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Colorado Plateau Field Institute > Colorado Plateau Information > Topography of the Colorado Plateau
Topography of the Colorado Plateau
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Image adapted from USGS image
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The Colorado Plateau physiographic province is topographically distinct from other parts of the Western Interior. The Colorado Plateau is actually a large near-circular basin ringed by highlands. The basin is filled with numerous deep canyons, plateaus, mesas, and small mountain ranges. The Colorado Plateau was originally called the "Colorado Plateaus" by John Wesley Powell. The Colorado Plateau region is bordered on the west and south by the Basin and Range province and on the north and east by the Rocky Mountains. This 150,000 square miles of high desert ranges in altitude from 5,000 feet to 11,000 feet.
This region contains some of the most beautiful and unspoiled wilderness in the world. The rough topography and the arid climate of the Colorado Plateau have combined to expose rocks that record over 2 billion years of earth history. This has made the Colorado Plateau an attractive region to residents and visiting geologists and outdoor enthusiasts from all over the world.
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