Question

What is the difference between a mountain and a plateau?

Answer 1

Hint:
- These are major topographical features present on the surface of the earth formed by the endogenetic and exogenetic movements.
- Mount Everest, Aconcagua, Mount Fuji are the examples of mountains and the Colorado Plateau and Tibetan Plateau are the examples of plateaus.

Complete answer:

Mountains	Plateaus
Rise to a significantly higher elevation from the ground surface	Rise to a moderate elevation from the ground surface
Some of them have gentle slopes from all sides while the others either have steep slopes on one side or both sides	Plateaus generally have steep slopes which are also referred to as escarpments
With the increase of altitude, the temperature falls down and because of high elevation many of the mountain tops are covered with snow	Though temperature decreases with altitude the variation is not to a large extent. This is because plateaus have a moderate elevation
They have a narrow top and a flat base	There isn't much difference in the width of the top and the base and thus they are also called tableland relief feature
The major type of mountains are volcanic mountains, dome mountains, block mountains and fold mountains	The major type of plateaus are volcanic plateaus, continental plateaus, dissected plateaus and intermontane plateaus

Note:
- Aravallis which are located in India, formed in the Archaean Era, are the oldest fold mountains of the world. These are now badly worn down by the erosion done by geomorphic agents.
- Pamir knot, which is a convergence point of the Central Asian mountains and Himalayas, got its name from Pamir mountains. It is popularly known as the ‘Roof of the World’.
- Because of the continuous movement of Indian plate in the north direction at the rate of 5 centimetres per year and further its collision with the Eurasian plate, the height of the Himalaya mountains is still increasing.