differentiate between peninsular plateau and great indian desert.
Answers
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 150mm per year.It has Arid climate with low vegetation cover. Luni is the only large river in this region.
Physical Features of India
The physical features of India can be grouped under the following physiographic divisions.
(i)The Himalayan Mountains
(ii)The Northern Plains
(iii)
The Peninsular Plateau
(iv)
The Indian Desert
(v)The Coastal Plains
(vi)The Islands
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 Highlands.The Vindhyan range is bounded by the Central Highland on the south and the Aravalis on the northwest.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 Deccan Plateau is a triangular landmass that lies to th south of the river Narmada.The Deccan Plateau is higher in the west and slopes gently eastwards.An extension of the Plateau is also visible on the northeast-locally known as the Meghalaya, Karbi-Anglong plateau and the North Cachar Hills.Three Prominent hil ranges from west to 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 respectively. Western Ghats lie parallel to the western coast. They are continuous and can be crossed through passes only.
The Western Ghats are higher than the Eastern Ghats.Their average elevation is 900 -1600 metres
as against 600 metres 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 Western Ghats are known by different local names.The height of the Western Ghats progressively increases from north to south.
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 Deccan Trap.This is of volcanic origin hence the rocks are igneous.