The country is flat. The largest plains of Russia

Plains are one of the main landforms of our planet. They occupy two or three surfaces of the planet Earth and are found even at the bottom of the oceans. To determine which plain is the largest in the world, an overview of the longest of them, stretching across four continents, will help.

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 the area, starting from the coast Baltic Sea and reaching the bottom Ural mountains. Another name - "Russian" - the area received due to the fact that most of it is located within Russia.

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

Throughout its length, a mostly flat-flat relief prevails, in which they 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".

Such structural features and elevation differences arose as a result of faults. They are characterized by tectonic origin.

The territory is conditionally divided into three lanes:

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

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

Within the flat area are concentrated big cities Russia and is home to most of the country's population. The plain is famous for being a storehouse of minerals. The most demanded and largest field is the Kursk magnetic anomaly.

Long plateau in Africa

The East African Plateau is located in the southeast of the mainland. 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:

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

The most typical and widespread landform of the mainland are calderas. They are basins of volcanic origin. The largest caldera in diameter, referred to as Ngorongoro, is considered the giant of the planet. The volcanic activity of the continent remains intense to this day. And many volcanoes are now activated.

On the plateau there are sources and watersheds flowing into Indian Ocean the largest rivers of the continent: Congo, Nile and Zambezi. Large masses of water from the tributaries of rivers and lakes affect the climate and vegetation of the long plateau. The vegetation cover is dominated by savannahs, at the foot of the mountain ranges there are tropical forests, at an altitude of 1200 meters and above - a park landscape.

The animal world is no less diverse. On the plateau you can meet both herbivores and predators, including the "king of beasts". Drier places abound with poisonous snakes and lizards.

The Great Plains are a foothill plateau with an area of ​​1.2 million km². On their territory there are 10 American states and 3 Canadian provinces.

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

• Missouri;
• Llano Estacado;
• Edward.

The deep-flowing Missouri and Mississippi rivers flow through the plains. Over the centuries of their existence, they managed to cut through the area with canyons, forming an extensive network of ravines. A feature of the landscape are 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. American part The plains even fall into the “tornado alley” zone, where tornadoes are most often recorded. In the prairie region of the Great Plains, the shi-nuk wind prevails in winter. This natural phenomenon is interesting in that it is accompanied by a sudden jump in air temperature, which is accompanied by snow melting. For this reason, the Indians living on the prairies deified the shi-nuk.

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

Permanent leader of South America

The Amazonian 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 Basin, which extends into the territory of Venezuela, Ecuador, Brazil, Guinea and Colombia. The Amazon River, originating in the Andes and carrying its waters to the Atlantic Ocean, is the silver leader in length and fullness in the world. Its waters make up about 20% of total number water flowing from all rivers into the oceans.

It occupies lowland almost 40% of the continent. It is covered with tropical rainforests, referred to as the Amazon. It is conditionally divided into two parts: western and eastern.

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

For this reason, the vegetation of the western Amazon is sparse and is represented mainly by palm trees and cocoa trees. Of the animals, the most common are those adapted to life on trees: sloths, monkeys, small anteaters.

The territory, located to the 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 deeper incised and do not flood the valleys during periods of high water. In this part of the Amazon summer period arid subequatorial climate prevails. The vegetation is rich and is represented by both evergreen and deciduous trees. Animal world It is represented by species found in open spaces: armadillos, mazamy deer, rodents.

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

Large areas of Amazonian forests cleared today local residents and are used for cattle breeding and cultivation of soybeans. Massive logging is gradually turning huge concentrations of the Amazonian rainforest into arid savannah, upsetting the fragile ecological balance not only of the continent, but of the entire planet.

Which is determined by the predominance plains. belongs to the most large forms relief - geotectures.

Geological dictionary: in 2 volumes. - M.: Nedra. Edited by K. N. Paffengolts et al.. 1978 .

