Peninsular Plateau Part 1 PDF

6. Peninsular Plateau South of 22° north latitude, the Indian mainland tapers off into the Indian Ocean as the peninsula. It is a tableland of old crystalline, igneous, and metamorphic rocks. It is mainly composed of four billion years old Archaean gneisses and schists. It is fo...

6. Peninsular Plateau South of 22° north latitude, the Indian mainland tapers off into the Indian Ocean as the peninsula. It is a tableland of old crystalline, igneous, and metamorphic rocks. It is mainly composed of four billion years old Archaean gneisses and schists. It is formed from the Gondwana land breakup, thus making it a part of the oldest landmass and the most stable landmass of India. The Peninsular Plateau covers around 16 lakh km2 with an average elevation of 600-900 m above sea level. It has been above sea level for millions of years, except in some areas. The outer extent constitutes 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 the Meghalaya Plateau in the northeast and Rajasthan in the west are also extensions of this plateau. 73 Hence, the peninsular plateau includes the entire south India (Deccan Plateau and the Eastern Ghats and Western Ghats), central India, Aravallis, Rajmahal hills, Meghalaya plateau and the PMF IAS IPG Kutch-Kathiawar region (Gujarat). Most peninsular rivers flow west to east, indicating a general slope. Exceptions include the Narmada and Tapti, which flow from east to west in a rift valley.  The Peninsular Plateau has undergone recurrent phases of upliftment and submergence accompa- nied by crustal faulting and fractures. E.g. The Bhima fault, which experiences recurrent seismic activities. Divisions of the Peninsular Plateau Marwar Plateau or Mewar Plateau The Marwar Plateau is situated in eastern Rajasthan, east of the Aravallis. It comprises sandstone, shales, and limestones from the Vindhyan period. Its average elevation is 250-500 m.  The Marwar Plain is located west of the Aravallis. The Banas River, along with its tributaries such as the Berach and Khari Rivers, originates in the Aravallis and flows into the Chambal River. River erosion creates a rolling plain on the plateau.  Rolling Plain: They are not completely flat; there are slight undulations or rises and falls in the landform. E.g., Prairies of the USA Central Highlands The Central Highland is also known as Madhya Bharat Pathar or Madhya Bharat Plateau. It forms the northernmost boundary of the Deccan plateau. It is located east of the Marwar or Mewar Upland. It is a classic example of relict mountains, highly denuded and forming disjointed ranges. It is wider in the west but narrower in the east. Its average elevation is 700 to 1000 m above sea level. A rolling landscape with rounded hills of sandstone characterises it. Most of the plateau constitutes the basin of the Chambal River, which flows through a rift valley. Kali Sindh, Banas, and Parbati are its main tributaries. To the north are the Chambal ravines. Bundelkhand Upland This plateau, which covers UP and MP, comprises the old, dissected upland of granite and gneiss. Its average elevation is 300 to 600 meters above sea level. The Yamuna River borders Bundelkhand Plateau to the north, Central Highlands to the west, Vin- dhyan Scarplands to the east and southeast, and Malwa Plateau to the south. Various streams, including Betwa and Ken, flow through the plateau. The plateau is characterised by senile topography (indicative of old age) and river erosion has rendered the plateau uneven, mak- ing it unfit for cultivation. Malwa Plateau 74 The 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. PMF IAS IPG This rolling plateau is composed of extensive lava flow, covered with black soil. It is dissected by rivers, with the northern part marked by the Chambal ravines.  It 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 Baghelkhand is 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. It has uneven topography, with general elevation varying from 150 to 1,200 m. The central part of the plateau serves as a water divide between the Son River system in the north and the Mahanadi River system in the south. Chotanagpur Plateau Chotanagpur Plateau represents the northeastern projection of the Indian Peninsula. It covers Jhar- khand, Chhattisgarh, and the Purulia district of WB. It consists of a series of plateaus of different elevations. The average elevation is 700 m. It is primarily composed of Gondwana rocks. The Gondwana coal fields are situated here. Drained by numerous rivers, the plateau exhibits 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 is the Hazaribagh plateau, with an average elevation of 600 m. This plateau features isolated hills and appears like a peneplain due to extensive erosion. Ranchi Plateau To the south of the Damodar Valley is the Ranchi Plateau, rising to about 600 m. The surface is mainly rolling, with monadnocks and conical hills interrupting the landscape. Rajmahal Hills The Rajmahal Hills forms the northeastern edge of the Chotanagpur Plateau. They have been dis- sected into separate plateaus. They are predominantly made of basalt and covered by lava flows. The average elevation is 400 m, with the highest peak at 567 meters.  