Indian Geography

Physical geo of India

Physiography of India
Northern mountains

Northern plains

Peninsular plateau

Coastal plains
 Northern mountain complex
Trans- 1) Himalayas (Nanga
Himalayas
parbat to Namcha
Him
ala
yas
barwa)
2) Trans-Himalayas
Purvanchal ( Karakoram, Ladakh
and Zaskar)
3) Purvanchal
 Northern mountain complex
Trans- 1) Himalayas (Nanga
Himalayas
parbat to Namcha
Him
ala
yas
barwa)
2) Trans-Himalayas
Purvanchal ( Karakoram, Ladakh
and Zaskar)
3) Purvanchal
The Himalayas
• C-C plate collision
• Fold mt., tertiary
young mt.,
sedimentary rocks of
marine origin
• Not a single range
but series of chain of
mountains
 Phases of formation of Himalayas
Dras-kohistan islands Karakoram ranges
 Phases of formation of Himalayas
Upliftment of Great
Upliftment of mid-Him
Himalayas
 Phases of formation of Himalayas
Upliftment of Shiwaliks Still rising
 North south division of Himalayas
1 1) Great Himalayas
2
3
(Himadri)
2) Middle/ lesser
Himalayas (Himachal)
3) Shiwaliks (Outer
Himalayas)
Great Himalayas
• Highest and most
continuous mountain
range of the world
• Crystalline rocks
• Mount Everest,
Kanchenjunga, Makalu,
Dhaulagiri, Mansalu,
Annapurna
• Nanda devi, Kamet,
Gurla Mandhata
 Middle Himalayas
1 • Mid/lesser-Him
2
3
(Himachal)–
4 5
6
discontinuities –
1) Pir Panjal
2) Dhauladhar
3) Nag tibba
4) Masoorie
5) Kumaon hills
6) Mahabharat (Nepal)
Shiwaliks
• Upliftment of foothills of
Himalayas
• Fluvial in origin –
alluvial fans, coarse
deposits brought by
Himalayan rivers
• Closer to great Him in
Nepal – disappear after
river Gandak
Structure of Himalayas
1) Aravalli and Assam hills
– strong push.
• Middle peninsula –sagged-
convex shape of
Himalayas
2) Sharply bent towards
southward - sudden end
• Western bend near Nanga
parbat and eastern near
Namcha Barwa
• Called syntaxial bend
Structure of Himalayas
• Great Himalayas and
Shiwaliks hog-back
structure
• Gentle sloping northern
face – southern face steep
slope
• Northern side rest against
Tibetan plt
• Snow accumulation on
southern side
Antecedent rivers
• Don’t as a water divide –
river cut across –
antecedent rivers
• Indus, Satluj,
Brahmaputra, Kosi
• Rate of erosion of rivers
are higher than rate of
upliftment of Himalayas
 Erosion process of rivers
antecedent Superimposed rivers
Western and eastern Himalayas
• Indian plate first collide
at its north-western part
to Eurasian plate
• Eastern part still not
collided
Western and eastern Himalayas
• Indian plate then rotate
clockwise – NW part as
hinge
• collision of eastern edge
• Both the portion is now
attached to Eurasian plate
Western and eastern Himalayas
• Indian plate again rotate
anti-clockwise
• Now NE part as hinge
• Western part get away
from the Eurasian plate
partially
• Western portion moves
southward
Western and eastern Himalayas
• NW edge released
• Western Himalayas
spread out
• Western Himalayas
broaden
• That’s why, shiwaliks
gets closer to Great
Himalayas in Eastern part
than in western part
Western and Eastern Himalayas
Western Western Himalayas:
him

Eastern him
From Indus to Kali river

Eastern Himalayas:
From Kali river to
Brahmaputra river
 Difference between W and E Himalayas
Western Himalayas Eastern Himalayas

Great Him, Middle  Great Himalayas +

Himalayas (Dhualadhar,  Middle Himalayas :
Pirpanjal, Kumaon, Nepal Him (Dudwa,
Massoorie range) Muree, Churia) NE Him
(Dafla, Miri, Abor,
Mishmi)
 Nepal Himalayas Himalayas
Western
him
Eastern him Gr Dhaulagiri
ea
tH
im Annapurna
ala
Du yas Mansalu
dhw
a Everest Makalu

