THE COASTAL PLAINS The 4,500-km long coastline of India has the Arabian Sea on its west, the Bay of Bengal on its east and the Indian Ocean on its south. It runs from the Rann of Kutch in the west to the delta of the Ganga - Brahmaputra in the east. The coastal plain in India has been divided into the following two types.
The East Coastal Plains These extend between the source of the Subarnarekha and Kanyakumari and contain deltas of almost all rivers in the region except Tapti and Narmada as these flow towards the Bay of Bengal. The Eastern Coastal Plains include Tamil Nadu Plain, Andhra
Plain, and Utkal Plain.
The West Coastal Plains About 10 to 25 km wide, they run from the Rann of Kutch to Kanyakumari, They comprise the sandy plains of the Kutch peninsula and the Kathiawar peninsula in the north.
ISLANDS India has a number of islands (247) both in the Bay of Bengal, (204 islands) and the Arabian Sea (43 islands). The Andaman and Nicobar Islands in the Bay of Bengal represent the elevated portions of submarine mountains. Mount Harriet (460 m) in the South Andaman
Island is the highest point. The Andamans have a physical. base derived from sandstones, limestones and clays. ~he Nicobar group contains 19 islands. The Great Nicobar is the largest island in the group.
Showing posts with label Mountain. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mountain. Show all posts
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
THE GREAT PLAINS
THE GREAT PLAINS Between the Himalayas and thE Peninsular Plateau are found the Great Northern Pljiins tha stretch in an east-west direction for about 2,400 km. The) cover more than seven lakh sq km and have a widtt ranging from less than 200 km (as in Bihar) to 500 km (af in Punjab and Rajasthan). The depth is about 1,300-1,400n on an average. Alluvial in nature, these plains are composec of older alluvium (bhangar) or the newer alluvium (khadai or bet). The rivers flowing from the Himalaya deposi pebbles and coarse sand in forelands ca~led bhabar or ghar Small rivers that disappear below the ground in thE bhabars reappear in the plains, creating large swamps callec terais.
The Great Plains have a number of sub-p~ains, such as
The Punjab-Haryana Plains With a distance of 640 km from north-east to south-west and 300 km from west t< east, these flat plains occupy 1.75 lakh sq km and have c height ranging from 200 m to 300m. They comprise tht Bist Doab (between Sutlej and Beas rivers) the Upper Bar Doab (between Beas and Ravi rivers), and the south-eas Malwa Plain.
The Rajasthan Plains These comprise the marusthal of Thar and the nearly Bagar areas and occupy an area 0 1.75 lakh sq km. Sand dunes are longitudinal (in the wes and south) and transverse (in the east). The Luni rive flowing towards the south-west is the only river in thl region.' The Rajasthan desert is sloping towards two direc tions: (a) westwards to the Indus Valley in Pakistan, an( (b) southwards to the Rann of Kutch.
The Ganga Plains Spreading across the states of Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal and Bihar for 3.57 lakh sq km, the plains comprise the raised bhangar areas and khadar areas. The Ganga Plain is divided into the (a) Ganga-Yamuna Doab, (b) Rohilkhand Plain, (c) Avadh Plain (covering the eastern half of Uttar Pradesh), (d) Bihar Plain, and (e) Bengal Plain. The Ganga delta, which constitutes the Bengal basin, has part of it stretching along the sea and covered with tidal forests (the Sunderbans).
The Brahmaputra Plains The low-level plains formed by deposits carried by mainly the Brahmaputra river but also the Diband, the Sesiri and the Luhit are bordered by high mountains. Moist soil conditions and thick forests form the northern extreme.
The Great Plains have a number of sub-p~ains, such as
The Punjab-Haryana Plains With a distance of 640 km from north-east to south-west and 300 km from west t< east, these flat plains occupy 1.75 lakh sq km and have c height ranging from 200 m to 300m. They comprise tht Bist Doab (between Sutlej and Beas rivers) the Upper Bar Doab (between Beas and Ravi rivers), and the south-eas Malwa Plain.