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Plain - a piece of land, the slope of which does not exceed 50 o, and the heights do not differ by more than 200 meters. This is the most common type of relief on the planet, occupying about 64% of the territory. In the territory Russian Federation There are about 30 plains, the most famous of which is East European. In terms of area, it is second only to the Amazonian lowland and is the second in the world.

For Russia, the plains are of great importance, because almost 75% of the country is located on this type of terrain. Historically, it was on the flat areas that Slavic civilization developed: ancient cities and roads were built, political upheavals and wars took place. The fertile soils of the plains not only provided people with food, but also brought unique features to culture and fishing.

East European Plain (4 million km2)

One of the largest plains on the planet, covering most of Eastern Europe, received a second name - Russian. The distance between the northern and southern borders exceeds 2500 km. And from west to east it stretches for 2700 km. Borders:

• In the northwest - the Scandinavian mountains;
• In the southwest - the mountains of Central Europe (Sudet);
• In the southeast - Caucasian mountains;
• In the west - the Vistula River;
• In the north - the White and Barents Seas;
• In the east - the Ural Mountains and Mugodzhary.

The height of the plain above sea level is not uniform. Frequent highlands are located at elevations of 200-300 m, and large rivers flow through the lowlands, such as the Volga, Dnieper, Danube, Don, Western Dvina and Vistula. The origin of the vast majority of uplands and lowlands is tectonic.

Two plates lie at the base of the plain: Russian with a Precambrian crystalline basement and Scythian with a Paleozoic folded basement. The relief does not express the inter-tile boundary.

Glaciation had a significant impact on the process of relief formation, especially changing the surface of the northern areas. The passage of the glacier gave rise to the formation of many lakes for which the area is famous. This is how the White, Chudskoye and Pskov lakes were formed. In the southern part, the activity of glaciation is weakly manifested due to erosion processes.

Central Siberian Plateau (about 3.5 million km2)

In the eastern part of Russia there is another largest flat area - the Central Siberian Plateau. It covers the territories of the Irkutsk region, the Krasnoyarsk Territory and Yakutia.

• In the south - the Eastern Sayan mountain system, as well as the mountainous regions of the Baikal and Transbaikalia;
• In the west - the valley of the Yenisei River;
• In the north - the North Siberian lowland;
• To the east is the valley of the Lena River.

The plateau is located on the Siberian platform. Feature- alternating plateaus and ridges. The highest peak is Mount Kamen (altitude 1701 m above zero), which belongs to the middle mountains of Putorana. The western edge of the plateau is covered by dissected uplands of the Yenisei Ridge (the highest point is Mount Enashimsky Polkan 1104 m high). The territory of the Central Siberian Plateau is distinguished by the largest permafrost rocks in the world, the height of which reaches 1500 km.

West Siberian Plain (2.6 million km²)

The plain is located in the northern part of Asia and covers the entire territory of western Siberia. It has a characteristic trapezoidal shape, which narrows towards the north. The length from south to north is about 2500 km, and from west to east it varies from 800 to 1950 km. Borders:

• In the west - the Ural Mountains;
• In the east - the Central Siberian Plateau;
• In the north - the Kara Sea;
• In the south - the Kazakh uplands;
• In the southeast - the West Siberian Plain and the foothills of Altai.

The surface of the plain is relatively uniform with little elevation change. Lowland areas are concentrated in the central and northern parts, and low elevations are located along the eastern, southern and western outskirts (the height does not exceed 250 m).

Baraba lowland (117 thousand km2)

The Baraba stele is located in the southern part Western Siberia, in the interfluve of the Irtysh and Ob. It is an undulating plain, in the southern part of which manes (parallel elevations) are common. On the territory of the lowland are the Novosibirsk and Omsk regions. It is composed of thick deposits of Mesozoic and Cenozoic age.

In lower areas (height 80-100 m), fresh (Ubinskoye) and salty (Chany, Tandovo and Sartlan) lakes, swamps filled with peat moss and solonchak fields were formed. In the course of exploration activities in the north of the plain, deposits of oil and natural gas were discovered.

