India Flashcards
Describe the divisions of Himalayas and their characteristic
Shivalik - accumulation of conglomerate initial stage, rivers cut lakes and fill with deposits= duars / duns
Lesser Himalaya - Pir Panjal, dhauladhar, Kangra Kullu valley
Great Himachal - Himadri, Granite , metamorphosed, MT Everest
Trans Himalaya = zaskar Ladakh Karakoram and Kailash range
Discuss the significance of Himalayas
- Precipitation at the Ganga plains
- Direct monsoon winds towards north west
- Bring the subtropical jet stream hence monsoon to India If there was no Himalayas India would be arid and cold
- . Fertile soil
- Source of perineal Rivers
- Hydroelectric
- Coniferous and alpine forests
- Agriculture- Shivalik tea , grapes apples mulberry walnut
- Coal at Kashmir copper lead zinc gold precious stones
How are the Ganga plains formed
The basin is formed as a result of the many tributaries from Ganga and Brahmaputra river.They cut and then deposited
What is the significance of the Ganga Brahmaputra plain
This 1/4 of the land of the country
hosts half of the Indian population.
Fertile alluvial soils, flat surface, slow moving perennial rivers and favorable climate facilitate intense agricultural activity.
The extensive use of irrigation has made Punjab, Haryana and western part of Uttar Pradesh the granary of India (Prairies are called the granaries of the world).
The entire plain except the Thar Desert, has a close network of roads and railways which has led to large scale industrialization and urbanization.
Cultural tourism: There are many religious places along the banks of the sacred rivers like the Ganga and the Yamuna which are very dear to Hindus.
Here flourished the religions of Budha and Mahavira and the movements of Bhakti and Sufism.
Discuss the divisions of the Ganga Brahmaputra plane
Bhabhar = porous along the foothills , alluvial fans merge and rivers disappear Tarai = damp, and rivers re-emerged Bhangar = old alluvium Khadar = new alluvium
State the significance of the plateau region
A storehouse of minerals: Most of the minerals in the world are found in plateaus. The extraction of minerals in plateaus is relatively easier on plateaus than mountains.
The major portions of industrial raw materials are obtained from plateaus.
We get gold from the plateau of Western Australia; copper, diamond and gold from the plateaus of Africa;
and coal, iron, manganese and mica from the Chottanagpur Plateau in India.
Generation of hydel-power: The edges of plateaus form waterfalls which provide ideal sites for generating hydel power.
Cool climate: The higher parts of the plateaus even in tropical and sub-tropical regions have a cool climate.
Animal rearing and agriculture: plateaus have large grassland areas suitable for animal rearing especially sheep, goat, and cattle.
The lava plateaus when compared to other plateaus are richer in minerals and hence used for agriculture as the soil is very fertile.
How are plateaus classified
Intermontane Plateaus Piedmont plateaus- at foot of mt Continental plateaus- due to upliftment Volcanic plateaus Dissected plateaus
State the characteristics of the eastern and the western ghats
Western Ghats:-
♥Height: Their height is 900 to 1,600 meters. The highest peak of this region is from Anaimudi with a height of 2,659 km.
♥Slope: They have steep slope as height increases from North to South
♥Continuity: They are continuous and can be crossed through passes only.
♥Rivers:They lie parallel to Western Coast and are source for some rivers.
♥Vegetation:Western Ghats have tropical evergreen forests.They are evergreen to deciduous forests.
Eastern Ghats:-
♥Height: The Eastern Ghats are lower in height than the Western Ghats. It ranges from 600 to 900 meters. Mahendragri 1501 m is the highest peak in Eastern Ghats.
♥Slope :They have a gentle slope.
♥Continuity: They are irregular and discontinuous and dissected by the rivers.
♥Rivers: hey stretch from Mahanadi valley to Niligiris in South. The rivers flow through easily.
♥Vegetation: Eastern Ghats have scrub vegetation due to over-grazing and deforestation…
Why is the western ghats continuous and the eastern ghats dissected
The slope of the Penninsular Plateau of India is from west to east
Godavari Krishna Kaveri rivers emerge from the western cards and flow to the east they come about the hills of the Eastern Ghats and made the Bay of Bengal
There is no large river in the western guards hence it is continuous
Draw a diagram of ocean relief
Abyssal plains Continental shelf Continental slope Submarine canyon, seamount, guyot Volcanic island
What is SHOAL
Natural submerged ridge
What are marginal seas give example
A marginal sea basin, also called a back-arc basin, is a series of small sea basins located between a continent and island arc or among island arcs
South China Sea, black sea,
What are the concerns regarding marginal sees
Marginal seas are more susceptible to pollution than open ocean regions because of the high concentration of human activities near coastlines and rivers.
human impact on marginal seas is related to the fisheries industry.
Ninety percent of the world’s fisheries exist within coastal waters that are located less than 200 kilometers (124 miles) from the shoreline.
industrial sewage disposal, offshore oil drilling, and accidental releases of pollutants, including petroleum products, radioactive waste, detergents, and plastics
What is the gulf
A gulf is a large body of water, sometimes with a narrow mouth, that is almost completely surrounded by land. The world’s largest gulf is the Gulf of Mexico.
