PHYSICAL FEATURES OF INDIA #JKSSB

 INDIA'S PHYSICAL PROPERTIES

 "Plate Tectonics Theory." According to this idea, the earth's crust (upper portion) is made up of seven major and minor plates. Plate movement causes tensions to build up within the plates and in the continental rocks above, resulting in folding, faulting, and volcanic activity. While some plates converge and form a convergent border, others move apart from each other. Some plates separate and develop divergent boundaries as they move apart from one another. The majority of earthquakes occur along plate borders, however some occasionally occur within the plates. The earliest landmass (the Peninsula portion) belonged to Gondwana. India, Australia, South Africa, South America, and Antarctica were all part of the Gondwana landmass. Convectional currents broke the crust into several parts, causing the Indo-Australian plate to move northward after being detached from the Gondwana landmass. The plate collided with the much larger Eurasian Plate as a result of its northward motion. The sedimentary strata collected in the Tethys geosyncline were folded as a result of this collision, forming the mountain range of western Asia and the Himalaya. Land of Gondwana: It's the southern half of Pangea, with Angara Land in the north. The northern plains of India were formed by a flat area with huge alluvial deposits. Alluvial sediments make up the northern plains. With gently rising hills and vast valleys, the peninsular plateau is made up of igneous and metamorphic materials. India's physical characteristics can be classified into the following physiographic divisions. Mountains of the Himalayas From the Indus to the Brahmaputra, these mountain ranges run west to east. The Himalayas are one of the highest and most challenging mountain ranges on the planet. They create an arc that spans around 2,400 kilometers. They range in width from 400 kilometers in Kashmir to 150 kilometers in Arunachal Pradesh.

The Great or Inner Himalayas, often called as the 'Himadri,' are the highest mountain range in the world. It is the longest range, with the highest peaks rising to an average height of 6,000 meters. It encompasses all of the major Himalayan summits. The Great Himalayan folds are asymmetrical by nature. Granite makes up the core of this Himalayan region. A number of glaciers descend from this range, which is perpetually snowbound.

The Himachal, or smaller Himalaya, range lies to the south of the Himadri and forms the most rugged mountain system.

The longest and most important range is the PIR Panjal, but the Dhaula Dhar and Mahabharat ranges are also noteworthy.

In Himachal Pradesh, this range includes the famed Kashmir Valley, the Kangra Valley, and the Kullu Valley. This area is noted for its hill stations.

The Shiwaliks are the furthest reaches of the range. They span 10 to 50 kilometers in width and range in altitude from 900 to 1100 meters. These mountains are made up of unconsolidated sediments that have been washed down from the main Himalayan ranges to the north. These valleys are covered in alluvium and heavy gravel.

Duns are the longitudinal valleys that run between the lower Himalaya and the Shiwaliks. Some of the well-known Duns include Dehra Dun, Kotli Dun, and Patli Dun. The Kumaon Himalayas are located between the Satluj and Kali rivers in the Himalayas. The Nepal Himalayas are defined by the Kali and Tista rivers, whereas the Assam Himalayas are defined by the Tista and Dihang rivers. The Brahmaputra forms the Himalayas' easternmost border. The Himalayas bend abruptly to the south beyond the Dihang canyon and spread along India's eastern border. The Purvachal are their name.

Patkai hills, Naga hills, Manipur hills, and Mizo hills make up the Purvachal.

The Plains of the North

The northern plain is formed by the confluence of three major river systems, notably the Indus, Ganga, and Brahmaputra, as well as their tributaries.

Alluvial soil makes up this plain. this thriving plain

The plain, which stretches for around 2400 kilometres and is 240 to 320 kilometres wide, is a densely inhabited physiographic division.

It is an agriculturally very productive portion of India, with a rich soil cover, enough water supply, and a favourable climate.

The river's velocity reduces, resulting in the creation of riverine islands.

Majuli is the world's biggest populated riverine island, located in the Brahmaputra River.

Due to silt deposition, rivers in their lower reaches break into several channels. Distributaries are the term for these channels.

The Punjab Plains are the westernmost section of the Northern Plain. The Indus and its tributaries shaped the landscape.

Between the Ghaggar and Teesta rivers is the ganga plain. It is found across the states of North India, including Haryana, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and parts of Jharkhand and West Bengal to the east, particularly in Assam.