Kulunda Plain (100 thousand km²)

The Kuludin Plain is the southern part of the West Siberian Plain and covers the regions of Altai and the Pavlodar region. Its appearance is associated with the accumulative activity of large rivers - the Irtysh and the Ob. The southeast of the plain adjoins the Altai foothills. The highest point does not exceed 250 m, low-lying areas mainly occupy the central part (100-120 m above sea level).

The relief is distinguished by the alternation of elevated ridges (50-60m) and lowered areas separating them. The valleys of the rivers Burla, Kuchuk and Kulunda pass through the lowlands. For the industry of Western Siberia, the plain is of great importance due to the closed lakes, from which table and Glauber salt (Kuchukskoye and Kulunda lakes), as well as soda (Petukhovskie lakes) are extracted.

Azov-Kuban (Kuban-Azov lowland) plain (about 50 thousand km2)

The lowland is located in the Western part of Ciscaucasia and covers the territory Krasnodar Territory, Stavropol Territory and Rostov region. The height of the plain above sea level does not exceed 300 m.

• In the south - the Kuban River;
• In the west - the Sea of ​​Azov;
• In the east - the Kuma-Manych depression;
• In the north - the Yegorlyk River.

The main part of the plain is located within the Scythian plate. Rocks of Meso-Cenozoic age, mainly of sedimentary origin. The lowland area adjacent to the Black Sea is divided by a large number of branches of the Kuban River. In swampy areas of the plain, there are floodplains (flooded floodplains of rivers) and estuaries (bays that occur when a river flows into the sea).

Ministry of Education of the Russian Federation

State educational institution higher

vocational education

"Ural State Pedagogical University"

Faculty of Geography and Biology

Control work on geomorphology on the topic: "Features of relief formation within mountainous and lowland countries"

Performed:

Student 204 group

Unopened Yana

Yekaterinburg 2011

1. Introduction 3

2. Relief formation within mountainous countries 4

2.1 Classification of mountains according to structural features 6

3. Relief formation within the plain countries 8

3.1. Genetic types of plains 11

4. Conclusion 14

5. References 15

Appendix 16

1. Introduction.

The main landforms of the Earth are mountains and plains. Mountains occupy about 40% of the earth's land, and plains - more than 60%.

Mountains are vast, highly elevated above the surrounding area, strongly and deeply dissected areas of the earth's crust with a folded or folded-block structure. The mountainous countries consist of individual mountain ranges and intermountain valleys and basins separating them.

Plains are vast areas of the earth's surface with small (up to 200 m) elevation fluctuations and slight slopes. In tectonic relationship, they correspond to more or less stable platforms that did not show significant activity in modern times. 42% of the plains are located on ancient platforms.

The topic of relief formation is quite closely considered in universities, in geographical and geological specialties. In grade 6, this topic is considered in the lessons "Mountains" and "Plains". And also throughout the entire school course of geography in the lessons related to the topic "Relief".

The purpose of my work is to identify the features of relief formation within mountainous and lowland countries.

My job is to analyze literary sources, describe the process of formation of mountains, describe the process of formation of plains, identify the genetic types of plains and describe the process of their formation.

2. Relief formation within mountainous countries.

A mountainous country is a vast area of ​​the earth's surface with sharp fluctuations in elevation, significantly raised above the surrounding plains. Usually a mountainous country is formed as a result of a single stage of tectonic development and consists of several mountain systems that differ in structure and appearance. Sometimes mountainous countries stretch for several thousand kilometers and have a complex configuration.

Most high mountains on Earth, these are folded or regenerated mountains. Many mountains were formed as medium-high or even low. The height of the rising mountains depends on the intensity of mountain building processes. Gradually being destroyed under the influence of exogenous processes, the mountains go down, and the higher they are, the more intense the destruction. If no new uplifts occur, high mountains turn into medium-altitude ones, and medium-altitude ones into low ones, and then a denudation plain appears in place of the mountains.

