Plain (Meaning and Explanation)

We explain what a plain is, what types exist and the main plains of America. Also, its relationship with the plateaus and valleys.

livestock plain — The plains are usually usable for agriculture and livestock.

What is a plain?

In geography and geology, it is known as plains or plains. a type of relief characterized by long, wide expanses of flat land or with very slight undulations.

Plains are abundant on the planetary surface, generally located below 200 meters above sea level. However, it is also possible to find them as part of other systems, such as at the bottom of valleys or at the top of plateaus and plateaus.

Plains can vary in size, from a few hectares to thousands of kilometers, and occupy one third of the total surface of our planet present on all continents except Antarctica. Therefore, they also present an enormous variety of flora and fauna, depending on the hydrological abundance that characterizes the region.

The plains are usually places of utmost importance for humanity, given that the erosive dynamics of wind and water usually deposit large amounts of sediments there. That is why they are generally fertile and usable for agriculture, or even for livestock, since large herds require long areas of land for grazing and walking.

For that reason, are usually the favorite centers for the development of human cultures given that they do not have topographical accidents that make production and transportation tasks difficult.

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Types of plains

The glacial plains were formed by the passage of ancient glaciers.

The plains can be classified according to their geological origin into:

Structural plains Plains that are the result of tectonic planning and are therefore located in a region little disturbed by accidents and faults.
Erosional plains They were once other types of relief, but they were flattened by the erosive action of wind, water and other natural elements, which wear down the rock and produce a plain.
Depositional plains They are formed when materials eroded by the different forces of nature are positioned and deposited in the same place. This type of plain, in turn, can be:
- Alluvial plains. Formed by the bed of a river and usually flooded in the rainy seasons.
- Lava plains. Formed by layers of lava produced by volcanoes or geological faults, after cooling and hardening.
- Glacial plains. Formed by the natural movements of glaciers.
- Abyssal plain. That located at the very bottom of the oceans, in the so-called abyssal region where light does not reach.

Plains of America

orinoco river plain — A tropical plain extends around the Orinoco River.

The American continent has numerous plains, especially in its internal region, both in the north and in the south. As a result of the accumulation of sediments in low or depressed areas, they are extremely fertile and ideal regions for cultivation, such as:

The Argentine Pampa In the south of this nation, extending from the Atlantic to the Andes Mountains more or less uninterrupted.
The great North American plains Located on a plateau east of the famous Rocky Mountains, covering not only the states of New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Colorado, Texas, Kansas, Nebraska, Wyoming, Montana, South Dakota and North Dakota, but also the Canadian provinces from Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba.
The tropical savannahs of the Orinoquía Located in the region surrounding the Orinoco River, in the heart of Venezuela, in the north of South America.
The Andean plateau Integrated into the Andes mountain range, it is a desert plain shared between Chile and Argentina.

Plain and plateau

plain tibet plateau lake namtso — Lake Namtso is located on a large plain on the Tibetan Plateau.

It is common to find plains on the top of plateaus that is, in plateaus located more than 500 meters above sea level. These are short, flat-topped mountains, a product of tectonic forces and a sustained erosive action that filed the rock until it became a plain.

A perfect example of this is the Tibet Plateau, part of the Himalayan mountain system, which is a plain located at an altitude of 4,000 m.

Plain and valley

On the other hand, plains are usually found at the bottom of valleys surrounded by mountains and concentrating the fall of water and sediments from their peaks.

This type of plains tend to be the most fertile and often populated, and can be found at a variable height, depending on the relief. An example of this case is the Fljótsdalur valley, in eastern Iceland, with very little relief and abundant hydrological presence.

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