tops the ranking of the longest on the Eurasian continent. Extends on the East European Platform, covering an area starting from the coast Baltic Sea and reaching the foot of the Ural Mountains. The area received another name - “Russian” - due to the fact that most of it is located within Russia.

On four sides, the area is limited by five seas: from the south – the Azov and Black, and from the north – the White, Caspian and Barents. total area The territory reaches 4 million km².

Along its entire length, the predominantly flat, flat terrain prevails, in which the following successfully coexist and harmoniously alternate:

elevations - individual points reach a height of 300 meters above sea level;
lowlands act as a basin of “water arteries”.

These structural features and elevation changes are the result of faults. They are characterized by tectonic origin.

The territory is conditionally divided into three stripes:

Northern - includes the Valdai and Smolensk-Moscow uplands, as well as the northern Uvaly.
Central - represented by alternating Bugulma-Belebeevskaya, Volga and Central Russian uplands, separated by the Low Trans-Volga region and the Oka-Don lowland.
Southern - includes the Stavropol Upland and Ergeni, separated by the Caspian and Black Sea lowlands.

A key influence on the appearance of the northern part of the Russian Plain was the large-scale icing that occurred in the last glacial period. During this period, dozens of lakes appeared in the area, for example, Beloe, Pskovskoye, Chudskoye.

Concentrated within the flat area big cities Russia and the majority of the country's population lives. The plain is famous for being a storehouse of minerals. The most popular and large deposit– Kursk magnetic anomaly.

Long plateau in Africa

The East African Plateau is located in the southeast of the continent. It is the most mobile and tectonically active part of the continent. Due to this, the terrain is highly dissected: the deepest depressions of the great rift system are adjacent to mountain peaks. The total length of tectonic disturbances is 6000 km.

The main features of the relief terrain of this continent include:

greatest rift system;
the largest Lake Victoria;
volcanoes Meru and Kilimanjaro.

The most typical and widespread form of continental relief is calderas. They are basins of volcanic origin. The largest caldera in diameter, called Ngorongoro, is considered the giant of the planet. Volcanic activity on the continent remains intense until today. Moreover, many volcanoes are now active.

On the plateau are the sources and watersheds of the rivers. Indian Ocean the largest rivers of the continent: Congo, Nile and Zambezi. Large masses The waters of tributaries of rivers and lakes influence the climate and vegetation of the extended plateau. The vegetation cover is dominated by savannas, at the foot of the mountain ranges there are rainforests, at an altitude of 1200 meters and above - a park landscape.

The fauna is no less diverse. On the plateau you can find both herbivores and predators, including the “king of beasts”. Drier places abound poisonous snakes and lizards.

The Great Plains are a piedmont plateau with an area of 1.2 million km². Their territory includes 10 American states and 3 Canadian provinces.

The characteristic landscape of the area is separate areas divided into vast plateaus by table-shaped ledges, the height of which reaches 300 meters:

Missouri;
Llano Estacado;
Eduard.

The full-flowing Missouri and Mississippi rivers flow through the plain. Over the centuries of their existence, they managed to cut through the area with canyons, forming an extensive network of ravines. The landscape is characterized by numerous hilly areas alternating with deep ravines and depressions – badlands. Due to the abundance of precipitation and regular weathering, their relief is extremely unstable.

Tornadoes are the main scourge of the Great Plains. The American part of the plain even falls into the “tornado alley” zone, where tornadoes are most often recorded. In the Great Plains prairie region winter period The shi-nook wind prevails. This natural phenomenon is interesting because it is accompanied by a sudden jump in air temperature, which is accompanied by melting snow. For this reason, the Indians living on the prairies deified the Shi-Nook.

One of the most numerous inhabitants of the Great Plains are the folded-lipped bats. Their number in some caves is in the millions.

Permanent leader of South America

The Amazon Lowland is rightfully considered the largest plain on the globe. Its length is 5 million km². It was formed as a result of the flood of the full-flowing Amazon River under the influence of the accumulation of loose rocks.

The lowland lies in the Amazon River basin, which extends to the territory of Venezuela, Ecuador, Brazil, Guinea and Colombia. The Amazon River, which originates in the Andes and carries its waters to the Atlantic Ocean, is the silver leader in terms of length and depth in the world. Its waters make up about 20% of the total water flowing from all rivers into the oceans.

Lowland occupies almost 40% of the continent. It is covered with tropical rainforests called the Amazon. It is conventionally divided into two parts: western and eastern.

It is a flat, wide plain with a length of 1600 km. The largest tributary of the Maider, located on its lands, is under the influence of the tidal waves of the water giant - Atlantic Ocean during periods of flood, it almost completely floods the surface, forming one large expanse of water.

For this reason, the vegetation of the western Amazon is sparse and consists mainly of palms and cocoa trees. Of the animals, the most common are those that are adapted to life in trees: sloths, monkeys, and small anteaters.

The territory located east of the mouths of Tapajos and Rio Negro is divided into a series of hills reaching a height of 350 m. The rivers here are cut deeper and do not flood the valleys during periods of high water. In this part of the Amazon, an arid subequatorial climate prevails in the summer. The vegetation is rich and includes both evergreen and deciduous trees. Animal world represented by species found on open spaces: armadillos, mazama deer, rodents.

Despite its length, dense forests make the Amazon lowland a sparsely populated part of the continent. Only a few small settlements can be found on the plain. The indigenous people live in cities along the main river of the continent.

Large areas of Amazon forest have now been cleared local residents and are used for cattle breeding and soybean cultivation. Massive deforestation is gradually leading to the fact that huge concentrations of the Amazon rainforest are turning into arid savannah, upsetting the fragile ecological balance of not only the continent, but the entire planet.