The Rajasthan Plains These comprise the marusthal of Thar and the nearly Bagar areas and occupy an area 0 1.75 lakh sq km. Sand dunes are longitudinal (in the wes and south) and transverse (in the east). The Luni rive flowing towards the south-west is the only river in thl region.' The Rajasthan desert is sloping towards two direc tions: (a) westwards to the Indus Valley in Pakistan, an( (b) southwards to the Rann of Kutch.
The Ganga Plains Spreading across the states of Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal and Bihar for 3.57 lakh sq km, the plains comprise the raised bhangar areas and khadar areas. The Ganga Plain is divided into the (a) Ganga-Yamuna Doab, (b) Rohilkhand Plain, (c) Avadh Plain (covering the eastern half of Uttar Pradesh), (d) Bihar Plain, and (e) Bengal Plain. The Ganga delta, which constitutes the Bengal basin, has part of it stretching along the sea and covered with tidal forests (the Sunderbans).
The Brahmaputra Plains The low-level plains formed by deposits carried by mainly the Brahmaputra river but also the Diband, the Sesiri and the Luhit are bordered by high mountains. Moist soil conditions and thick forests form the northern extreme.
THE PENINSULAR PLATEAU
THE PENINSULAR PLATEAU The peninsular plateau is the largest and the oldest of all the physiographic divisions. Its north-west limit is marked by the Aravalli range and its northern extreme has the raised Bundelkhand. At its western and eastern ends are the Western Ghats and the Eastern Ghats respectively. It has the shape of an inverted triangle.
The plateau can be divided as follows.
The Central Plateaus The Central Plateaus are the
upland of Central India with the River Ganga to its north, Vindhya and Satpura ranges to its south, the KaimurMaikal range to its east, and the Aravallis and Kutch to its west. The Central Plateaus comprise Mewar, Malwa and Vindhya plateaus. Malwa Plateau in Madhya Pradesh formed of lava flows lies to the north of the Vindhya range.
The Eastern Plateaus These lie to the north-east of the Malwa plateau. The topography of the Eastern Plateaus is diversified, ranging from the low-lying Mahanadi basin to undulating plateaus of the Baghelkhand, Chhota Nagpur and Dandakaranya. Beyond the lava-ridden Rajmahal Hills that form the eastern end of Chota Nagpur Plateau is the Meghalaya Plateau.
The Kathiawar and Kutch Plateaus These plateaus are joined to the peninsular plateaus by Gujarat's plains. Deccan lavas make up the Kathiawar region, while the Kutch ha~ an abundance of tertiary rocks.
The Deccan Plateaus A triangular plateau, they OCCUp) land between the Western and 'Eastern Ghats and south 0 the Mahadeo, Maikal and Satpura ranges. The Deccar Plateaus comprise the Maharashtra Plateau (formed entirel) of basalt) and Karnataka and Telangana (Andhra) Plateaw (both composed of Archaean gneisses. Deccan Plateaus an India's largest plateaus.
The plateau can be divided as follows.
The Central Plateaus The Central Plateaus are the
upland of Central India with the River Ganga to its north, Vindhya and Satpura ranges to its south, the KaimurMaikal range to its east, and the Aravallis and Kutch to its west. The Central Plateaus comprise Mewar, Malwa and Vindhya plateaus. Malwa Plateau in Madhya Pradesh formed of lava flows lies to the north of the Vindhya range.
The Eastern Plateaus These lie to the north-east of the Malwa plateau. The topography of the Eastern Plateaus is diversified, ranging from the low-lying Mahanadi basin to undulating plateaus of the Baghelkhand, Chhota Nagpur and Dandakaranya. Beyond the lava-ridden Rajmahal Hills that form the eastern end of Chota Nagpur Plateau is the Meghalaya Plateau.
