Kathy Ulbricht, age 12, of Phoenex, Arizona, for her question:

How is a mesa different from a plateau?

A mesa is a, small, flat topped hill. A plateau is a large, flat topped tableland. a plateau is formed when a vast area is lifted above the surrounding land. It may be 100 feet or several thousand feet above sea level.

Wind and, weather go to work on a plateau as soon as it is formed. The rain forms streams and rivers which cut deep gullies in the ground. The wind blows the dust. Frost and heat crack open the exposed rocks. If the plateau is exposed sandstone, several layers may be worn away.

This is often the fate of a desert plateau. Gullies and canyons bite deep into the ground., leaving isolated, flat topped hills. Those are mesas. So, in some cases, a mesa is the child of an old, worn down plateau.