It is characterized by a predominantly flat landscape, prevailing over the mountainous one not only on land, but also under water.
What are plains?
Plains are relatively flat, vast areas in which the heights of neighboring areas fluctuate within 200 m; they have a slight slope (no more than 5 m). The most illustrative example of a classical plain is the West Siberian Lowland: it has an exclusively flat surface, the height difference on which is almost imperceptible.
Relief features
As we have already understood from the above definition, plains are areas with flat and almost flat terrain, without noticeable ascents and descents, or hilly, with a smooth alternation of increases and decreases in the surface.
Flat plains are generally insignificant in size. They are located near seas and large rivers. Hilly plains with uneven terrain are more common. For example, the relief of the East European (Russian) Plain is characterized by the presence of both hills more than 300 meters high and depressions whose height is below sea level (Caspian Lowland). Other famous plains of the world are the Amazon and Mississippi. They have a similar topography.
Features of the plains
A distinctive feature of all plains is a clearly defined, clearly visible horizon line, which can be straight or wavy, which is determined by the topography of a particular area.
Since ancient times, people have preferred to create settlements on the plains. Since these places are rich in forests and fertile soil. Therefore, today the areas of the plains are still the most densely populated. Most of the minerals are mined on the plains.
Considering that the plains are areas with a huge area and great extent, they are characterized by a variety of natural zones. Thus, on the East European Plain there are territories with mixed and broad-leaved forests, tundra and taiga, steppe and semi-desert. The plains of Australia are represented by savannas, and the Amazonian lowlands are represented by selvas.
Climatic features
Plain climate is a fairly broad concept, as it is determined by many factors. These are geographical location, climate zone, area of the region, length, relative proximity to the ocean. In general, the flat terrain is characterized by a clear change of seasons, due to the movement of cyclones. Often on their territory there is an abundance of rivers and lakes, which also affect climatic conditions. Some plains have their huge area consisting of continuous desert (Western Plateau of Australia).
Plains and mountains: what is their difference
Unlike plains, mountains are areas of land that rise sharply above the surrounding surface. They are characterized by significant fluctuations in elevation and large terrain slopes. But small areas of flat terrain are also found in the mountains, between mountain ranges. They are called intermountain basins.
Plains and mountains are landforms whose differences are based on their origin. Most mountains were formed under the influence of tectonic processes, the movement of layers occurring deep in the earth's crust. In turn, the plains lie predominantly on platforms - stable areas of the earth's crust; they were influenced by the external forces of the Earth.
Among the differences between mountains and plains, in addition to appearance and origin, we can highlight:
- maximum height (near the plains it reaches 500 m, near the mountains - over 8 km);
- area (the area of mountains on the entire surface of the Earth is significantly inferior to the area of plains);
- the likelihood of earthquakes (on the plains it is almost zero);
- degree of mastery;
- ways of human use.
Largest plains
Located in South America, it is the largest in the world, its area is about 5.2 million square meters. km. It has a low population density. It is characterized by a hot and humid climate, dense tropical forests covering vast areas and teeming with animals, birds, insects and amphibians. Many species of the animal world of the Amazonian lowlands are not found anywhere else.
The East European (Russian) Plain is located in the eastern part of Europe, its area is 3.9 million square meters. km. Most of the plain's territories are located in Russia. It has a gently flat terrain. The bulk of large cities are located here, and a significant share of the country’s natural resources is concentrated here.
Located in Eastern Siberia. Its area is about 3.5 million square meters. km. The peculiarity of the plateau is the alternation of mountain ridges and wide plateaus, as well as frequent permafrost, the depth of which reaches 1.5 km. The climate is sharply continental; the vegetation is dominated by deciduous forests. The plain is rich in mineral resources and has an extensive river basin.