What is a Strait
A strait is a narrow passageway of water, usually between continents or islands, or between two larger bodies of water.
What is ithmus
Isthmus is the land-equivalent of a strait. i.e., a narrow strip of land connecting two larger land masses.
What is a bay
A bay is a body of water partially surrounded by land. A bay is usually smaller and less enclosed than a gulf. The mouth of the bay, where meets the ocean or lake, is typically wider than that of a gulf.
The Indus river system consists of which states
Jammu Kashmir Himachal Pradesh and Punjab
Discuss the origin of each river in the Indus river system
Indus at glacier in Kailash Jhelum at verinag in Kashmir Chenab at Bara lacha pass at zaskar range Ravi at Kullu Beas @ Punjab Satluj at mana Sarovar
Discuss the important dams on the Indus river system
Bhakra Dam on Gobind Sagar on the Sutlej river
The Ganga river system involves which states
Rajasthan Haryana Madhya Pradesh Uttar Pradesh Bihar Jharkhand West Bengal
Discuss the important tributaries of Ganga
Left tributaries= Sharda ,Bhangra rapti , Gandak Kosi
Right tributaries- Son
Draw a map of the Ganga river system
See notes
State the important dams in the Ganga river system
Chambal river Kota barrage Dam- irrigation Jawahar Sagar Dam= Power generation Rana Pratap Sagar Dam= Power generation Gandhi Sagar Dam= Power generation
Draw a diagram of the Brahmaputra river system
See notes
Draw a map of the peninsular drainage into the Bay of Bengal
See notes
Draw a diagram of the Arabian Sea drainage
See noltes
Why are there no deltas in the Arabian Sea drainage
The rivers flow through hard rocks hence do not collect siltThe tributaries are small and hence the silt is low in quantity
Why are the Arabian Sea drainage west flowing
This exceptional behavior is because these rivers didn’t form valleys and instead they flow through faults (linear rift, rift valley, trough) created due to the bending of the northern peninsula during the formation process of the Himalayas.
These faults run parallel to the Vindhyas and the Satpuras.
What are the characteristics of inland drainage
In inland drainage streams join lakes or inland seas.They are fed by rainy water.During rains they experience flash floods.During dry season they get dried up.
What are the challenges regarding inland water transport in India
Water Flow: Due to Industrial, Agriculture and habitation the water flows have been decreased over the years this also may have decreased due to impact of dams of on the rivers.
Inadequate water channel Depth: Large vessels cannot traverse without adequate waters in the rivers. This along with the seasonal dependency of rivers makes operation of many ports difficult
Excessive Siltation:-Deforestation and erosion activity of the river leads to problem of siltation making navigation difficult.
Poor Skills and low technology adaptation:-Lack of automation in processes and low multi operation skills affect efficient utilisation of portsIt is a slower mode as compared to Rail and Road by its very nature. So improper navigational aids further hurt its competitiveness with other modes.
What are the advantages of inland water transport in India
Water transport is not only environment-friendly but also cheaper than other modes of transport.
Currently, logistics cost in India is one of the highest among major countries –as per the reports it is 18% in India versus 8-10% in China and 10-12% in European Union.
The acquisition of land for national and State highways is difficult and the cost of construction of roads, flyovers and bridges is high.
So, water transport is good alternative.It will help in the generation of millions of job opportunities.It will boost the maritime trade of the states and augment their economies
.There is a huge potential for domestic cargo transportation as well as for cruise, tourism and passenger traffic.
What are the steps taken towards the inland water transport in India
Jal Marg Vikas Project (JMVP) and Sagarmala are measures taken by Government to support inland water transportation
The Indian Government should focus more and put some special efforts and funds on the development of commercially significant IWT.
It requires the maintenance of a specified water depth and width depending upon the size of vessels expected to use that waterway.
This necessitates the release of adequate discharges.There is a strong need to provide effective rail, road and coastal connections from the waterways for multi-modal logistics.
The terminals should be located close to industrial hubs or consumption centers and should provide connectivity to both rail and Road.
Preservation of existing canals, lakes etc. is an essential ingredient of environmental protection. Inland waterway should not pollute the water way itself.
Discuss the pollution in Ganga the causes and the effects
Causes= urbanisation industries agricultural run-off
Withdrawal of Water: According to a report of the Ministry of Water Resources on the study of minimum flows in the Ganga, impact on river water quality resulting from discharges of treated or untreated wastewater into the river will depend on the dilution offered by the quantum of flows in the river.
However, River Ganga gets starved of water when they enter the plain area.
For instance, the Upper Ganga Canal and the Lower Ganga Canal have left the Ganga downstream almost dry.
Religious practises
Effects =
The results of mercury analysis in various specimens collected along the basin indicated that some fish muscles tended to accumulate high levels of mercury.
Of it, approximately 50–84% was organic mercury. The Ganges river dolphin is one of few species of fresh water dolphins in the world.
Listed as an endangered species, their population is believed to be less than 2000.
The Ganges softshell turtle
Some of the dams being constructed along the Ganges basin will submerge substantial areas of nearby forest.
For example, the Kotli-Bhel dam at Devprayag will submerge 1200 hectares of forest, wiping out the forest area
During the summer and monsoon, hospital wards teem with children who need treatment for waterborne diseases