Mountains are divided into 3 groups according to their height:

-low(800 m above ocean level): Northern Urals, spurs of the Tien Shan, individual ranges of Transcaucasia;

- medium-altitude(up to 2000 m above sea level). They are characterized by smoothed, soft outlines of peaks, gentle slopes (mountains of the Middle Urals). They are covered with forests and do not rise above the snow line. Very rarely, these mountains have pointed peaks, a narrow jagged ridge (the Polar Urals, the Khibiny, the mountains of the island of Novaya Zemlya);

-high(more than 2000 m above sea level). Such mountains have steep slopes, their ridges are narrow, jagged. These are the mountains of Pamir, Tien Shan, Caucasus, Himalayas, Cordillera, Andes.

Mountains originate in orogenic-geosynclinal highly mobile zones of the earth's crust, otherwise in geosynclinal (folded) belts that stretch inside the continents and along their margins. In the first case, they are located between the ancient continental platforms, in the second case, between the platforms and the ocean floor. At the early stages of the development of these zones (geosynclinal stage), there is a subsidence and accumulation of thick strata of sedimentary, sedimentary-volcanogenic and igneous rocks.

Folded deformations also develop. Next comes a turning point in the development of the geosyncline, which is expressed in the transition to a general uplift of the zone, which enters the orogenic stage, i.e. mountain building stage. This stage coincides with the most intensive processes of folding and thrust formation, metamorphization of rocks, and ore formation. Geosynclinal troughs turn into folded (fold-block, fold-cover) mountain structures. Intermountain troughs are formed, and on the border with the platform - edge troughs. The troughs are filled with destruction products of growing mountains.

The process of mountain formation as a result of the development of geosynclines and the formation of folded structures occurred in different geological periods. The most ancient orogenic processes took place as early as the Archean time, covering vast expanses of modern continents. On the mainland of Eurasia, the regions of Archean folding occupy the spaces between the Yenisei and the Lena and most of the northern part of Europe.

But the current mountains, formed according to the scheme that is given, include only relatively young, Cenozoic, mountain uplifts. The older ones were leveled long ago by denudation processes and then raised again in the form of vaults and blocks by the latest tectonic movements. Arch and block, and most often arch-block uplifts led to the formation of revived mountains. They are as widespread as the mountains formed by the young, Cenozoic, folding.

2.1 Classification of mountains according to the features of the structure.

Fold mountains. These are primary uplifts during the bending of the earth's layers by tectonic movements, mainly in geosynclinal areas, in the ocean depths. In general, on land, folded mountains are a rare phenomenon, since when rising above sea level, rock folds lose their plasticity and begin to break, give cracks with displacements and disruption of the ideal folding of the successive and continuous alternation of synclines and anticlines. Typical folded mountains have survived only in separate areas in the Himalayas, Copenhagen, Dagestan, that is, in the mountains that arose in Alpine folding.

arched mountains. In many areas, land areas that have experienced tectonic uplift, under the influence of erosion processes, have acquired a mountainous appearance. Where the uplift took place on a relatively small area and had an arched character, arched mountains formed, a prime example which are the Black Hills in South Dakota, having a diameter of approx. 160 km. This area experienced arch uplift, and much of the sediment cover was removed by subsequent erosion and denudation. As a result, the central core, composed of igneous and metamorphic rocks, was exposed. It is framed by ridges composed of more resistant sedimentary rocks, while the valleys between the ridges have been worked out in less resistant rocks.

Remaining mountains (plateau). Due to the action of erosion-denudation processes, mountain landscapes are formed on the site of any elevated territory. With the destruction of high plateaus, such as Colorado (in the southwestern United States), a highly dissected mountainous terrain is formed. The Colorado Plateau, hundreds of kilometers wide, was uplifted to a height of approx. 3000 m. Colorado, mountains a few hundred meters high arose. These are erosional remnants that have not yet been denuded. As further development erosion processes, the plateau will acquire an increasingly pronounced mountainous appearance.

