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Questions and Answers
What is the average elevation of the Hazaribagh plateau?
Which rivers are NOT mentioned as part of the drainage pattern of the Gondwana coal fields?
What type of topography is created due to the basaltic rocks in the Maharashtra Plateau?
Which of the following plateaus features monadnocks and conical hills?
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What is the average elevation of the Rajmahal Hills?
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What is the average elevation range of the Karnataka Plateau?
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Which range borders the Deccan Plateau in the northwest?
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What characteristic is associated with the drainage basins of the Gondwana coal fields?
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Which region of the Karnataka Plateau consists of rolling plains and low granite hills?
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What is the highest peak of the Karnataka Plateau?
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Which rivers are primarily associated with the average slope of the Deccan Plateau?
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Which of the following river systems drains the Telangana Plateau?
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Which is the only true plain within the Peninsular Plateau?
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What is the highest point of the Meghalaya Plateau?
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How is the Chhattisgarh Plain geographically characterized?
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Which mineral resources can be found in the Meghalaya Plateau?
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What is the average elevation of the relict mountains mentioned?
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Which river flows through the basin of the Chambal River?
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Which of the following characterizes the Bundelkhand Plateau?
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Which drainage system is associated with the Malwa Plateau?
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What type of rock primarily composes the Chotanagpur Plateau?
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What defines the general topography of Baghelkhand?
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Which plateau is known for having both limestone and granite in its composition?
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What is the geographical location of the Malwa Plateau?
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What is the primary composition of the Peninsular Plateau?
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Which of the following regions is NOT an extension of the Peninsular Plateau?
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What is the average elevation of the Peninsular Plateau?
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Which rivers generally flow west to east from the Peninsular Plateau?
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Which plateau is located east of the Aravallis and includes sandstone and shales?
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What geological processes have affected the Peninsular Plateau?
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Which of the following is known as the northernmost boundary of the Deccan Plateau?
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What type of landform is primarily created by river erosion on the Marwar Plateau?
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Which of the following correctly describes the river Kalinadi?
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What is the significance of the Deccan Plateau in relation to its slope towards the Bay of Bengal?
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Which statement best analyzes the relationship between the assertion A and reasoning R?
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What characterizes the Chhattisgarh Plain?
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Which geographical region is associated with crustal spreading?
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What describes the location and borders of the Chota Nagpur Plateau?
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What type of resources can be found in significant quantities in the Chhattisgarh Plain?
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Which of the following rivers flows through the Rift Valley system?
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Study Notes
Peninsular Plateau
- South of 22° north latitude, the Indian mainland narrows into the Indian Ocean, forming the peninsula.
- This plateau is characterized by ancient, crystalline, igneous, and metamorphic rocks, primarily Archaean gneisses and schists, dating back 4 billion years.
- It is a remnant of the Gondwana land breakup, making it one of the oldest and most stable landmasses in India.
- The Peninsular Plateau covers approximately 1.6 million km2 with an average elevation of 600-900 m above sea level.
- For millions of years, it has remained above sea level, except in specific areas.
- Its outer boundary encompasses the Delhi Ridge in the northwest, Rajmahal Hills in the east, Gir range in the west, and Cardamom Hills in the south.
- The Karbi Anglong and Meghalaya Plateaus in the northeast and Rajasthan in the west are also extensions of this plateau.
- Most peninsular rivers flow west to east, indicating a general slope.
- Exceptions include the Narmada and Tapti, which flow east to west through a rift valley.
- The plateau has experienced numerous upliftment and submergence phases accompanied by crustal faulting and fractures.
- The Bhima fault, for instance, experiences recurrent seismic activity.
Marwar Plateau or Mewar Plateau
- Situated in eastern Rajasthan, east of the Aravallis.
- Comprises sandstone, shales, and limestones from the Vindhyan period.
- Average elevation is 250-500 m.
Marwar Plain
- Located west of the Aravallis.
- The Banas River, with tributaries like Berach and Khari Rivers, originates in the Aravallis and flows into the Chambal River.
- River erosion has created a rolling plain on the plateau.
Central Highlands
- Also known as Madhya Bharat Pathar or Madhya Bharat Plateau.
- Forms the northernmost boundary of the Deccan plateau.
- Situated east of the Marwar or Mewar Upland.
- An example of relict mountains, highly denuded and forming disjointed ranges.
- Wider in the west, narrower in the east.
- Average elevation is 700 to 1,000 m above sea level.
- Characterized by a rolling landscape with rounded hills of sandstone.
- The plateau primarily constitutes the basin of the Chambal River, flowing through a rift valley.
- Kali Sindh, Banas, and Parbati are its main tributaries.
- To the north are the Chambal ravines.
Bundelkhand Upland
- Covers UP and MP.
- Comprises old, dissected upland of granite and gneiss.
- Average elevation is 300 to 600 meters above sea level.
- Borders the Yamuna River to the north, Central Highlands to the west, Vindhyan Scarplands to the east and southeast, and Malwa Plateau to the south.
- Various streams, including Betwa and Ken, flow through the plateau.
- Characterized by senile topography (indicating old age) and uneven terrain due to river erosion, rendering it unsuitable for cultivation.
Malwa Plateau
- Roughly forms a triangle based on the Vindhyan Hills.
- Bounded by the Aravalli Range in the west, Madhya Bharat Pathar to the north, and Bundelkhand to the east.
- Composed of extensive lava flow, covered with black soil.
- Dissected by rivers, with the northern part marked by the Chambal ravines.
- Has two drainage systems - one towards the Arabian Sea (Narmada, Tapti, Mahi) and the other towards the Bay of Bengal (Chambal, Betwa, joining the Yamuna).