Muree

Churia
Kanchenjunga
 West and East Himalayas

Ka
rak M is
or hmi
am
Abor

Pirp Lad
anja ak Miri
l Zas h
kar
Gr
Hi eat Dafla
Dha ma Kanchenjunga
u ladh lay
ar as
 Difference between W and E Himalayas
Western Himalayas Eastern Himalayas

Lower and gradual slope  Higher and steep-sudden

Peaks= k2, Godwin slope
Austin, Gasherbrum,  Peaks= Everest, Makalu,
Masherbrum Annapurna, Dhaulagiri
Located on higher  Located on lower latitude –
latitude –colder warmer
Don’t act as barrier for  Active barrier of south west
north-west monsoon -drier monsoon winds -wetter
 Question
Q. The alpine vegetation in western
Himalayas is found only upto a height
of 3000m while in Eastern Himlayas it UPSC
is found upto a height of 4000m. The
reason for this variation in same
Prelims
mountain range is that:
1995

a) Eastern Himalayas are higher than

western Himalayas
 Question
b) Eastern Himalayas are nearer to
equator and sea than Western Himalayas
c) Eastern Himalayas get more rainfall UPSC
than western Himalayas
d) Eastern Himalayan rocks are more Prelims
fertile than western Himalayas 2010

Ans. C)
 East-West division of Himalayas

Kashmir Kumaon Nepal Sikkim Assam

Him- PN Him him Him Him
(Indus - (Satluj - (Kali - (Kosi - (Teesta -
Satluj) Kali) Kosi) Teesta) Dihang)
 Kashmir-PN Himlayas
• Karakoram, Ladakh,
Ka
Zasakar, Pir panjal,
rak
or
am
Dhaula dhar
Zozila pass
• Zozila pass btwn
Lad
Pirp
anja
l Zas
ak
h
Kashmir and Ladakh
kar
Gr
• Valleys, duns, lakes
Hi eat
Dha ma
u ladh lay
ar as
 Kumaon Himalayas
• West – Garhwal
Gre
at Him
ala
Himalayas
yas
Garhw
al • East –Kumaon Himalayas
• Nandadevi, Kamet,
on
Shi Kuma Badrinath, Kedarnath,
wa
liks
Gangotri
• Source of Ganga, Yamuna
• Nainital and Bhimtal -
lakes
 Nepal Himalayas
• Tallest section of
Gr
Himalayas
ea Dhaulagiri
tH
im
ala Annapurna • Great Himalayas –
yas Mansalu
Ka
Du
dhw peaks –Dhaulagiri,
li r a Everest Makalu
ive
r Ka
rn Muree
Annapurna,
ali
riv
er
Kathmandu
valley
Mansalu, Everest,
Ga
nda Churia Makalu
k ri Kanchenjunga
ver
Kosi river
• Kathmandu valley
 Sikkim Himalayas
• Peak: Kanchenjunga
• Teesta originate near
Kanchenjunga Kanchenjunga
• Jelep la pass- tri-junction
of India- China-Bhutan
Jelep la
pass
 Assam Himalayas
• Himalayas –narrower
M is • Lesser Himalayas close
hmi
Abor to great Himalayas
Diphu
pass
• Peaks: Namcha Barwa,
Miri
Kula Kangri
Dafla • Bengal ‘Duars’
• Diphu pass- tri-junction
of India- China-Myanmar
 Question
Q. Nanda devi peak forms part of:
a) Assam Himalayas
UPSC
b) Kumaon Himlayas
c) Nepal Himalayas
d) Punjab Himalayas Prelims
2003