Blocky mountains (folded-blocky). These are uplifts of the earth's crust as a result of tectonic faults during repeated uplifts (movements) of ancient, destroyed mountain systems (reborn mountains). Blocky mountains often consist of layers of rocks crumpled into folds, have flat surfaces of peaks and steep rocky slopes of valleys.

volcanic mountains. There are different types. Volcanic cones, common in almost all regions of the globe, are formed by accumulations of lava and rock fragments erupted through long cylindrical vents by forces acting deep in the bowels of the Earth. Illustrative examples of volcanic cones are Mount Mayon in the Philippines, Mount Fuji in Japan. Ash cones have a similar structure, but are not as high and are composed mainly of volcanic slag - a porous volcanic rock that looks like ash. Such cones are found near Lassen Peak in California and northeastern New Mexico. Shield volcanoes are formed by repeated outpourings of lava. They are usually not as tall and not as symmetrical as volcanic cones. There are many shield volcanoes in the Hawaiian and Aleutian Islands. In some areas, the centers of volcanic eruptions were so close together that the igneous rocks formed entire ridges that connected the originally isolated volcanoes. This type includes the Absaroka Range in the eastern part of Yellowstone Park in Wyoming. Chains of volcanoes meet in long narrow zones.

3. Relief formation within the plain countries.

A flat country is a vast territory on the earth's surface, the geomorphological appearance of which is determined by the predominance of plains. It belongs to the largest landforms - geotectures.

The relief of the plains is not very diverse. This is explained by the homogeneity of the geological structure of the platform sections of the continental crust and their low mobility. The significant uplift of some platform plains (for example, in Eastern Siberia and North America), which determines the great depth of their erosional dissection, is the result of neotectonic movements. The surface of the plains, in general, can be horizontal, inclined, convex, concave. The general character of its relief is varied: flat, hilly, wavy, stepped, etc.

The following plains are distinguished by absolute height:

- lowlands- their absolute height is from 0 to 200 m (Amazonian);

- hills- from 200 to 500 m above the ocean level (Central Russian);

- plateaus- over 500 m above the ocean level (Middle Siberian Plateau);

- depression- plains lying below the ocean level (Caspian).

The main geomorphological processes on the plains include fluvial, glacial, and eolian processes.

Surface flowing water is one of critical factors transformation of the earth's relief. The totality of geomorphological processes carried out by flowing waters is called fluvial. Watercourses perform destructive work - erosion, material transfer and accumulation and create worked out (erosive) and accumulative landforms. Both are closely related to each other, since what was carried away by water in one place is deposited somewhere else. Erosion work is a complex process and it consists of a number of private processes:

From the entrainment of clastic rock material entering the channel from the weathered steep slopes of the valley;

From grinding or scraping (corrosion) of the bottom of the channel by solid material drawn along it (sand, pebbles, boulders);

From the dissolution of some rocks (limestones, dolomites, gypsum) with water, exposed in the channel.

A common feature of the erosive work of watercourses is its selective, selective nature. During the development of the channel, the water, as it were, reveals the most pliable areas for cutting, adapting to the outcrops of more easily eroded rocks. Where the kinetic energy (“living force”) of flowing water drops sharply due to a decrease in the slope or flow of water, an excess of the transferred solid material is deposited in the channel of the watercourse or on a flat horizontal surface onto which the river exits the mountains: sedimentation or accumulation occurs. In addition to river valleys, under the influence of erosion, ravines and gullies are formed (erosion forms created by intermittent watercourses and often forming complex-branched systems).

As examples of plains, on which one of the main geomorphological processes are fluvial, one can cite such as the Russian Plain, the Mississippi Lowland.

Glacial relief-forming processes are due to the activity of ice. A prerequisite for the development of such processes is glaciation, i.e. long-term existence of masses of ice within a given area of ​​the earth's surface. During geological history On the Earth, conditions arose more than once under which the largest covers of continental ice were formed, extending over many millions of square kilometers.

