Geo l10 physio_india_part_2_0.2

Indian GeographyPhysical geography of India

Geological history of India

Physiography of India

Indian weather: seasons

Climatic regions of India

Soils of India

3 proto-continents Rift valley

Aravalli

Dhrawad

SinghbhumNarmada Son

GodavariM

ahanadi

Damodar

Crack over western coast

Break up from Gondawana

Western Ghats Northern Plains

Slope: South eastern

Northern mountains

Northern plains

Peninsular plateau

Coastal plains

Physiography of India

•Pre-Cambrian old region•8 divisions:

1) N-C highlands2) S-C highlands3) Eastern plateau4) North Deccan5) South Deccan6) Western Ghats7) Eastern Ghats8) Meghalaya

uplands

Indian peninsular plateau

1) N-C highlands2) S-C highlands3) Eastern plateau4) North Deccan5) South Deccan6) Western Ghats7) Eastern Ghats8) Meghalaya

uplands

Indian peninsular plateau

1) Aravalli2) Mahabharat

Uplands3) Madhya Bharat

Pathar4) Bundelkhand

N-C highlands

1 4

32

•One of the oldest mt range•Sedimentary, metamorphosed rocks – marble, quartzite•From Palanpur to Delhi ridge•Source of Sabarmati, Luni and Banas (tri. Chmbal)

Aravalli range

•Granite, gneissic rocks•Drought-prone – low agro-productivity• Jhansi, Gwalior, Hamirpur

Bundelkhand

1) Vindhyan range2) Malawa plateau3) Narmada valley

S-C highlands

1

2

3

•From GJ to Bihar •Rifting- southern slope steeper than northern slope

Vindhyan range

•Source of many north flowing rivers•Chmabal, Sindh, Betwa and Ken

(tributaries of Yamuna)•Water divide of central India

Vindhyan range

Vindhyan range

•Located btwn Arvalli and Vindhyan range•Semi arid region•Faulty agro-practice- high soil erosion – gully erosion- ‘Chambal badlands’•Historically known as Khandesh

Malawa plateau

1) Baghelkhand2) Garhjat hills, 3) Rajmahal hills, 4) Mahanadi basin, 5) Dandkarnya6) Chotanagpur

plateau

Eastern plateau

12

36

45

•Craton of Singhbhum – metallic mineral rich•Rifting along Damodar valley – 2 parts

N. – Hazaribaug PlateauS. – Ranchi plateauDamodar and MahanadiRifting – coal formationUnique coal + iron combination

Chhota Nagpur plateau

Ranchi plt

Hazaribaug plt

•Rajmahal hills NE edge of Chhota Nagpur plt.•Garhjat hills – southern edge of Chhotanagpur plt

Chhota Nagpur plateau

Garhjat hills

Rajmahal hills

•Radial drainage1) North koel, (tri. Of Son), 2) Damodar, Barakar3) Subarnrekha4) South koel rivers (tri. Of Brahmani)

Chhota Nagpur plateau

Chhota Nagpur plateau

North koel river

Subarnarekha river

South Koel

•3 parts of plateau•Garo-Khasi-Jaintia•Garo (Nokrek), Khasi (Shillong)•Mikir, Regma, Barail ranges•Kapilli river separates mikir, Regma & Barail from Meghalaya plateau

Meghalaya Plateau

Mikir hills

Regma hills

Kapilli river

•Extension of Peninsular block•Separated from Chhotanagpur plateau•Down warping along Rajmahal –garo hills = ‘malda gap’•Ganga-Brahmaputra flow through the Malda gap

Meghalaya Plateau

Rajmahal hills

Malda gap

•Hills are not very high•Not effective in blocking the rain bearing winds – reach till Arunachal Pradesh•But pass with funnel effect – heavy rainfall in Meghalaya•But inadequate storage – water shortage

Meghalaya Plateau

Monsoon winds

• India pass over Reunion hot spot•Basaltic lava flow•Layer over layer of lava formation•Look like steps – traps