Let's remember
1. What can a map tell about the surface of our country?
The territory of Russia is vast and diverse. On the surface of our country there are not only plains, but also mountains. They are located in the south and east of Russia. There are many different bodies of water in Russia - rivers, lakes. Russia is washed by the seas of the Pacific, Atlantic and Arctic oceans.
You can find out the extreme points of Russia:
From the south – Bazaduzu town
From the north – Franz Josef Land
From the west – Baltic Spit
From the east – about. Ratmanova
Russia has land borders with Kazakhstan, China, Mongolia, Ukraine, Finland, Belarus, Georgia, Estonia, Azerbaijan, Lithuania, Poland, Latvia, Norway, North Korea; maritime borders with Japan and the USA.
2. How are plains and mountains indicated on the map?
Answer: On the map, land is depicted in different colors - it depends on the height of the land above sea level. The mountains are indicated in brown, the darker the higher, the individual peaks are indicated by a black dot. Most of the plains have low altitude and are depicted in green. Like mountains, plains can also be high and are then designated yellow or even brown.
3. Which surface in our region is flat or mountainous?
Answer: The Ural Mountains are located in our region. The ancient mountains include the Ural Mountains (formed more than 300 million years ago). They stretch from north to south across the entire territory of Russia.
The Ural Mountains separate the European part of our country from the Asian part, for which they are also called the “Stone Belt of the Russian Land”. The height of these mountains is low: less than 2000 meters. The highest peak of the Urals is Mount Narodnaya, its height is 1895 meters. The Ural Mountains are a storehouse of minerals that have been mined here for a long time. These mountains are especially famous for their deposits of precious and semi-precious stones: malachite, jasper, emeralds, amethysts and other gems, widely used for making jewelry and souvenirs.
Also, a small section of the West Siberian Plain enters our region in the east.
How do the features of the earth's surface in a particular region affect the lives of people, their economic activities, customs and traditions?
Answer: The relief of the earth’s surface of the place where he lives has a very great influence on the life and economic activities, customs and traditions of a person. The peoples of different regions create their own culture, which is not similar to the culture of their neighbors, and this is closely related to the nature of a particular region. The inhabitants of the steppes had a nomadic lifestyle and were engaged in cattle breeding. They had an abundance of milk, meat and cheese, which they sold. Nowadays agriculture is well developed in these territories. The Pomors, who inhabited the coast of the White Sea, had fish in abundance, and therefore they engaged in fishing and built strong boats. If people settled on plains where there was not enough water, then small insignificant settlements were built, and construction was carried out along large rivers, since it was the river that served as the source of water supply. People have always sought to occupy flat areas, since it is easier to farm there and it is easier to build buildings and roads. In Western Siberia, where forested swamp terrain predominates, cities and villages are built on the slopes of river valleys. Rivers were the only transport route for the residents of these places. Also, a nomadic lifestyle prevailed here. Reindeer herders of the North and pastoralists of the deserts constantly drove their livestock to new pastures. In mountainous regions, due to high ridges, the population settled in narrow intermountain valleys. Communication with neighbors was difficult due to the mountain ranges, and therefore the mountains have great ethnic diversity. Each nation developed its own specific culture and had its own characteristics in everyday life and economy. Today, the features of laying roads and constructing various engineering structures and mining depend on the terrain.
Let's think!
Based on your observations, give a brief description of the surface of your edge.
Answer: The Chelyabinsk region is distinguished by a variety of surface shapes. Within its borders there are lowlands and hilly plains, plateaus and mountains. Moreover, the surface rises in the form of ledges from east to west. In the extreme east, the West Siberian Lowland enters the region in a narrow strip, not rising above 200 m above sea level. On the meridian of the eastern outskirts of Chelyabinsk it turns into the Trans-Ural elevated plain, reaching in places 400 m above sea level. From the west, this plain is limited by the low ridges of the eastern slopes of the Ural Mountains (Cherry Mountains, Ilmensky Range, Ishkul Range and others), behind which rise the main mountain ranges of the Southern Urals: Ural-Tau, Taganay, Urenga, Nurgush, Zigalga, etc. The height of these ridges is in the range of 800-1100 m, and their individual peaks reach 1200-1400 m. Thus, Mount Big Sholom, on the Zigalga ridge, reaches 1425 m and is the highest point in our region.
