geo-ias2

General Studies Manualfor

UPSC and State Public Services Examinations

2014��

Fundamentals of GeographyModule-7: Geology and Physiography of India

www.gktoday.in

First Published in 2010

Last Updated: November 2013

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General Studies Manual for UPSC and State GGeography--77 �GGeology and Physiography of India

© 2010-2013 Suresh Soni | All Rights Reserved | Email: [email protected] 2 | P a g e

CContentsChapter 1. Geology of India....................................................................................................3

Archean formations....................................................................................................6Dharwar system .........................................................................................................6The Cudappah System & Vindhyan System ................................................................7

Cudappah System................................................................................................................7Vindhyan System .................................................................................................................7The Gondwana System or Carboniferous period System or Dravidian System ....................8The Cretaceous system or the Deccan Trap .........................................................................8The Tertiary System.............................................................................................................9The Gondwana and Tertiary Coal Deposits of India.............................................................9Tertiary coal ......................................................................................................................10

Chapter 2. The Himalayan Mountains ..................................................................................10Himalayan Orogeny .................................................................................................11Classification of the Himalaya System .....................................................................12Geographical Regions of Himalaya ..........................................................................14

Terai belt ...........................................................................................................................14Bhabhar belt .....................................................................................................................14Shivalik Hills & Inner Terai.................................................................................................14Lesser Himalaya ................................................................................................................15Midlands............................................................................................................................15Greater Himalaya..............................................................................................................15Trans-Himalayas...............................................................................................................15

Regional Divisions of Himalayas ..............................................................................15The Kashmir Himalayas.....................................................................................................15The Himachal Himalayas...................................................................................................16The Kumaun Himalayas / Central Himalayas / Garhwal Himalayas.................................16The Sikkim (Central) Himalayas .........................................................................................16Eastern Himalayas & Purvanchal Hills ..............................................................................16Geological Divisions of Himalayas.....................................................................................17Important Mountain passes in Himalayas .........................................................................17Important Peaks of Himalayas ..........................................................................................18Eastern Himalayas versus Western Himalayas .................................................................18Some more observations: ..................................................................................................19The Northern Slopes and Southern Slopes of Himalayas ..................................................19

Chapter 3. The Great Plains..................................................................................................20Divisions of Great Plain ............................................................................................20

The Bhabar belt.................................................................................................................20The Terai belt ....................................................................................................................20The Bhangar belt ...............................................................................................................21The Khadar belt.................................................................................................................21The Delta Plains ................................................................................................................21Importance of Great Plains................................................................................................21

Chapter 4. The Thar Desert...................................................................................................22Origin of Thar Desert .........................................................................................................22

Chapter 5. Central Highlands ...............................................................................................24Aravallis ............................................................................................................................24Malwa Plateau ..................................................................................................................25Vindhyan Range.................................................................................................................25Vindhyachal Plateau .........................................................................................................26Satpura Range...................................................................................................................26The Chhotanagpur Plateau................................................................................................26Karbi-Meghalya plateau ...................................................................................................27

Chapter 6. Deccan Plateau ...................................................................................................27Important Observations on Deccan Plateu........................................................................27

Chapter 7. Western Ghats ....................................................................................................28Observations about Western Ghats ...................................................................................28

Chapter 8. Eastern Ghats .....................................................................................................31




Some other Observations ..................................................................................................32Important Observations: Mountains, Hills and Hill Ranges of India.........................32

Mount Abu.........................................................................................................................32Cardamom Hills.................................................................................................................33Anamudi ............................................................................................................................33Anginda peak ....................................................................................................................33Phawngpui.........................................................................................................................33Doddabetta .......................................................................................................................33Kangchenjunga ..................................................................................................................33Nanda Devi ........................................................................................................................34Garo Hills ..........................................................................................................................34Khasi Hills..........................................................................................................................34Jaintia Hills........................................................................................................................34Mizo Hills ...........................................................................................................................34Naga Hills..........................................................................................................................34Palni Hills ..........................................................................................................................35Patkai Hills ........................................................................................................................35Shivalik Hills ......................................................................................................................35Zanskar Range...................................................................................................................35