Deccan traps

•Satpura range (Rajpipla, Gawilgarh, Mahaev, Maikal, Amarkantak plt.)•Maharastra plateau

North Deccan

Satpura range

MH plateau

• fold mt. of Archaenean –then faulting

1) Rajpipla (GJ)2) Gawilgarh (MH) 3) Mahadeo (MP), 4) Maikal (Chh)•Highest peak – Dhupgarh (Mahadeo)

Satpura range

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3 4

•Amarkantak plateau- east of Maikal range•Source of Narmada and Son (tri. Of Ganga)•Betul plateau – south of Mahado hills•source of river Tapi, Pench/ Wainganga river (Tri. Of Godavari)

Satpura Range

12

3 4

Betul plateau

Amarkantak plateau

Prelims2007

Q. Which one of the following rivers originate in Amarkantak?a) Damodarb) Mahanadic) Narmadad) Tapi

Ans. c)

UPSC

Question

•Shield –crystalline rocks•Overland by lava flow• In south merge with KN plateau and in east with Telangana plateau

MH plateau

MH plateau

Ajantasatmala

BalaghatHarishchandra

Telangana plt

KN plt

Wes

tern

Gha

ts

1) KN -Dharwad plt•One of the oldest physiographical region

2) Telangana plateau

South Deccan

2

•Baba budan hills, Maidan and Malnad•Malnad = forested Maidan = arid•Highest peak of Baba Budan = Mulangiri

KN plateau

plain

Malnad

Maidan

Banglore plateau

Baba

bud

an h

ills

•The most oldest sedimentary rocks of India•Ancient Dharwad craton (shield) – metallic mineral rich region•Shimoga, Tumkur and Chitradurg, Chikmaglur of KN – mineral rich

Dharwad plateau

• Iron and limestone•Bellary (KN) and upto Ratnagiri (MH) – Fe ore•Kemangundi and Kudremukh mines (near Chikmaglur)

Dharwad plateau

•Arachaean gneisses •Avg. elevation 500-600m•Southern portion higher than northern part•North – Satmala hills•South Sheshachalam hills, Rayanseema plt•Drained by Godavari, Krishna and Penneru

Telangana plateau

Godavari river

Krishna river

Penneru river

Benglore plateau

Telangana plateau

Satmala hills

Sheshachalam hills

•GJ-MH-KN-TN-KR•Ajanta – Satmala – Balaghat – Harishchandra•Highest peak: Anaimudi•Passes:•Thalghat – Btwn Mumbai-Nashik•Bhor ghat – btwn Mumbai -Pune

Western Ghats

AjantaSatmala

Balaghat

Harishchandra

•More rainfall in KN•Steeper in MH, lower and broader in KN•KR – isolated hills – rain bearing wind pass between gaps

Western Ghats: Rainfall pattern

•KN:• Gentle slope= Air parcel can retain energy and speed for a long time, allowing cloud droplets to grow and precipitate as rainfall.• In Karnataka, mountains are continuous. No gaps= Clouds can’t easily escape to leeward side.

Western Ghats: Rainfall pattern

•Western Ghats- UNESCO world heritage site (evergreen to thorn)•KN-TN-KR region:•SHOLA forest –biosphere reserve –unique BD – above 2000m •Stunted tropical montane forest

Western Ghats: ecology

•KN-KR-TN region:•Bandipur-Waynad-Mudumalai NP • Largest population of leopards • leopards + tigers+ wild dogs• TN – tea-coffee •KN –rubber, coffee, cashew plantation•KR- spices

Western Ghats: ecology and agriculture

Discontinuous range lower than western Ghats 1) Northern circas2) Nallamalla3) Palkonda4) Javadi5) Shevroy•Highest peak: Armakonda

Eastern Ghats

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34

5

•Laterite soils•Bauxite deposits:1) Malaygiri2) Niyamgiri3) Baflai mali4) Panchpat mali

•POSCO plant, Niyamgiri

Eastern Ghats

`112

4

3

•South of Western Ghats but geologically not part of Western Ghats or Eastern Ghats