Peneplain: It is a gently undulating, almost featureless plain produced by fluvial erosion during the final stage of geomorphic cycles.  Monadnock: An isolated hill of bedrock standing above the general level of the surrounding area. 75 Deccan Plateau PMF IAS IPG The Deccan Plateau, triangular in shape, is the largest unit of the Peninsular Plateau. Rivers have further subdivided this plateau into smaller plateaus.  The Satpura and Vindhya Ranges border the Deccan Plateau in the northwest, the Mahadev and Maikal Ranges in the north, the Western Ghats in the west, and the Eastern Ghats in the east. The average elevation of the plateau is 600 m. Its general slope is from west to east, indicated by the flow of its major rivers like Mahanadi, Godavari, Krishna, and Cauvery. Maharashtra Plateau The Maharashtra Plateau constitutes the northern part of the Deccan Plateau. It is mostly underlain by basaltic rocks originating from volcanic lava (part of the Deccan Traps). The horizontal lava sheets have given rise to Deccan Trap topography (step-like formations). The landscape resembles a rolling plain due to weathering. The 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. The step-like appearance of Deccan Traps Karnataka Plateau or Mysore Plateau The Karnataka Plateau is located south of the Maharashtra Plateau. The area appears as a rolling plateau with an average elevation of 600 to 900 m. It is extensively dissected by numerous rivers originating from the Western Ghats. The plateau is divided into two regions: 1. Malnad (which means hill country in Kannada) has deep valleys with dense forests. 2. Maidan consists of rolling plains with low granite hills. 76 The hills are generally parallel or perpendicular to the Western Ghats. The highest peak of the plat- eau, Mulangiri (1913 m), is situated in the Baba Budan Hills of Chikmagalur. PMF IAS IPG The plateau gradually narrows between the Western Ghats and the Eastern Ghats in the south, finally merging with the Nilgiri Hills. Telangana plateau  The Telangana Plateau has an average elevation of 500 to 600 m. The southern part of the plateau is higher than its northern counterpart. The plateau features Ghats (hill ranges), hillocks and peneplains. The region is drained by three river systems — Godavari, Krishna, and Penneru. Chhattisgarh Plain The Chhattisgarh Plain is the only true plain in the Peninsular Plateau. It is a saucer-shaped depres- sion drained by the upper Mahanadi River. The entire basin is situated between the Maikal Range and the Odisha hills. The general elevation of the plain ranges from 250 to 330 m. Haithaivanshi Rajputs historically ruled the region. Its name, Chhattisgarh, is derived from its thirty- six forts. Meghalaya Plateau or Shillong Plateau Meghalaya Plateau is an 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. This area receives maximum rainfall from the southwest monsoon. Mawsynram in Meghalaya, In- dia, is the wettest place on the Earth. [UPSC 2007] Assertion and Reasoning Assertion (A): River Kalinadi is an east-flowing river in the southern part of India. Reason (R): The Deccan Plateau is higher along its western edge and gently slopes towards the Bay of Bengal in the east. a) Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A b) Both A and R are true but R is not a correct explanation of A c) A is true but R is false d) A is false but R is true 77 Explanation PMF IAS IPG Kaalinadi The Kali River, also known as Kaalinadi, flows through the Uttara Kannada district of Karnataka. The river, spanning 184 kilometers, rises in the Western Ghats and flows into the Arabian Sea. Answer: d) A is false but R is true [UPSC 1997] Consider the map given below: The place marked A, B, C and D in the map are respectively: a) Rift valley region, Chhattisgarh plain, Rain shadow region and Chota Nagpur b) Chhattisgarh plain, Chota Nagpur plateau, Rift valley region, and Rain shadow region c) Rift valley region, Chhattisgarh plain, Chota Nagpur plateau and Rain shadow region d) Chhattisgarh plain, Rain shadow region, Chota Nagpur plateau and Rift valley region Explanation Regions such as the Rift Valley, the Chhattisgarh Plain, the Chota Nagpur Plateau, and the Rain Shadow region are notable geographical features in India. The Rift Valley experiences 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. The Chhattisgarh Plain, characterized by vast undulating tracts, boasts rich rice fields and serves as a significant area for cotton and oilseed cultivation. It is also rich in coal, iron ore, bauxite, manganese, and commercial clays. The Chota Nagpur Plateau spans across Jharkhand, parts of Odisha, West Bengal, Bihar, and Chhattisgarh. It is bordered by the Indo-Gangetic plain to the north and east, and the basin of the Mahanadi River lies to the south. A rain shadow region refers to a dry area on the leeward side of mountain ranges. These moun- tains obstruct rain-producing weather systems, creating a dry "shadow" behind them. Notable examples include the eastern side of the Sahyadri ranges on the Deccan Plateau, en- 78 compassing regions like northern Karnataka, Sholapur, Beed, Osmanabad, and Vidarbha. Answer: c) Rift valley region, Chhattisgarh plain, Chota Nagpur plateau and Rain shadow re- PMF IAS IPG gion Hills of the Peninsular Plateau