The Deccan Plateau in Indian is a good example of

Analyze the question: The question asks what type of plateau the Deccan Plateau in India is, so we need to think about how it was formed.

Explain the concept: Plateaus are classified by how they formed:

• Dissected plateau: a plateau cut by rivers into hills and valleys (e.g., the Plateau of Scotland).
• Volcanic plateau: formed by repeated lava flows that build up and spread over a wide area.
• Tectonic plateau: uplifted by earth movements (faulting or folding) without lava.
• Intermontane plateau: surrounded by mountains (e.g., Tibetan Plateau, Bolivian Altiplano).

Solution:

1. The Deccan Plateau covers much of peninsular India. Its northwestern part is made of the Deccan Traps, thick layers of basaltic lava.
2. These lava flows erupted about 66 million years ago and covered a large area, building up the plateau.
3. The plateau is not enclosed by mountains in the way an intermontane plateau is. It lies between the Western and Eastern Ghats, which are much lower ranges, so it is not a classic intermontane plateau.
4. Rivers such as the Godavari and Krishna have cut into it, but its defining feature and origin is volcanic lava. Geography textbooks cite it, together with the Columbia Plateau in the USA, as a standard example of a lava (volcanic) plateau.

Answer: The Deccan Plateau is a good example of a volcanic plateau, which is option B.

Exam tip: Link the plateau to its famous example: Deccan Traps and Columbia Plateau mean volcanic or lava plateau, Tibet means intermontane, and Scotland means dissected. The word "Traps" is a clue to basalt lava flows.