After descending from the mountains, the rivers deposit pebbles in a narrow strip about 8 to 16 kilometres wide that runs parallel to the Shiwaliks' slopes. It's referred to as bhabar. In the bhabar belt, all streams disappear.

The streams and rivers re-emerge south of this belt, forming the terai, a damp, swampy, and marshy environment. Older alluvium makes up the majority of the northern plain. They have a terrace-like appearance and are located above the river's flood plains. Bhangar is the name for this area.

Khadar refers to the flood plains' newer, younger deposits. They are productive and replenished practically every year, making them excellent for intensive agriculture.

The Peninsular Plateau is the highest point on the peninsula.

The Peninsular plateau is a tableland made up of crystalline, igneous, and metamorphic rocks from the past.

The Central Highlands and the Deccan Plateau are the two major sections of this plateau.

The Central Highlands are a section of the Peninsular plateau to the north of the Narmada river that covers a large portion of the Malwa plateau.

The Vindhyan range is bordered on the south by the Central Highlands and on the northwest by the Aravalis. The sand and rocky desert of Rajasthan eventually blends with the farther westward extension.

The rivers that drain this region, including as the Chambal, Sind, Betwa, and Ken, flow from southwest to northeast, indicating the slope.

Towards the west, the Central Highlands are wider, but in the east, they are narrower. The Bundelkhand and Baghelkhand are local names for the plateau's eastward extensions.

The Chotanagpur plateau, drained by the Damodar River, marks the further eastward extension.

The Deccan Plateau is a triangular plateau lying south of the Narmada River.

The Satpura range runs parallel to its broad base in the north, while the Mahadev, Kaimur Hills, and Maikal ranges run parallel to it on the east.

The Garo, Khasi, and Jaintia Hills are three prominent hill ranges that go from west to east.

The Western Ghats run parallel to the coast. They run indefinitely and can only be traversed by passages. In comparison to the Eastern Ghats, the Western Ghats are higher. The Eastern Ghats have an average elevation of 600 metres, but the Western Ghats have an average elevation of 900– 1600 metres.

From the Mahanadi Valley to the Nigiris in the south, the Eastern Ghats run.

The Eastern Ghats are dissected by rivers that flow into the Bay of Bengal, making them discontinuous and uneven.

By allowing rain-carrying moist winds to climb along the western slopes of the Ghats, the Western Ghats create orographic rain.

The Anai Mudi (2,695 metres) and the Doda Betta are the highest peaks (2,637 metres).

The highest mountain in the Eastern Ghats is Mahendragiri (1,501 metres). To the southeast of the Eastern Ghats lie the Shevroy Hills and the Javadi Hills.

The black soil area known as Decean Trap is one of the peninsular plateau's most distinctive features.

The rocks are igneous because they are volcanic in origin.

Deserts of India

The Indian desert is located on the western outskirts of the Aravali Mountains. It's a sand-dunes-covered undulating sandy plain.

It has a dry climate with little vegetation. During the wet season, streams appear. They quickly vanish into the sand since they don't have enough water to reach the sea.

The Luni River is the only large river in the area.

Longitudinal dunes are more prominent near the Indo-Pakistan border than barchans (crescent-shaped dunes).

Plains of the Coastal Plain

It is divided into three pieces. The northern half of the coast is known as the Konkan (Mumbai–Goa), while the central stretch is known as the Kannad Plain and the southern stretch as the Malabar coast.

The plains that run parallel to the Bay of Bengal are broad and level. The Northern Circar in the north is known as the Northern Circar, whereas the Coromandel Coast in the south is known as the Coromandel Coast. On this shore, large rivers like the Mahanadi, Godavari, Krishna, and Kaveri have built huge deltas. Lake Chilika, south of Mahanadi, is a significant landmark along the eastern shore.

The country's islands are divided into two categories. The Lakshadweep Islands are a collection of islands off Kerala's Malabar coast. Small coral islands make up this group of islands.

They used to be called Laccadive, Minicoy, and Amindive.

It is only 32 square kilometres in size. Lakshadweep's administrative headquarters are on the island of Kavaratti.

A bird sanctuary is located on the desolate Pitti island.

These are the islands of Andaman and Nicobar.