The glacier performs denudation, transport and accumulation works. The destruction of rocks is called exaration. The plains are dominated by glacial accumulation. The material carried by the glacier accumulates where the flow of ice through melting and evaporation predominates. This material is accumulated at the edge of the glacier in the form of a ridge, repeating in terms of the outline of the edge. The ridge is usually curved in the form of a horseshoe and is called the terminal moraine. With intensive melting and retreat of the glacier, several terminal moraines are formed. As a result of the melting of the glacier, the bottom moraine is exposed from under the ice; There is a thick cover of detrital deposits, called the main moraine.

The glacial relief is characteristic of the North German and Polish plains, the Russian plain.

Eolian processes are associated with the effect of wind on the relief. The wind captures, separates from the surface and carries unbound soil particles. This process is called deflation. A somewhat smaller denudation role is played by the knocking out of weakly bonded particles and the destruction of rocks due to dynamic shocks of the air flow together with solid particles moving in this flow - eolian corrosion.

3.1. Genetic types of plains.

Primary plains, or marine accumulation plains- the most extensive in area. They are formed as a result of marine accumulation during temporary flooding of platform areas by transgressions of shallow epicontinental seas with their subsequent transformation into land during oscillatory positive motion. They represent the seabed exposed from under the water, covered with sedimentary marine deposits, usually already covered with a layer of eluvium or some other continental formations (glacial, fluvial, eolian), often defining the secondary micro- and mesorelief of these plains. Examples of marine accumulation plains are the plains of the European part of the former USSR, the West Siberian plain, and the Caspian lowland.

Alluvial plains are formed as a result of the accumulative activity of rivers and are composed of layered river sediments from the surface. The thickness of the latter in some cases can reach a very significant thickness - several tens and even hundreds of meters (lower reaches of the Ganga river, the Po river valley, the Hungarian lowland), in others - it forms only a thin floor over eroded bedrock. The first takes place in river deltas and in areas of tectonic subsidence that captures parts of river basins, the second - in normal floodplains of mature river valleys. The alluvial plains include the Kura-Araks, Upper Rhine and other plains.

fluvioglacial plains. The transfer, sorting and redeposition of solid clastic material over large areas can also be produced by meltwater from glaciers flowing from under their ends or edges. These waters usually do not have the nature of regular permanent streams near their exit, often changing their water content and direction of flow from the place of exit from under the ice. They are overloaded with rewashed clastic material of moraines, sorting by size, transporting and depositing it, widely distributing it during their wandering in front of the glacier front. Examples include the Munich and other plains at the northern foot of the Alps, the Kuban, Kabardin, Chechen plains at the northern foot of the Greater Caucasus.

lake plains represent the flat bottoms of former lakes, dried up either as a result of the descent by the rivers flowing from them, or as a result of the disappearance of the dam, or due to the filling of their baths with sediment. Along their margins, such lacustrine plains are often contoured by ancient coastlines, expressed in the form of low abrasion ledges, coastal ridges, coastal dune ridges, or lake terraces, indicating the former level of the lake. In most cases, plains of lacustrine origin are of insignificant size and are much inferior in size to the first three types. An example of one of the most extensive lacustrine plains is the plain of the Quaternary glacial Lake Agassiz in North America. The plains of Turaigyr-kobo, Jalanash and Kegen in Kazakhstan also belong to the lake plains.

Residual or marginal plains. These names mean spaces that originally had a large absolute height and a pronounced relief, perhaps once even a mountainous country, which acquired a flat character only as a result of prolonged exposure to exogenous factors of destruction and demolition - pppa.ru. These plains are therefore in the final stage of downward development. mountain country, assuming a prolonged state of relative tectonic quiescence, which, apparently, rarely occurs. As an example of a marginal plain, already somewhat modified by subsequent processes, one can cite a sloping plain stretching along the eastern foot of the Appalachian Mountains of North America, gently dipping to the east.