Chapter 1. Geology of India

Indo-

7th

Ind f

Ka

ChiEnclaves Indo-

Indian PlateIndian Plate is a tectonic plate that was originally a part of the ancient continent of Gondwana from which it split off, eventually becoming a major plate. About 55 to 50 million years ago it fused with the adjacent Australian Plate. It is today part of the major Indo-Australian Plate, and includes most of South Asia – i.e., the Indian subcontinent – and a portion of the basin under the Indian Ocean, including parts of South China and Eastern Indonesia, and extending up to but not including Ladakh, Kohistan and Balochistan. (Wikipedia)




Kash

Corridor,

Story of ChitmahalsIndo-Bangladesh enclaves or Chitmahals are the enclaves along the Bangladesh–India border. There are 102 Indian enclaves inside Bangladesh and 71 Bangladeshi ones inside India, with a combined population between 50,000 to 100,000. Inside those enclaves are also 28 counter-enclaves and one counter-counter-enclave, called Dahala Khagrabari. In September 2011, the Prime Ministers of the two countries (Manmohan Singh of India and Sheikh Hasina of Bangladesh) signed an accord on border demarcation and exchange of adversely held enclaves. Under this agreement, the enclave residents may continue residing at their present location or move to the country of their choice. The story of the Chitmahals is as follows: The Raja of Cooch Behar and the Nawab of Rangpur, the rulers of two minor kingdoms that faced each other near the Teesta River, staked games of chess with plots of land. To settle their debts, they passed chits — pieces of paper representing the territory won or lost — back and forth. When Sir Cyril Radcliffe, the law lord who partitioned India, drew the 1947 border, Cooch Behar went to India and Rangpur to Bangladesh — including the people who lived on the two kings' 162 "chit mahals," or paper palaces. Their villages, caught on the wrong side of the border, are now small islands of India surrounded by Bangladesh or vice versa. Elsewhere in this same stretch of border are villages that simply refuse to accept the lines drawn by Radcliffe's pen. New Delhi backs those that want to stay in India, despite the legal claim of Bangladesh, and Dhaka does likewise. There are 1,696 acres (690 hectares) of these "adverse possessions," where India and Bangladesh effectively occupy each other's territory. That means 21 miles (34.5 km) of border that cannot be fenced, cannot be floodlit or gated and in many cases is simply not policed at all. (Source © : Time Magazine)

ubcontine

super-continent

earliVaalbara

Kenorland 2700-

Indo-Australian PlateIndo-Australian plate is a major tectonic plate that includes Australia and surrounding ocean and extends northwards to cover the entire Indian subcontinent and its adjacent waters. The studies show that this Indo-Australian plate may be in the process of breaking up in two separate plates due the stress caused by collision of the Indo-Australian Plate with Eurasia along the Himalayas. These two separate plates are known as Indian Plate and Australia Plate.

Indian Plate is currently moving northeast at 5 cm/yr, while the Eurasian Plate is moving north at only 2 cm/yr. The result is that the Eurasian Plate gets deformed this leads to the India Plate to compress at a rate of 4 mm/yr. This is one of the reasons of earthquakes in Himalayan region.

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1.2.3. Cudappah4. Vindhyan5.6. Mesozoic7. Gondwana8.9.10. Alluvial

AArchean formationsPre-

Dharwar system

cc-

manganese, bauxite, lead, zinc, gold, silver, tin, tungsten, mica, asbestos,




Nadu, C

Chilp Iron-

TThe Cudappah System & Vindhyan SystemCudappah System

Vindhyan System

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rial.

The Gondwana System or Carboniferous period System or Dravidian System

The Cretaceous system or the Deccan Trap

(Chhattisgarh)-

geographi

-

igneous

Jharkhand,

Réuni

India.

Deccan Trap and Paleontological Murder MysterySome scientists believe that a series of monumental volcanic eruptions in India may have killed the dinosaurs 65 million years ago, not a meteor impact in the Gulf of Mexico. The eruptions, which created the gigantic Deccan Traps lava beds of India, are now the prime suspect in the most famous and persistent paleontological murder mystery, say scientists who have conducted a slew of new investigations honing down eruption timing. The main phase of the Deccan eruptions spewed 80 percent of the lava which spread out for hundreds of miles. It is calculated to have released ten times more climate altering gases into the atmosphere than the nearly concurrent Chicxulub meteor impact, according to volcanologist Vincent Courtillot.




