Colorado Plateau

Colorad′o Plateau′

n. a plateau in the SW United States, in N Arizona, NW New Mexico, S Utah, and W Colorado.

Thesaurus

Noun

Colorado Plateau - a large plateau to the south and west of the Rocky Mountains; abuts mountains on the north and east and ends in an escarpment overlooking lowlands to the south and west; the Grand Canyon is carved out of the southwestern cornerArizona, Grand Canyon State, AZ - a state in southwestern United States; site of the Grand CanyonCentennial State, Colorado, CO - a state in west central United States in the Rocky MountainsLand of Enchantment, New Mexico, NM - a state in southwestern United States on the Mexican borderBeehive State, Mormon State, Utah, UT - a state in the western United States; settled in 1847 by Mormons led by Brigham YoungGrand Canyon - the enormous gorge of the Colorado River in northern Arizona

Colorado Plateau

Colorado Plateau,

physiographic region of SW North America, c.150,000 sq mi (388,500 sq km), in Arizona, Utah, Colorado, and New Mexico, including the "Four Corners" area. It is characterized by broad plateaus, ancient volcanic mountains at elevations of c.5,000 to 13,000 ft (1,520–3,960 m), and deeply dissected canyons lined with often brightly colored sedimentary and volcanic rocks, including the Grand CanyonGrand Canyon,
great gorge of the Colorado River, one of the natural wonders of the world; c.1 mi (1.6 km) deep, from 4 to 18 mi (6.4–29 km) wide, and 217 mi (349 km) long, NW Ariz.
..... Click the link for more information. of the Colorado River. Native American reservations occupy about one third of the mostly semiarid and sparsely vegetated area, which was the last U.S. region to be explored by whites. About one half of the public land is used for grazing. Among many ancient cliff dwellings are those at Mesa Verde and Canyon de Chelly. The region has a number of U.S. national parks and monuments.

Bibliography

See K. A. Brown, Four Corners (1996).

Colorado Plateau

a plateau in the Cordilleras of North America, located in the southwestern part of the USA. Borders on the northwest with the Great Basin, on the east and northeast with the Rocky Mountains, and on the south with the interior region of the Mexican Plateau. Area, more than 300,000 sq km. Predominating elevations, 1,800–2,500 m; highest point, 3,861 m (Humphreys Peak).

The plateau is formed of Precambrian crystalline rocks, covered with a heavy sedimentary layer from the Paleozoic to the Paleogene periods, with which are linked deposits of uranium and vanadium ores. During the Paleogene and Neocene uplifting occurred, accompanied by faulting movements and manifestations of volcanic activity and erosion caused by rivers (especially magnificent is the canyon of the Colorado River, the Grand Canyon). The climate is subtropical continental and dry (with annual precipitation of 200–500 mm). Vegetation consists of arid steppes with succulents and, in less arid places, forests of twisted pines and juniper.

Colorado Plateau

Colorad′o Plateau′

Colorado Plateau

Colorado Plateau,

Bibliography

Colorado Plateau

Colorado Plateau

Words related to Colorado Plateau

noun a large plateau to the south and west of the Rocky Mountains

Related Words