To the west of these highest ridges, the Ural Mountains decrease again, descending in the form of an amphitheater to the Ufa Plateau, which in its southeastern sections extends into the Chelyabinsk region.
Let's check ourselves
1. List the shapes of the earth's surface.
Answer: Shapes of the earth's surface: plains, mountains, lowlands, hills, hills, ravines, ravines.
. How are lowlands and highlands marked on a physical map?
Answer: On the map, lowlands are indicated in green, and highlands in yellow.
3. Show on the map the Plains and mountains that you met in the lesson.
Answer: Working with a map. Plains - East European, West Siberian, Central Siberian Plateau. Mountains - the Ural, Caucasus, Altai and Sayan mountains.
4. Give a brief description of the plains of Russia; mountains of Russia.
Answer: To the west of the Ural Mountains is the East European Plain - one of the largest plains on earth. The surface of the plain is uneven; there are lowlands, hills, and hills. To the east of the Ural Mountains is the West Siberian Plain. The surface of the plain is very flat and extends for several kilometers. But to the east of the West Siberian Plain there is the Central Siberian Plateau. This is also a plain, and there are elevations with fairly steep slopes, and a flat surface. The Ural Mountains are quite low, but the highest mountains are the Caucasus. In the south of Siberia, the Altai and Sayan mountains are famous for their beauty and rich nature.
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. The main feature of all plains is their relatively flat terrain. But in fact, it is more diverse: in some places the plains are indeed flat, in others they are hilly.
On a physical map, plains are indicated by green colors of varying degrees of saturation. So, the lighter the 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 . It is located to the west of the 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. Its distinctive feature is its almost perfectly smooth 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 often contain 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 throughout 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 precious stones and gems are of particular value.
- . These are the highest and youngest mountains. Formed about 25 million years ago. They are divided into two mountain systems: the 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 highest peak of the Altai Mountains is 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).
What plain do you live on? What mountains are there in Russia? Where is one of the seven wonders of Russia - the Valley of Geysers? In this lesson we will learn the answers to all these and other questions, learn a lot of interesting things about the West Siberian and East European Plains, get acquainted with the amazing minerals of the Urals, the magnificent nature of Altai and the Sayans, the mesmerizing heights of the Caucasus, the unique severity of Kamchatka.
In the north, the plain is washed by the Barents and White Seas. In the south by the Black and Azov seas. The length of the plain from north to south is 2500 km, from west to east - 1000 km. The East European Plain is rightly called great, because it is the second largest in the world (an area of more than 5 million km²). The second name of the East European Plain is Russian.
The fact that it is called a plain does not mean that its surface is completely flat (Fig. 2).
Rice. 2. East European Plain ()
On the East European Plain there are lowlands and hills, and many hills. Such a plain is called hilly.
Since ancient times, people have inhabited the plains - they are convenient for building houses and laying roads, farming, and grazing livestock. The Volga, the longest and deepest river in Europe (Fig. 3), flows along the Russian Plain, along with the deep-flowing Dnieper and Don.
The East European Plain is home to most of the population of the Russian Federation. Multimillion-dollar cities were built here: Moscow (Fig. 4), St. Petersburg, Nizhny Novgorod, Samara, Rostov-on-Don.
The East European Plain was the center of Russian culture and science, inspiring poets, writers and artists with its unique beauty.
Levitan (Fig. 5), Shishkin (Fig. 6), and Polenov (Fig. 7) tried to reflect the charm of the Russian Plain in their paintings.
