How were the Interior Plateaus formed?

The Interior Plateaus were mainly formed by the uplifting of the Earth's crust caused by the movement of tectonic plates. Specifically, the collision between the North American and African tectonic plates hundreds of millions of years ago resulted in the uplift and formation of the Ouachita Mountains. Similarly, the collision between the North American and Pacific tectonic plates created the Rocky Mountains. Over time, erosion from these mountain ranges filled the basins between them, forming plateaus such as the Ozark Plateau and Colorado Plateau.