PHYSICAL

FEATURES OF INDIA

GEOGRAPHY ( CHAP – 2)
Weathering, erosion , & deposition

• Weathering = breakdown of rock at the

Earth’s surface , by the action of
rainwater, extremes of temperature and
biological activity
• Erosion = The process of eroding or
being eroded by Wind , water or other
natural agents.
• Deposition = buildup of sediments
 Rock Formation
• 3 types of rocks
- Igneous – Forming by cooling and
solidification of magma or lava (Extrusive &
Intrusive)
- Sedimentary – Due to regular contact with
natural agents rocks will get sediments. Forms
from cementing and compaction of layers of
sediments
- Metamorphic – High heat and pressure.
( Limestone into Marble )
• Opal

Malachite
• Sapphire

• Spinel
• Tanzanite

• Rubby
Diamond

Peridot
 Plate Tectonics, fold, fault & volcanic
activity
• Plate tectonics = Outer rigid layer of the earth ( the
lithosphere ) is divided into a couple of dozen “Plate“ that
move around across the earth’s surface .
• Fold = Constitute the twists and bends in rocks.
• Faults = planes of detachment resulting when rocks on
either side of the displacement slip past one another.
• Volcanic activity = Hot materials from the Earth’s interior are
thrown out of a volcano. Lava , rocks , dust and gas
compounds are some of these “ Ejecta “
Folds and faults
Plate Tectonics
• Convergent Boundaries = One plate eventually slides beneath
the other.( Compression)
• Divergent Boundaries = Two tectonic plates that are moving
away from each other .( Tension)
• Transform Boundaries = plates slide sideways past each
other. Many transform boundaries are found on the sea floor.
California's San Andreas fault is a transform boundary.
( Shear)
Gondwanaland
• was a supercontinent
• During the Carboniferous Period, it merged with Euramerica to
form a larger supercontinent called Pangaea.
• Gondwana (and Pangaea) gradually broke up during the
Mesozoic Era.
• The remnants of Gondwana make up about two thirds of
today's continental area, including South America, Africa,
Antarctica, Australia, Indian Subcontinent and Arabia.
 INDIAN FEATURES
• Himalaya = Unstable
• Northern Plains = Alluvial deposits
• Peninsular Plateau = Igneous & Metamorphic Rocks.
 Physiographic Division of India
6 Divisions
• Himalayan Mountains
• Northern Plains
• Peninsular Plateau
• Indian Desert
• Coastal Plains
• Islands
 Himalaya
• Young and structural fold mountain
• Ranges run in west to east ( The Indus to The Brahmaputra)
• Loftiest and rugged mountain barriers of the world
• Distance 2,400 Km
• Width – 400 km in Kashmir and 150 Km in Arunachal Pradesh
• East side greater than west
• Number of valleys lies
• between these ranges
valley
Himalayan Mountain
• Own geological history & different features
• Grouped into 5 major divisions
South to North
- Outer or Sub Himalayas ( Shiwalik Range)
- Lesser or Lower ( Himachal Himalayas)
- Great Or Inner Himalayan Range ( Himadri Range)
- Tethys or Tibetan Himalayas
- Trans Himalayas
West to east ( 3 Mountainous)
-Western -Central -Eastern
 Shiwalik Range
• Outer most range
• Width 10 to 50 Km
• Altitude ( 900 to 1100 M)
• Valleys are covered with gravel and alluvium
• The longitudinal valley lying between lesser Himalaya and the
Shiwaliks are known as Duns.
• Dehra Dun, Kotli Dun and Patli Dun are some of the well-
known Duns.
Dehra Dun
Kotli Dun
Patli Dun
Lesser or Lower ( Himachal Himalayas)
• The range lying to the south of the Himadri forms the most rugged
mountain system and is known as Himachal or lesser Himalaya
• The ranges are mainly composed of highly compressed and rocks.
• The altitude varies between 3,700 and 4,500 metres and the
average width is of 50 Km.
• While the Pir Panjal range forms the longest and the most
important range
• The Dhaula Dhar and the Mahabharat ranges are also prominent
ones.
• This range consists of the famous valley of Kashmir, the Kangra
and Kullu Valley in Himachal Pradesh.
• This region is well-known for its hill stations.
 Lesser Himalayas
• Pir Panjal
• Longest range
• India's Longest Railway Tunnel ( 11.215 Km) ( Pir Panjal
Railway Tunnel)
• Banihal Road Tunnel

• Deo Tibba & Indrasan ( 2 highest Peak)

 Dhaula Dhar
• Hanumaji ka Tibha ( Tallest Peak)

Mahabarat
Kulu Valley
The Kangra
 Himadri
• The northern-most range is known as the Great
or Inner Himalayas or the Himadri.
• Height of 6,000 metres
• It contains all prominent Himalayan peaks.
• The core of this part of Himalayas is composed
of granite
• It is perennially snow bound, and a number of
glaciers descend from this range.
 Himadri
• Many peaks (8000 m)
Large no.of rivers are there in North of this range