1) Nilgiri,2) Anamalai3) Palani4) Kardamom hills

Southern hill complex

1

23

4

•Palghat – btwn Nilgiri and Annamalai hills•Shenkotta gap– btwn Cardamom

Hill stations:•Nilgiri – Ooty•Annamalai – Munnar•Palani hills - Kodaikanal

Southern complex

Nilgiri

Palanicardamom

Annamalai

Prelims2005

Q. Which one of the following is correct sequence of hills starting from north to south?a) Nallamalla –Nilgiri –Javadi –

Anamalai hillsb) Anamalai – Javadi –Nilgiri-

Nallamalla hillsc) Nallamalla –Javadi – Nilgiri-

Anamalai hills

UPSC

Question

Prelims2005

d) Anamalai – Nilgiri – javadi- Nallamalai

UPSC

Question

Hills of South India

Nilgiri

Palanicardamom

Annamalai

Nallamalla

Javadi

Prelims2005

c) Nallamalla –Javadi – Nilgiri- Anamalai hills

Ans. C)

UPSC

Question

Prelims2008

Q. Which of the following hills are found where Western Ghats and Eastern Ghats meet?a) Anamalai hillsb) Cardamom hillsc) Nilgiri hillsd) Shevroy hills

UPSC

Question

•Ans. C)Nilgiri hills

Physical map of Southern India

Prelims2005

Q. Which of the following is not correct?a) Western Ghats are relatively

lower in their northern regionb) The Anaimudi is highest peak in

western Ghatsc) Tapi river lie south of Satpurad) The Narmada and Tapi river

valley are said to be old rift valleys

Ans. A)

UPSC

Question

Peninsular plateau – oldest and most stable region

Rich in minerals – iron, limestone, bauxite

98% of Gondwana coalPeninsular: ‘Regur’ black soil important for cotton and sugarcane cultivation

Plantation agriculture in hilly areas: tea, coffee, rubber, spices, cashews

Importance of Peninsular plateau

Northern mountains

Northern plains

Peninsular plateau

Coastal plains

Physiography of India

•From Rann of Kutch to Sundarban

1) Western coastal plain

2) Eastern coastal plain

Coastal plains

1 2

•Narrower than Eastern coastal plain•Steeper fast flowing rivers – No alluvial deposits•Rivers form Estuaries and not deltas•Good for Port development

Western coastal plain

• Formation of 2 gulfs: gulf of Khambhat and gulf of Kutchh•Narmada, Mahi,Tapi and Sabarmati flow into Gulf of Khambhat•Kathiawar: radial drainage• Islands: Alia bet, Pirotan island, Diu•Baidar, Kora, Kurumbhar Is in g. of Kutchh

Western coastal plain

Saba

rmati

Mah

i

Narmada

Tapi

•KR coast/Malabar coast:•Vembnad lake•Periyar river merge near Vembnad lake• Inner side – Ernakulam and outward side - Kochi

Western coastal plain

kochi

Vembnad lake

Periyar river

Annamalai hills

•Broader •Large rivers –extensive delta formation•Mahanadi delta•Godavari delta• Krishna delta• Kaveri deltas

Eastern coastal plain

•Odisha coast: •Wheeler Is. –missile testing•Chilka lake (biggest)•Olive ridley turtles –Ganjam coast- (nr. Mouth of Rushikulya river)

Eastern Coastal Plain

Wheeler Is.

Rushikulya river

Chilka lake

•Andhra coast:•Kolleru lake –deltaic lake (Goadavari and Krishna rivers)•Pulicut lake – split bar Shriharikota Is. (ISRO rocket launching station)

Eastern Coastal plains

Kolleru lake

Pulicut lake +Shriharikota Island

•TN coast:•Winter rainfall•Rameshwaram – Pamban Island – last point – Dhanushkondi•Gulf of Mannar – biosphere reserve•Ram setu issue

Eastern PlainPalar river

Vaigai river

Kaveri river

Cardamom hills

Shevroy hills

Javadi hills

Northern mountains

Northern plains

Peninsular plateau

Coastal plains

Physiography of India