Rice. 5. I.I. Levitan. Gold autumn ()
Rice. 6. A.I. Shishkin. Morning in a pine forest ()
Rice. 7. V. D. Polenov. First snow ()
On the physical map of Russia we will find the West Siberian Plain, lying east of the Ural Mountains (Fig. 8).
Rice. 8. West Siberian Plain ()
Its area is huge - about 3 million km². Unlike the East European Plain, it is flat - there are no lowlands or hills for many kilometers. Such a plain is called flat (Fig. 9).
Rice. 9. West Siberian Plain ()
The West Siberian Plain is the flattest and lowest plain on Earth, so there are a lot of swamps on it (Fig. 10-12).
Rice. 10. West Siberian Plain. Swamps ()
Rice. 11. West Siberian Plain. Vasyugan swamps ()
Rice. 12. West Siberian Plain. Vasyugan River ()
The main rivers of this plain are the Ob, Irtysh, and Yenisei, which flow north because the West Siberian Plain is slightly inclined toward the Arctic Ocean.
To the east of the West Siberian Plain lies the Central Siberian Plateau (Fig. 13).
Rice. 13. Central Siberian Plateau ()
This is also a plain, although it looks completely different: elevated spaces with flat surfaces and rather steep slopes predominate here (Fig. 14, 15).
Rice. 14. Central Siberian Plateau ()
Rice. 15. Central Siberian Plateau. Putorana Plateau ()
This landscape resembles a mountainous area, hence the name “plateau”. The total area of the plateau is about 3.5 million km². The fast, full-flowing and rapids rivers Lena, Angara, Podkamennaya Tunguska, and Vilyui flow here. There are cool summers and very cold (up to -60) and snowy winters. The Central Siberian Plateau is located in the “permafrost” region; the soil here is frozen to a depth of 1 km. This area is sparsely populated.
Let's find the Ural Mountains on the physical map of Russia (Fig. 16).
Rice. 16. Ural Mountains
They were formed more than 200 million years ago and were up to 10 thousand meters high. Now the highest point of the Urals does not exceed 1,400 m. This happened because over many millions of years the mountains were destroyed under the influence of rain, wind, frost, heat, vegetation and other factors, becoming lower, and sometimes acquiring bizarre shapes. In the old days, the Ural Mountains were called the “stone belt of the Russian land,” because they seemed to girdle the country, separating the European part from the Asian part.
For a long time it was known about the wealth of the Ural Mountains in useful minerals (white mica, tourmaline, aquamarine, garnet, sapphire, topaz, corundum (Fig. 17-23)),
Rice. 17. White mica. Muscovite()
Rice. 18. Tourmaline ()
Rice. 19. Aquamarine ()
and in 1700, Tsar Peter I gave the order to develop ore deposits, and factories for their processing began to be built. In the Ilmen Mountains (Ural) a previously unknown mineral was found, which was called ilmenite (Fig. 24),
Rice. 24. Ilmenite ()
now it is a protected area of the Ilmensky Nature Reserve (Fig. 25).
Rice. 25. Ilmensky Reserve ()
The highest mountains in Russia are the Caucasus (above 5 thousand meters), so many peaks are constantly covered with snow (Fig. 26, 27).
Rice. 26. Caucasus Mountains
Rice. 27. Caucasus Mountains ()
Here is the highest mountain in Russia - Elbrus, due to the fact that it has two peaks, it is called double-headed (the height of the peaks is 5642 m and 5521 m) (Fig. 28).
Rice. 28. Mount Elbrus ()
In the south of Siberia there are the Altai and Sayan mountains, which are famous for their beauty and unique nature. The snow leopard (irbis) (Fig. 29) and argali (the largest mountain sheep) (Fig. 30) live here.
Rice. 29. Snow leopard ()
Altai is included in the World Heritage List. It is also called the Golden Mountains of Eurasia. This name is associated with the Turkic word “altyn” - golden (Fig. 31-33).