Tethys
Zazkar range
 Trans
Consist of Karakoram, Ladakh , Kailash

Karakoram = 2nd largest peak

Ladakh = Coldest Dessert

Kailash =Outside Indian Territory

 West to East division
• Himalayas have been divided on the basis of regions from west
to east.
• These divisions have been demarcated by river valleys.
• The part of Himalayas lying between Indus and Satluj has been
known as Punjab Himalaya but it is also known regionally as
Kashmir and Himachal Himalaya from west to east respectively.
• The part of the Himalayas lying between Satluj and Kali rivers
is known as Kumaon Himalayas
• The Kali and Teesta rivers demarcate the Nepal Himalayas
• the part lying between Teesta and Dihang rivers is known as
Assam Himalayas
 Purvachal
• The Brahmaputra marks the eastern-most boundary of the
Himalayas.
• Beyond the Dihang gorge, the Himalayas bend sharply to the
south and spread along the eastern boundary of India.
• They are known as the Purvachal or the Eastern hills
• These hills running through the north-eastern states are mostly
composed of strong sandstones, which are sedimentary rocks.
• Covered with dense forests, they mostly run as parallel ranges
and valleys.
• The Purvachal comprises the Patkai hills, the Naga hills, the
Manipur hills and the Mizo hills.
 • Poorvanchal
• North to south mountains
• Run through the states of Arunachal
Pradesh,Nagaland , Manipur , & Mizoram
• Arunachal Pradesh – Patkoi hills
• Nagaland – Naga hills
• Manipur – Manipur hills
• Mizoram – Lushai hills
Northern Plains
 Northern Plain
• formed by the interplay of the three major river
systems, namely — the Indus, the Ganga and the
Brahmaputra along with their tributaries
• This plain is formed of alluvial soil.
• The deposition of alluvium in a vast basin lying
at the foothills of the Himalaya over millions of
years, formed this fertile plain.
• It spreads over an area of 7 lakh sq. km. The
plain being about 2400 km long and 240 to 320
km broad, is a densely populated physiographic
division.
• The rivers coming from northern mountains are
involved in depositional work.
• In the lower course, due to gentle slope, the
velocity of the river decreases, which results in
the formation of riverine islands.
• "Riverine means anything that is related to
rivers. Islands which gets formed in the river
when the water level drops down is
called riverine islands.
• Majuli, in the Brahmaputra river, is the largest
inhabited riverine island in the world.
• The temperature ranges from 8 to 4 degree C
depending upon the time of the year .
• Are best suited for agriculture as the soil found
in this region is very fertile
• Main crops ( Rice , Wheat , sugar cane ,
millets, jute & Maize)
• Almost , 70 % of Wheat produced in India &
50 % of Rice produced in India comes from
Northern Plains.
• The rivers in their lower course split into numerous
channels due to the deposition of silt. These channels are
known as distributaries.

• The Northern Plain is broadly divided into three sections.