Ans. B)
Nandadevi - Uttarakhand
“Duns” formation
• When river initially
blocked by rising
mt.
• it spreads out –form
river
lake
lake
“Duns” formation
• Lakes dry out when
river find weak rocks
to cut across the mt.
• Dry lakes = ‘Duns’
• Between great and
lake
river mid-Him
• Dehradun btw
Shiwaliks and
masoorie range
Karewas
• Flat-topped terraces
of Kashmir valley on
flanks of Pir Panjal
• made up of clay,
sands from old
deltaic fans
• Fertile land
 Importance of Himalayas
Prevents cold Siberian wind to enter into India
No Himalayas –No Tibet – No rainfall- India
would have been desert
Himalayas split STWJ into 2 branches – winter
rain
Source of perennial rivers – great fertile plain
 Importance of Himalayas
Forest wealth – great Himalayan NP –unique
Bio diversity
Minerals – coal (Anthracite) at kalakot, Nickel,
Copper, lead, zinc, gold, silver
Most of them cannot be exploited due to
adverse geo conditions
 Question
Q. If there were no Himalayan range,
what would have been the most likely
geographical impact on India? UPSC
1. Much of the country would
experience the cold wave from Prelims
Siberia 2010
2. Indo-Gangetic plain would be
devoid of such extensive alluvial
soils
 Question
3. The pattern of monsoon would be
different from what it is at present.
Which among the above is/are correct? UPSC
a) 1 only
b) 1 and 3 Prelims
c) 2 and 3 2010

d) 1,2,3
Ans. D)
 Question
Q. When you travel in Himalayas, you
will see following:
1. Deep gorges UPSC
2. U-turn river courses
3. Parallel mountain ranges Prelims
4. Steep-gradient causing land-slides 2012

Which of the above can be said to be

evidence for Himalayas being young
fold mountains?
 Question
a) 1 and 2
b) 1,2 and 4
UPSC
c) 3 and 4
d) 1,2,3 and 4
Prelims
2012
Ans. D)
 Trans-Himalayas
• Immediately north of
1
Great Himalayas
2 • Most of them lie in
3 Tibet
1) Karakoram
4
2) Ladakh
3) Zaskar
4) Kailash
• Avg. elevation 3000m
 Ranges and peaks
Karakoram Ladakh Kailash Zaskar

K2 Rakapokshi Kailash Nanga

Parbat
Gasherbrum
 Trans-Himalayas
• Karakoram is home of
Ka
the greatest glaciers of
rak
or
am
world outside polar
regions
Lad
Zas
ak
h
• Siachin, Baltoro, Biafo,
kar Hispar- Glaciers
• Watershed btwn India
and Turkmenistan
 Trans-Himalayas
• Deosai mt. part of
ladakh range
• Origin of Suru river
Deosai
(tri.of Indus)
Shyok
mountains
river • Kailash range is off-
Suru
river
shoot of Ladakh
Ladakh
range range
• Indus river passes
Indus
river
between Ladakh and
Zaskar range
Purvanchal
• Eastern Himalayas
• Same orogeny that of
Himalayas
• Patkaibum, Naga hills,
Manipuri hills, Mizo hills
• Elevation decrease from
north to south
 Purvanchal
Mt. details
Patkai Border between Arunachal Pradesh and
bum Myanmar
Naga hills Highest peak – mt. sharamati
Form water shed between India and Myanmar

Manipuri Border between Manipur and Myanmar

hills Source of R.Manipuri(tri.Chindwin, Myanmar)

Mizo hills Highest peak – blue mt.

 Purvanchal
• Extension of
Purvanchal
continues in
Purvanchal
Myanmar as
Arakan yoma
Arakan yome –
then Andaman and
Andaman and
Nicobar
Nicobar Islands
Physiography of India
Northern mountains

Northern plains

Peninsular plateau

Coastal plains
 Northern plains
• Youngest physiographic
feature in India
2
1
• Depositional flood plain
3
created by Himalayan
rivers
1) Indus
2) Ganga-Yamuna
3) Brahmaputra
Northern Plains
• One of the largest,
continuous and extensive
plains
• Fertile plain- flat
topography -historically
settled –dense population
• 30% of the world’s
population on 10% of
world’s agro-land
 NS division of Northern plains
Bhabhar