Rice. 32. Altai ()
Mountains(mountain structures) - vast areas of land or the ocean floor, significantly elevated and highly dissected. Large mountain structures – mountainous countries (Caucasus, Urals), or mountain systems. They consist of mountain ranges - linearly elongated elevations with slopes intersecting at the ridge line. Mountain ranges connect and intersect to form mountain nodes. These are usually the highest parts of mountainous countries. There are also some mountains are isolated surface elevations, most often of volcanic origin. Areas of mountainous countries, consisting of heavily destroyed ridges and high plains covered with destruction products, are called highlands.
By absolute height, high mountains are distinguished (above 2000 m), mid-altitude (from 800 m to 2000 m) and low (not higher than 800 m). The peak of the Himalayas, Qomolangma (Everest), reaches its greatest height ) – 8848m, and in the CIS - Peak Communism in the Pamirs – 7495 m.
Mountains are formed through the simultaneous action of internal and external processes, but with a clear predominance of the former. Depending on the conditions of mountain formation, their structure may be dominated by folds or blocks displaced relative to each other. Most of the mountains on the continents are folded and block mountains. The blocks that form them have a folded structure. At the bottom of the Ocean, most of the mountains are volcanic.
In the relief of mountains, despite intensive destruction, their structure (folded , blocky-folded) . The direction of the ridges, their shape and relative position often depend on it. The relief of the revived and rejuvenated mountains is characterized by flat, highly elevated areas - leveling surfaces. Landforms created by external (exogenous) processes are superimposed on the structure of the mountains, causing their dismemberment and lowering. The relief forms they create depend on the position of the mountains at a particular latitude and on the climate.
The general pattern of changes in relief with height is altitudinal zonation.
The higher you go, the more intense the weathering in the mountains. The peaks of the mountains that rise above the snow line bear glaciers. Below, glacial tongues descend, feeding turbulent mountain streams. Streams dissect the slopes into deep valleys and move sediment down. At the foot, sediments and material falling from the slopes accumulate, smoothing out the kinks of the slopes, creating foothill plains.
Plains – surface areas with small differences in height. Plains with an absolute height of no more than 200 m are called lowland or lowlands (West Siberian Plain); no more than 500 m – elevated (The East European Plain); above 500 m – high or plateaus (Central Siberian Plateau). On the continents, the majority (64%) of the plains were formed on platforms and they are composed of layers of sedimentary cover (stratal plains). Plains that arose as a result of the removal of products of mountain destruction (denudation) from the remaining base of the mountains (basement) are called denudation or basement . Where material accumulates (accumulates), leveling the surface, accumulative plains are formed. Depending on their origin, they can be marine, lake, river, glacial, or volcanic.
Exogenous The relief of the plains depends on their geographical location and the history of their formation. Thus, on the plains that have undergone continental glaciation, the relief of the areas of glacier feeding, its spreading, melting and runoff of melt water is distinguished. Tundra plains and sandy desert plains have special relief.
At the bottom of the Ocean, the plains occupy a much smaller area than was thought before it became known about the renewal of the ocean crust and the system of mid-ocean ridges , occupying about 1/3 of the bottom area. It was assumed that over the millions of years of the Ocean’s existence, its bottom should have been leveled by a thousand-meter thick layer of sediment. In fact, there are many isolated mountains and hills at the bottom of the Ocean.
deep sea (abyssal) plains – hilly, undulating , less often flat . Significant layers of sediment accumulate at the foot of the continental slope, forming sloping plains. The shelf (the underwater edge of the continent) also has a flat topography. It usually represents the edge of a platform that is below sea level. On the shelf there are landforms that arose on land: river beds, glacial landforms.
The role of internal (endogenous) and external (exogenous) processes in the formation of the relief of the earth's surface are equally important.
If the former create the largest surface irregularities, then the latter provide gravity with the opportunity to level them. The ratio of internal and external processes in different places on Earth is different and changes over time, therefore the relief of the surface of the lithosphere is diverse and changeable.