The Kathiawar and Kutch Plateaus These plateaus are joined to the peninsular plateaus by Gujarat's plains. Deccan lavas make up the Kathiawar region, while the Kutch ha~ an abundance of tertiary rocks.
The Deccan Plateaus A triangular plateau, they OCCUp) land between the Western and 'Eastern Ghats and south 0 the Mahadeo, Maikal and Satpura ranges. The Deccar Plateaus comprise the Maharashtra Plateau (formed entirel) of basalt) and Karnataka and Telangana (Andhra) Plateaw (both composed of Archaean gneisses. Deccan Plateaus an India's largest plateaus.
The Northern Mountains
The Northern Mountains These are the Himalayas that stretch across northern India from Jammu and Kashmir to Arunachal Pradesh for about 2,400 km. The Himalayan range has the shape of a crescent. The Himalayas, the worlds's youngest fold mountains, achieve their greatest heights in eastern Nepal.
Breadthwise, the Himalayas may be classified into the following four zones.
(i) The Outer Himalayas or the' Siwaliks With a height ranging from 600 to 1,500m and a width of 15 to 50km, the S'iwaliks are composed of tertiary sediments mainly containing boulder and clay. They emerged in the most recent phase in the Himalayan orogeny, i.e., during the Miocene-Pleistocene epoch.
The Outer Himalayas are separated from the Lesser Himalayas by duns - valleys resulting from draining away of the temporary lakes formed by ridges when these obstructed the course of rivers.
The Lesser or Middle Himalayas (The Himachal) The intricate and rugged hills with deeply-cut rivers are made of rocks of the Algonkian-Eocene times. The Lesser or Middle Himalayan hills have a hogback appearance. The ranges include the 400-km Pir Panjal range, the longest range of the Himalayas.
The Greater Himalayas or the Himadri The innermost Himalayan range is the world's highest, with an average height of 6,000 m. It is the most continuous of the Himalayan ranges and forms the Himalayas' northernmost part. The Himadri's highest peaks include the world's highest peak, Mt Everest.
The Trans-Himalayan Zone With a width of 40 km in its eastern and western ends and a width of 222 km in its central part, it has important ranges such as the Zaskar Range and the Great Karakoram range. The Karakoram extends towards the south-east to form the Kailash Range (Tibet). The highest peak in the Karakoram range is ~ (8,611 m). The longest glacier is Siachen in the Nubra Valley which is more than 72km long.
Breadthwise, the Himalayas may be classified into the following four zones.
(i) The Outer Himalayas or the' Siwaliks With a height ranging from 600 to 1,500m and a width of 15 to 50km, the S'iwaliks are composed of tertiary sediments mainly containing boulder and clay. They emerged in the most recent phase in the Himalayan orogeny, i.e., during the Miocene-Pleistocene epoch.
The Outer Himalayas are separated from the Lesser Himalayas by duns - valleys resulting from draining away of the temporary lakes formed by ridges when these obstructed the course of rivers.
The Lesser or Middle Himalayas (The Himachal) The intricate and rugged hills with deeply-cut rivers are made of rocks of the Algonkian-Eocene times. The Lesser or Middle Himalayan hills have a hogback appearance. The ranges include the 400-km Pir Panjal range, the longest range of the Himalayas.
The Greater Himalayas or the Himadri The innermost Himalayan range is the world's highest, with an average height of 6,000 m. It is the most continuous of the Himalayan ranges and forms the Himalayas' northernmost part. The Himadri's highest peaks include the world's highest peak, Mt Everest.
The Trans-Himalayan Zone With a width of 40 km in its eastern and western ends and a width of 222 km in its central part, it has important ranges such as the Zaskar Range and the Great Karakoram range. The Karakoram extends towards the south-east to form the Kailash Range (Tibet). The highest peak in the Karakoram range is ~ (8,611 m). The longest glacier is Siachen in the Nubra Valley which is more than 72km long.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