• The Western part of the Northern Plain is referred to as the
Punjab Plains.
• Formed by the Indus and its tributaries, the larger part of
this plain lies in Pakistan.
• The Indus and its tributaries — the Jhelum, the Chenab, the
Ravi, the Beas and the Satluj originate in the Himalaya.
• This section of the plain is dominated by the doabs.
(Doab is an area of land that lies between two converging
rivers.)
• The Ganga plain extends between Ghaggar and Teesta rivers. It is
spread over the states of North India, Haryana, Delhi, U.P., Bihar,
partly Jharkhand and West Bengal to its East
• Particularly in Assam lies the Brahmaputra plain.
 • The Ganga Basin
• Begins from the Gangotri Glacier in the Himalayas
• Yamuna , Gomti and Son are some tributaries which join
river Ganga
• This Basin covers the states of Haryana, Delhi , Uttar
Pradesh , Bihar , and part of Jarkhand and west Bengal.
• When Ganga enters into West Bengal it splits into 2
branches
• Padma & Hoogly
Padma flows through Bangladesh
Hoogly flows through West Bengal
• .
 • The Brahmaputra Basin
• Formed by river Brahmaputra
• Originates in Tibet & flows parallel to Himalayan
Mountains as Tsangpo
• Enters India through Arunachal Pradesh called Dihang
• Then, it flows through Assam and finally enters
Bangladesh
• Then it joins river Ganga before entering the Bay of
Bengal
• This 2 rivers form the world’s largest Delta called
Ganga- Brahmaputra delta (called sunderbans)
• These vast plains also have diverse relief
features.
• According to the variations in relief features, the
Northern plains can be divided into four regions
• Bhabar , Terrai, bhankar and kadar
• The rivers, after descending from the mountains
deposit pebbles in a narrow belt of about 8 to 16
km in width lying parallel to the slopes of the
Shiwaliks. It is known as bhabar.
• All the streams disappear in this bhabar belt.
• South of bhabar belt, the streams and rivers re-
emerge and create a wet, swampy and marshy
region known as terai.
• This was a thickly forested region full of
wildlife.
• The forests have been cleared to create
agricultural land and to settle migrants from
Pakistan after partition.
• Locate Dudhwa National Park in this region.
• The largest part of the northern plain is formed of older
alluvium.
• It lies above the floodplains of the rivers and presents
a terracelike feature.
• This part is known as bhangar.
• The soil in this region contains calcareous deposits,
locally known as kankar.
• The newer, younger deposits of the floodplains are
called khadar.
• They are renewed almost every year and so are fertile,
thus, ideal for intensive agriculture
 The Peninsular Plateau
• The Peninsular plateau is a tableland composed
of the old crystalline, igneous and metamorphic
rocks
• It was formed due to the breaking and drifting of
the Gondwana land and thus, making it a part of
the oldest landmass.
• The plateau has broad and shallow valleys and
rounded hills.
• This plateau consists of two broad divisions,
namely, the Central Highlands and the Deccan
Plateau.
• The part of the Peninsular plateau lying to the north of
the Narmada river, covering a major area of the Malwa
plateau, is known as the Central Highland
• The Vindhyan range is bounded by the Satpura range
on the south and
• The Aravalis on the northwest
• The further westward extension gradually merges with
the sandy and rocky desert of Rajasthan.
• The flow of the rivers draining this region, namely the
Chambal, the Sind, the Betwa and the Ken is from
southwest to northeast, thus indicating the slope
• The Central Highlands are wider in the west but
narrower in the east.
• The eastward extensions of this plateau are locally
known as the Bundelkhand and Baghelkhand
• The Chotanagpur plateau marks the further eastward
extension, drained by the Damodar river.
• The Deccan Plateau is a triangular landmass that lies to
the south of the river Narmada.
• The Satpura range flanks its broad base in the north,
while the Mahadev, the Kaimur hills and the Maikal
range form its eastern extensions.
• The Deccan Plateau is higher in the west and slopes
gently eastwards.
• An extension of the Plateau is also visible in the
northeast, locally known as the Meghalaya, Karbi-
Anglong Plateau and North Cachar Hills.
• It is separated by a fault from the Chotanagpur Plateau.
• Three prominent hill ranges from the west to the east are
the Garo, the Khasi and the Jaintia Hills
• The Western Ghats and the Eastern Ghats mark the western and
the eastern edges of the Deccan Plateau
• The Western Ghats are higher than the Eastern Ghats
• Their average elevation is 900– 1600 meters as against 600
meters of the Eastern Ghats.
• The Eastern Ghats stretch from the Mahanadi Valley to the
Nigiris in the south.
• The Eastern Ghats are discontinuous and irregular and dissected by
rivers draining into the Bay of Bengal.
• The Western Ghats cause orographic rain by facing the rain
bearing moist winds to rise along the western slopes of the Ghats.
• The highest peaks in western Ghats include the Anai
Mudi (2,695 metres) and the Doda Betta (2,637 metres)
• Mahendragiri (1,501 metres) is the highest peak in the Eastern
Ghats
• One of the distinct features of the Peninsular plateau is
the black soil area known as Decean Trap
 The Indian Desert
• The Indian desert lies towards the western margins of the Aravali
Hills.
• It is an undulating sandy plain covered with sand dunes.
• This region receives very low rainfall below 150 mm per year.
• It has arid climate with low vegetation
cover.
• Streams appear during the rainy season.
• Soon after they disappear into the sand as
they do not have enough water to reach
the sea.
• Luni is the only large river in this region.
• Barchans (crescent-shaped dunes) cover larger
areas but longitudinal dunes become more
prominent near the Indo-Pakistan boundary
The Coastal Plains
• Arabian Sea on the west
• the Bay of Bengal on the east.
• The western coast, sandwiched between the Western
Ghats and the Arabian Sea
• It consists of three sections:
• The northern part of the coast is called the Konkan
(Mumbai – Goa)
• The central stretch is called the Kannad Plain
• The southern stretch is referred to as the Malabar
coast
• The plains along the Bay of Bengal are wide and
level.
• In the northern part, it is referred to as the Northern
Circar, while the southern part is known as the
Coromandel Coast.
• Large rivers, such as the Mahanadi, the Godavari, the
Krishna and the Kaveri have formed extensive delta
on this coast.
• Lake Chilika is an important feature along the eastern
coast.
• The Chilika Lake is the largest salt water lake in
India. It lies in the state of Odisha, to the south of
the Mahanadi delta.
 The Islands
• India has two groups of islands
• The Lakshadweep Islands group lying close to the Malabar
coast of Kerala
• Andaman and Nicobar islands located in the Bay of Bengal
extending from north to south
The Lakshadweep Islands
• In earlier they were known as Laccadive,
Minicoy and Amindive
• In 1973, these were named as Lakshadweep.
• It covers small area of 32 sq km.
• Kavaratti island is the administrative
headquarters of Lakshadweep.
• The Pitti island, which is uninhabited, has a
bird sanctuary
 Andaman and Nicobar islands
• divided into two broad categories – The Andaman in the north
and the Nicobar in the south
• India’s only active volcano is found on Barren island in
Andaman and Nicobar group of Islands.