Indian Geography

Physical geography of India

Geological history of India

Physiography of India

Indian weather: seasons

Climatic regions of India

Soils of India
3 proto-continents Rift valley

Aravalli
Singhbhum

Dhrawad
Crack over western coast Break up from Gondawana
Western Ghats Northern Plains

Slope: South
eastern
Physiography of India

Northern mountains

Northern plains

Peninsular plateau

Coastal plains
 Indian peninsular plateau
• Pre-Cambrian old 1) N-C highlands
region 2) S-C highlands
• 8 divisions: 3) Eastern plateau
4) North Deccan
5) South Deccan
6) Western Ghats
7) Eastern Ghats
8) Meghalaya uplands
Indian peninsular plateau
1) N-C highlands
2) S-C highlands
3) Eastern plateau
4) North Deccan
5) South Deccan
6) Western Ghats
7) Eastern Ghats
8) Meghalaya uplands
 N-C highlands
1) Aravalli
2) Mahabharat
2 Uplands
3
3) Madhya Bharat
1 4
Pathar
4) Bundelkhand
Aravalli range
• One of the oldest mt
range
• Sedimentary,
metamorphosed rocks
– marble, quartzite
• From Palanpur to Delhi
ridge
• Source of Sabarmati,
Luni and Banas (tri.
Chmbal)
Bundelkhand
• Granite, gneissic rocks
• Drought-prone – low
agro-productivity
• Jhansi, Gwalior,
Hamirpur
 S-C highlands
1) Vindhyan range
2) Malawa plateau
2
1
3) Narmada valley

3
Vindhyan range
• From GJ to Bihar
• Rifting- southern slope
steeper than northern
slope
Vindhyan range
• Source of many
north flowing
rivers
• Chmabal, Sindh,
Betwa and Ken
(tributaries of
Yamuna)
• Water divide of
central India
Malawa plateau
• Located btwn
Arvalli and
Vindhyan range
• Semi arid region
• Faulty agro-
practice- high soil
erosion – gully
erosion- ‘Chambal
badlands’
• Historically known
as Khandesh
 Eastern plateau
1) Baghelkhand
2) Garhjat hills,
3) Rajmahal hills,
1 6
3 4) Mahanadi basin,
4
2
5) Dandkarnya
6) Chotanagpur plateau
5
Chhota Nagpur plateau
• Craton of Singhbhum –
Hazaribaug metallic mineral rich
plt
• Rifting along Damodar
valley – 2 parts
N. – Hazaribaug Plateau
S. – Ranchi plateau
Ranchi plt Damodar and Mahanadi
Rifting – coal formation
Unique coal + iron
combination
Chhota Nagpur plateau
• Rajmahal hills NE edge
Rajmahal
hills of Chhota Nagpur plt.
• Garhjat hills – southern
edge of Chhotanagpur
plt

Garhjat
hills
 Chhota Nagpur plateau
• Radial drainage
1) North koel, (tri. Of
Son),
2) Damodar,
Subarnarekha Barakar
river
North koel
river
3) Subarnrekha
Chhota Nagpur
plateau 4) South koel rivers
(tri. Of Brahmani)
Meghalaya Plateau
• 3 parts of plateau
• Garo-Khasi-Jaintia
• Garo (Nokrek), Khasi
(Shillong)
• Mikir, Regma, Barail
Mikir
hills
ranges
Regma • Kapilli river separates
hills
mikir, Regma & Barail
Kapilli river from Meghalaya
plateau
 Meghalaya Plateau
• Extension of Peninsular
block
• Separated from
Chhotanagpur plateau
• Down warping along
Rajmahal Rajmahal –garo hills =
hills
‘malda gap’
Malda gap
• Ganga-Brahmaputra
flow through the Malda
gap
Meghalaya Plateau
• Hills are not very high
• Not effective in
blocking the rain
bearing winds – reach
till Arunachal Pradesh
• But pass with funnel
effect – heavy rainfall
Monsoon
winds in Meghalaya
• But inadequate storage
– water shortage
Deccan traps
• India pass over Reunion
hot spot
• Basaltic lava flow
• Layer over layer of lava
formation
• Look like steps – traps
 North Deccan
• Satpura range
(Rajpipla, Gawilgarh,
Mahaev, Maikal,
Amarkantak plt.)
Satpura range • Maharastra plateau
MH plateau
 Satpura range
• fold mt. of Archaenean
–then faulting
1) Rajpipla (GJ)
1
2
3 4 2) Gawilgarh (MH)
3) Mahadeo (MP),
4) Maikal (Chh)
• Highest peak –
Dhupgarh (Mahadeo)
 Satpura Range
• Amarkantak plateau-
east of Maikal range
• Source of Narmada and
2
3 4 Son (tri. Of Ganga)
1
• Betul plateau – south
Betul
Amarkantak
plateau
of Mahado hills
• source of river Tapi,
plateau