The Tertiary System

-

Bhangar, a Khadar

The Gondwana and Tertiary Coal Deposits of India

CoalfieldState Area CoalfieldsWest Bengal Damodar Valley Raniganj (Trans Barakar),Bankura

Darjeeling District

Bagrakote, Tindharia

Bihar Damodar Valley Ranigunj (Cis Barakar), Jharia, Bokaro, Chandrapura, South Karampura, North Karampura, Ramgarh

Rajmahal Area Hura, Gilhuria and Jilbari, Chuparbhita, Pachwara, BrahminiDeogarh Area Kundit Kuria, Sahajuri, JaintiHazaribagh District

Giridhi, Chope, Itkhori.

Bhangar Plains Versus Khadar PlainsPlease note that both of them are of Cenozoic origin. The Bhangar represents the upland alluvial tracts of the Great Plains of India formed by the older alluviums while the new alluvium tracts along the courses of the rivers are known as Khadar. So, historically, Bhangar is older while Khadar is new. The Bhangar soil is dark in color, rich in humus and is more productive. The Khadar is enriched by fresh deposits of silt every rainy season. Khadar consists of silt, clay and mud and is less productive in comparison to Bhangar. In India, both Bhangar and Khadar are under cultivation of many important crops.




Palamu Region Anuranga, Daltongunj, HutarMadha Pradesh

South Rawa Region

Singrauli, Korar, Johilla river, Umaria, Sohagpur

North Chattishgarh Region

Jhilmili, Tatapani-Ramkola, Sanhat, Jharkhand, Chirimiri-Kurasia, Koreagarh, Bassar, Bisrampur, Lakhanpur, Panchbhaini, Dambhamunda, Sendargarh

South Chattishgarh Region

Hasdo -Rampur, Korba, Raigarh, Mand River, Kankani.

Satpura Region MOhpani, Sonada, Sahpur (Tawa), Dulhara (Tawa), Pathakera, Bamhanwara, Upper Tawa Valley, Kanhan Valley, Pench Valley.

Maharashtra Wardha Valley Kamptee, Bandar, Warora, Rajur (Wun), Ghugus – Telwasa, Chanda, Ballarpur, Wamanapalli, Antargaon – Aksapur, Sasti – Rajpura.

Orissa Mahanadi Valley Talcher, Ib river (Rampur – Hingir).Andhra Pradesh

Pranhita –Godavari Valley

Tandur Kanala, North Godavari, South Godavari, Jangam, Chinur-Sendrapalli, Kamavaram, Bandala – Alapalli, Singareni (yellendu), Lingala, Kothagudium, Damar-cherla, Kannergiri, Beddadanuru.

Uttar Pradesh

Kota (in Mirzapur District)

Assam Abor, Aka and Daphla HillsSikkim Ranjit Valley

Tertiary coal

Assam:

Meghalaya: -fields Namchick-

Bum Nagaland:

Physiographic Features of India

Plains Islands

Chapter 2. The Himalayan Mountains




Eight-

--Aruna

-Himalayas.Trans-

HHimalayan Orogeny

-

limestone

Paleo-

Superterranes, -eastern side.

.




Approximate

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CClassification of the Himalaya System




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Geographical RegionalGeological.

GGeographical Regions of Himalaya

evations

Midlands

Trans-Himalaya

Terai belt

Bhabhar belt

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sts

Shivalik Hills & Inner Terai

robusta).

Himala




Lesser Himalaya

Midlands

M

Greater Himalayaoldest

Trans-Himalayas

meters.

- --

-Kinnaur--

Trans-

RRegional Divisions of Himalayas

The Kashmir Himalayas




Mountain - - - - -

The Himachal Himalayas- -

The Kumaun Himalayas / Central Himalayas / Garhwal Himalayas

The Sikkim (Central) Himalayas

Eastern Himalayas & Purvanchal Hills

-

a

c

Garhwal Himalaya versus Kumaon HimalayaThe western part of Kumaon Himalaya is known as Garhwal Himalayan while East as Kumaon. Geographically, Garhwal Himalaya lies between the lat. 29°31' 9'' N and 31°26' 5"N and long. 77°33' 5"E and 80°6' 0"E with a total geographical area of 29,089 km.

Syntaxial bends in HimalayasHimalaya is marked at the both the western and eastern ends by geological Syntaxial bends in rock structure wherein the tight, fault bounded, trapdoor or pop-up uplifts of Naga Parbat on the west and Namche Barwa at the east have occurred in past few million years. These mark the end of Himalayas at both end, more prominently at the western end.




-i

Geological Divisions of Himalayas

sandstones.