Baghelkhand
- Located north of the Maikal Range and bounded by the Son River on the north.
- The western part comprises limestone and sandstone, while the eastern part features granite.
- Uneven topography, with general elevation varying from 150 to 1,200 m.
- The central part serves as a water divide between the Son River system in the north and the Mahanadi River system in the south.
Chotanagpur Plateau
- Represents the northeastern projection of the Indian Peninsula.
- Covers Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, and the Purulia district of WB.
- Series of plateaus with different elevations.
- Average elevation is 700 m. Primarily composed of Gondwana rocks.
- Home to the Gondwana coal fields.
- Drained by numerous rivers, exhibiting a radial drainage pattern.
- Rivers like the Damodar, Subarnarekha, North Koel, South Koel, and Barkar have developed extensive drainage basins.
Hazaribagh Plateau
- North of the Damodar River.
- Average elevation of 600 m.
- Features isolated hills and appears like a peneplain due to extensive erosion.
Ranchi Plateau
- South of the Damodar Valley.
- Rises to about 600 m.
- Primarily rolling, with monadnocks and conical hills interrupting the landscape.
Rajmahal Hills
- Form the northeastern edge of the Chotanagpur Plateau.
- Dissected into separate plateaus.
- Predominantly made of basalt and covered by lava flows.
- Average elevation is 400 m, with the highest peak at 567 meters.
Deccan Plateau
- Triangular in shape, the largest unit of the Peninsular Plateau.
- Further subdivided into smaller plateaus by rivers.
- Bordered by the Satpura and Vindhya Ranges in the northwest, the Mahadev and Maikal Ranges in the north, the Western Ghats in the west, and the Eastern Ghats in the east.
- Average elevation is 600 m.
- General slope is from west to east, indicated by the flow of major rivers like Mahanadi, Godavari, Krishna, and Cauvery.
Maharashtra Plateau
- Constitutes the northern part of the Deccan Plateau.
- Underlain by basaltic rocks originating from volcanic lava (part of the Deccan Traps).
- Horizontal lava sheets have given rise to Deccan Trap topography (step-like formations).
- The landscape resembles a rolling plain due to weathering.
- Broad and shallow valleys of the Godavari, Bhima, and Krishna Rivers are bordered by flat-topped, steep-sided hills and ridges.
- The entire area is covered by black cotton soil known as regur.
Karnataka Plateau or Mysore Plateau
- Located south of the Maharashtra Plateau.
- Rolling plateau with an average elevation of 600 to 900 m.
- Extensively dissected by numerous rivers originating from the Western Ghats.
- Divided into two regions:
- Malnad (means "hill country" in Kannada) with deep valleys and dense forests.
- Maidan consists of rolling plains with low granite hills.
- The hills are generally parallel or perpendicular to the Western Ghats.
- The highest peak of the plateau, Mulangiri (1913 m), is situated in the Baba Budan Hills of Chikmagalur.
- The plateau gradually narrows between the Western Ghats and the Eastern Ghats in the south, finally merging with the Nilgiri Hills.
Telangana Plateau
- Average elevation of 500 to 600 m.
- The southern part of the plateau is higher than its northern counterpart.
- Features Ghats (hill ranges), hillocks, and peneplains.
- Drained by three river systems—Godavari, Krishna, and Penneru.
Chhattisgarh Plain
- The only true plain in the Peninsular Plateau.
- Saucer-shaped depression drained by the upper Mahanadi River.
- The entire basin is situated between the Maikal Range and the Odisha hills.
- General elevation ranges from 250 to 330 m.
- Historically ruled by Haithaivanshi Rajputs.
- Its name, Chhattisgarh, is derived from its thirty-six forts.
Meghalaya Plateau or Shillong Plateau
- Eastward extension of the peninsular plateau beyond Rajmahal Hills.
- The Garo-Rajmahal Gap (or Malda fault) in West Bengal separates this plateau from the main block.
- The gap is filled with sediments deposited by the Ganga and Brahmaputra rivers.
- The eastward extension of the Meghalaya Plateau is called the Karbi Anglong Plateau.
- Its western boundary roughly coincides with the Bangladesh border.
- The western, central, and eastern parts of the plateau are known as the Garo Hills (900 m), the Khasi-Jaintia Hills (1,500 m), and the Mikir Hills (700 m).
- Shillong, with an elevation of 1,961 m, is the highest point on the plateau.
- Like the Chotanagpur plateau, the Meghalaya plateau is rich in mineral resources like coal, iron ore, sillimanite, limestone, and uranium.
- Receives maximum rainfall from the southwest monsoon.
- Mawsynram in Meghalaya, India, is the wettest place on Earth.
River Kaalinadi
- Also known as the Kali River.
- Flows through the Uttara Kannada district of Karnataka.
- Spans 184 kilometers.
- Rises in the Western Ghats and flows into the Arabian Sea.
Rift Valley Region
- Characterized by crustal spreading, leading to deeper erosion.
- Major rivers flowing through the Rift Valley include the Narmada, Tapti (west-flowing), and the Damodar River in the Chota Nagpur Plateau.
Chhattisgarh Plain
- Characterized by vast undulating tracts, rich in rice fields.
- Significant area for cotton and oilseed cultivation.
- Rich in coal, iron ore, bauxite, manganese, and commercial clays.
Chota Nagpur Plateau
- Spans across Jharkhand, parts of Odisha, West Bengal, Bihar, and Chhattisgarh.
- Bordered by the Indo-Gangetic plain to the north and east.
- The basin of the Mahanadi River lies to the south.
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Description
Test your knowledge about the Peninsular Plateau of India, its geological history, and its geographical features. This quiz will cover aspects such as the types of rocks found, the area's elevation, and the rivers that flow across this ancient landmass.