Volcanic upland plateaus. They arise when huge masses of predominantly basic lava pour onto the surface through cracks in the earth's crust. Spreading due to its great mobility over vast areas, the lava fills and buries all the irregularities of the primary relief and forms huge lava plateaus. Examples are the Columbian basalt plateau of North America, the trap plateau of the northwestern Deccan, and some parts of the Transcaucasian Highlands.

4. Conclusion

As a result of writing the work, I got acquainted with the processes that formed the main forms that make up the Earth's relief - mountains and plains. Familiarize yourself with the literature on this topic.

This work can be used in educational activities (not only school, but also university).

In general, the study of the origin of the plains and the modern forms of their surface is of great economic importance, since the plains are densely populated and developed by man. They have many settlements, a dense network of communications, large forests and agricultural land. It is with the plains that one has to deal with when developing new territories, designing the construction of settlements, communication lines, and industrial enterprises.

5. References

1. Leontiev, O.K. General geomorphology / O.K. Leontiev, G.I. Levers. - M .: Higher. school, 1988. - 319 p.

2. Lyubushkina, S.G. General geography: textbook. allowance for students. higher textbook establishments on special "Geography" / S.G. Lyubushkina, K.V. Pashkang; ed. A.V. Chernov. – M.: Enlightenment, 2004. – 288 p.

3. Milkov F.N. General geography: textbook. for stud. geographer. specialist. universities / F.N. Milkov. - M .: Higher. school, 1990. - 335 p.

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APPLICATION

Annex 1.

Appendix 2. Collision of platforms and bowing of the earth's crust on I stage of the era of folding

Appendix 3. The emergence of mountains. II folding stage.

What are the plains?

The large plains of the world are the object of study by specialists. The plains truly amaze with their beauty and grandeur. This is confirmed by everyone who has seen this kind of terrain not only on the map.

Few people know where the most large plains world, and which of the plains are the most extensive. Plain - a type of terrain, which is characterized by a small fluctuation in height. All plains are divided into lowlands, plateaus and uplands. The lowlands are located at a distance of up to 200 meters above the main sea level. The hills are located at a distance of more than 500 meters above the main sea level. Everything between these levels is a plateau.

Amazonian lowland and Gobi plain

Geography teachers know that the largest and most majestic plain in the world is the Amazonian lowland. Its area is more than 5 million square kilometers. The plain rises 10-100 meters above the main sea level. The Amazonian lowland is located in South America and stretches from the Atlantic Ocean to the deepest river in the world - the Amazon. Almost the entire area of ​​the plain is occupied by moist equatorial forests. The second longest is the Gobi plain, which bears the name of the desert of the same name.

The Gobi Plain is located in Central Asia. It is a plateau and is sandwiched on all sides by mountain ranges. On the territory of the Gobi there are both rocky surfaces and surfaces on which plants grow, which can only be found in this corner of the globe. The local climate is quite severe, as the plain is located at an altitude of about 1000 meters above the main sea level. Very large plains in their length are located on the territory of the Sahara desert. The Sahara is the largest desert on earth. Its area is about 8 million square kilometers, which is quite comparable with such a continent as Australia. The entire territory of the Sahara is made up of plains that cross dry riverbeds.

East African plateau

The largest plain on the African continent is the East African Plateau. Its length is more than 17,000 kilometers in length. The West Siberian Lowland is also large. It is a former basin of the Arctic Ocean. On the territory of the plain there are a lot of lakes, swamps. This is due primarily to its origin, as well as the fact that it is located at a distance of 10-12 meters above the main sea level. It is noteworthy that all the most famous oil and gas fields in Russia are located here. The East European Plain is also called "Russian". It is located near the Ural Mountains. It also has rich mineral deposits.

The largest deposit is the Kursk magnetic anomaly. On each continent you can find your own plains, which for this continent will be the largest. All of them deserve some attention from scientists. Some of them attract thousands of tourists with their beauty who want to see at least a small part of the majestic plain with their own eyes. That is why it is very popular to build tourist routes through some plateaus.

The largest plains of the world cause delight and admiration. Those who like to travel can be advised to choose a tourist route that passes through one of these plains.