Terai

Bangar

Khadar
N-S division of N.Plains
• Bhabhar = alluvial fans
of Himalayan rivers –
coarse depo – large
boulders
• High porosity and
permeability
• Rivers disappear
• Not good for cultivation
N-S division of N.Plains
• Terai:
• Bad drainage
• Rivers re-appears –
swamps, marshy
• Naturally sal forest
• Terai of Bengal and
Bihar more
developed
N-S division of N.Plains
• Bangar:
• old flood plains of rivers
- Dry land
• Colcareous concretion -
Kankar
N-S division of N.Plains
• Khadar – new flood
plains – fresh river
deposition
• Slope btw Bangar and
Khadar:
• PN- ‘Dhayas’, UP-
‘Khol’, Bengal –
‘Bhils’, Bihar –’Taal’
Flood plain of a river Bangar and Khadar

river
Old Flood plain Old Flood plain
New Flood plain Old New
Flood Flood
plain plain
 Northern Plains
• East-West division
2
of plain
1
1) RJ plains (Indus)
3 4
2) PN plains (Indus)
3) Gangetic plains
4) Assam plains
(Brahmaputra)
 RJ Plains
• West of Aravalli
Gangasagar
region
• North: Gangasagar region
• Extension of PN plains of
Thar Indus

r
desert

ga
• West of Aravalli:
e
ng
Ba
i ra
er all Rajasthan Bagar
an

iv
av
iR
th

Ar

n
jas

Lu
• Drained by river Luni
Ra

• Luni merged into Rann of

Kutchh
 RJ Plains
• Rajasthan Bagar: fluvial
grasslands –RJ steppe
• Very fertile –Rohi tracts
Thar • Western most RJ-
desert

r
marusthali/ Thar desert–
ga
Ba

e
ng
er i ra sand dunes “Dhrians”
an

iv
all
iR
th

av

n
jas

Lu
Ar
Ra
 RJ Plains
SW plains: marine origin
Gangasagar • While north movement-
region
Indian plate’s western
Thar margin – marine

r
ga
desert transgression – marine
Ba

e
ng
depo. – oil and gas
an

i ra
th

all
jas

reserve – salt lakes

av
Ar
Ra

SW plains
• Extend to Kutchh
Deserts in RJ
• Tropical desert
• Off-shore trade winds +
local reason – Aravalli
parallel to SW monsoon –
no orographic rain
• Soil is fertile – but
moisture deficiency –
cultivable if relclaimed
 Punjab Plains
• Fluvial plains –Ravi,
Beas and Sutlej (tri. Of
er
Ra
viR
i v
ve r Indus)
Ri
Be
a s
• Khadar plains: fertile but
limitations
ver
Satluj Ri 1) Aridity
2) Basin topography (bad
drainage) - salination
 Gangetic Plains
1
• Divisions:
1) Upper Gangetic
2
plains
2) Middle Gangetic
plains
3
3) Lower Gangetic
plains
Gangetic Plains
Upper ganga
plains
• From Yamuna to
Ghaghara plains
• Rohilkhand
plain
• Sandy deposits
Gangetic Plains
middle ganga plains
• Kosi plain
• Called Magadh /
Awadh /Anga plain
• Flood-prone,
shifting of river
course of Kosi
Gangetic Plains
Lower ganga plains
• Ganga enters WB
• Sundarban delta
• Lowland-almost sea
level
• Sagar Island
• Lothian Is. (N.P)
• Bengal tigers
 Assam Plains
• Brahmaputra largest
river of India (volume)
Kailash mt.
• Origin Mansarovar
lake- enters as Dihang
in Arunachal Pradesh
• River course narrow-
numerous stream flow
-flood prone
 Assam plains
• Streams from north –
Manas
Subansiri D i hang swift flowing – form
Lo hit alluvial fans
iri
1) Manas
Kapilli Dhans
Naga 2) Subansiri,
Garo Khasi hills
Jaintia Barail
• Streams from south plt.
range
–smooth flowing-
3) Dibang
4) Lohit
5) Dhansiri
6) Kapilli
Geological history of India
Physiographical regions of India
Northern mountains
Northern plains