-

-

s.

Important Mountain passes in Himalayas

Banihal

-the-ley

Rohtang

-




Bara- Bara- -

-Bomdi-Chang-

-

Dihang--

Important Peaks of HimalayasPeak Name Other names and meaning Eleva

tion Everest Sagarmatha (Nepali), "Head of the World", 8,848K2 Chogo Gangri, Qogir Feng, Mount Godwin Austen, Dapsang 8,611Kangchenjunga Kangchen Dzö-nga, "Five Treasures of the Great Snow" 8,586Lhotse South Peak 8,516Makalu The Great Black 8,462Cho Oyu Qowowuyag, "Turquoise Goddess" 8,201Dhaulagiri White Mountain 8,167Manaslu Kutang, "Mountain of the Spirit" 8,156Nanga Parbat Diamir, "Naked Mountain" 8,126Annapurna Goddess of the Harvests 8,091Gasherbrum I Beautiful Mountain 8,080Broad Peak Faichan Kangri 8,047Gasherbrum II – 8,035Shishapangma Xixiabangma, "Crest Above The Grassy Plains", Gosainthan 8,013Gyachung Kang unknown 7,952Gasherbrum IV – 7,925Masherbrum unknown 7,821Nanda Devi Bliss-giving Goddess 7,817Rakaposhi Shining Wall 7,788Tirich Mir King of Shadows or "King of Tirich Valley" 7,708Gangkhar Puensum

Gankar Punzum, "Three Mountain Siblings" 7,570

Ismoil Somoni Peak

Stalin Peak 1933–1962 7,495

Machapuchare Fish Tail 6,993Ama Dablam Mother And Her Necklace 6,848Kailash Sanskrit: Kail sa Parvata, Tibetan: Kang Rinpoche (Precious Snow Peak),

Mandarin Chinese: G ngrénb qí f ng6,638

(Don’t Cram) source wikipedia

Eastern Himalayas versus Western Himalayas




Western Himalayas Eastern HimalayasExtends till west of River Kali (around 80°E Longitude).Height of the mountains from the plains in this part rises in a number of stages. The high mountain ranges are at a long distance from the plainsAmount of rainfall here is less and is 1/4th of that of Eastern Himalayas. The dominant vegetation in the western Himalayas is Coniferous forests and alpine vegetations. The Natural vegetation reflects the impact of lower rainfall.The altitude of the Western Himalayas is higher than the Eastern HimalayasSnowline is HIGHER than Eastern HimalayasWestern Himalayas receive more precipitation from northwest in the wintersLess biodiversity in comparison to eastern Himalayas

This is considered to be ranging from east of the Singalila ranges in Sikkim (88°E Longitudes) to eastern boundaries of Himalayas. This part rises abruptly from the plains, thus peaks are not faraway from the plains (Example: Kanchenjunga)This region received 4 times more rainfall than western Himalayas. Due to high rainfalls, it is covered with dense forests.Snowline is LOWER than Western HimalayasEastern Himalayas receive more precipitation from south-eastern monsoon in the summers.Much ahead from western Himalayas in terms of Biodiversity and is one of the Biodiversity hotspots

Some more observations: -

f-

The Northern Slopes and Southern Slopes of Himalayas




southern

Chapter 3. The Great Plains-

00

tributaries– —

tion

-

rm

DDivisions of Great Plaingenerally

The Bhabar belt

–

The Terai belt




i

-

The Bhangar belt

r

The Khadar belt

The Delta Plainsns

I

Importance of Great Plains-

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ing




sustainable

Chapter 4. The Thar Desert

Origin of Thar Desert

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July– –

--

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Chapter 5. Central Highlands

Aravallis

hi




Origin of Aravallis:

Aravalli-

Malwa Plateau-

north- -

450-

and Carissa.

Vindhyan Range




-

Vindhyachal Plateau

-

Satpura Range-

-

-

-

The Chhotanagpur PlateauChhota Odisha

-

-




TDharwar

Karbi-Meghalya plateau

Chhota

Karbi--

--

-

Chapter 6. Deccan Plateau

Important Observations on Deccan Plateu

.

-

--




eastwards.

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Plateau.

- -

Chapter 7. Western Ghats

-

Observations about Western Ghatso




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geo-ias2

Documents

gondwana system

tertiary system

himalaya system

dravidian system

cretaceous system

carboniferous period

geology of india

suresh soni