Pench/ Wainganga
river (Tri. Of Godavari)
 Question
Q. Which one of the following rivers
originate in Amarkantak?
UPSC
a) Damodar
b) Mahanadi
c) Narmada
d) Tapi Prelims
2007
Ans. c)
 MH plateau
• Shield –crystalline
Ajanta
rocks
MH plateau
Balaghat • Overland by lava
flow
Telangana plt
• In south merge with
KN plateau and in
east with
KN plt Telangana plateau
 South Deccan
1) KN -Dharwad plt
• One of the oldest
physiographical region
2) Telangana plateau

2
 KN plateau
• Baba budan hills,
Maidan and Malnad
Maidan • Malnad = forested
Malnad Maidan = arid
• Highest peak of Baba
plain
Budan = Mulangiri
Banglore
plateau
Dharwad plateau
• The most oldest
sedimentary rocks of
India
• Ancient Dharwad
craton (shield) –
metallic mineral rich
region
• Shimoga, Tumkur and
Chitradurg, Chikmaglur
of KN – mineral rich
Dharwad plateau
• Iron and limestone
• Bellary (KN) and upto
Ratnagiri (MH) – Fe ore
• Kemangundi and
Kudremukh mines
(near Chikmaglur)
 Telangana plateau
• Arachaean gneisses
Satmala hills
• Avg. elevation 500-600m
Telangana
• Southern portion higher
plateau than northern part
Krishna river
• North – Satmala hills
• South Sheshachalam
hills, Rayanseema plt
Sheshachalam
hills • Drained by Godavari,
Benglore plateau Krishna and Penneru
 Western Ghats
• GJ-MH-KN-TN-KR
Satmala Ajanta • Ajanta – Satmala –
Balaghat –
Balaghat
Harishchandra
Harishchandra
• Highest peak: Anaimudi
• Passes:
• Thalghat – Btwn
Mumbai-Nashik
• Bhor ghat – btwn
Mumbai -Pune
Western Ghats: Rainfall pattern
• More rainfall in KN
• Steeper in MH, lower
and broader in KN
• KR – isolated hills –
rain bearing wind
pass between gaps
Western Ghats: Rainfall pattern
• KN:
• Gentle slope= Air parcel
can retain energy and
speed for a long time,
allowing cloud droplets
to grow and precipitate
as rainfall.
• In Karnataka, mountains
are continuous. No
gaps= Clouds can’t
easily escape to leeward
side.
Western Ghats: ecology
• Western Ghats-
UNESCO world heritage
site (evergreen to
thorn)
• KN-TN-KR region:
• SHOLA forest –
biosphere reserve –
unique BD – above
2000m
• Stunted tropical
montane forest
Western Ghats: ecology and agriculture
• KN-KR-TN region:
• Bandipur-Waynad-
Mudumalai NP
• Largest population of
leopards
• leopards + tigers+ wild
dogs
• TN – tea-coffee
• KN –rubber, coffee,
cashew plantation
• KR- spices
 Eastern Ghats
Discontinuous range
lower than western
Ghats
1) Northern circas
2) Nallamalla
3) Palkonda
2 1
4) Javadi
3
4 5) Shevroy
5
• Highest peak:
Armakonda
 Eastern Ghats
• Laterite soils
• Bauxite deposits:
1) Malaygiri
`
1
2) Niyamgiri
3 1
2
3) Baflai mali
4
4) Panchpat mali

• POSCO plant, Niyamgiri

 Southern hill complex
• South of Western
Ghats but
geologically not part
of Western Ghats or
Eastern Ghats
1) Nilgiri,
1 2) Anamalai
3 3) Palani
2
4
4) Kardamom hills
 Southern complex
• Palghat – btwn
Nilgiri and
Annamalai hills
• Shenkotta gap–
btwn Cardamom
Hill stations:
Nilgiri
• Nilgiri – Ooty
• Annamalai –
Palani
cardamom
Munnar
Annamalai • Palani hills -
Kodaikanal
 Question
Q. Which one of the following is
correct sequence of hills starting
from north to south? UPSC
a) Nallamalla –Nilgiri –Javadi –
Anamalai hills
b) Anamalai – Javadi –Nilgiri-
Nallamalla hills Prelims
2005
c) Nallamalla –Javadi – Nilgiri-
Anamalai hills
 Question
d) Anamalai – Nilgiri – javadi-
Nallamalai
UPSC

Prelims
2005
 Hills of South India

Nallamalla

Javadi
Nilgiri

Palani
cardamom
Annamalai
 Question
c) Nallamalla –Javadi – Nilgiri-
Anamalai hills
UPSC

Ans. C)

Prelims
2005
 Question
Q. Which of the following hills are
found where Western Ghats and
Eastern Ghats meet? UPSC
a) Anamalai hills
b) Cardamom hills
c) Nilgiri hills Prelims
d) Shevroy hills 2008
Physical map of Southern India
• Ans. C)
Nilgiri hills
Q. Which of the following is not Question
correct?
a) Western Ghats are relatively UPSC
lower in their northern region
b) The Anaimudi is highest peak in
western Ghats
c) Tapi river lie south of Satpura Prelims
d) The Narmada and Tapi river valley 2005
are said to be old rift valleys
Ans. A)
 Importance of Peninsular plateau
Peninsular plateau – oldest and most stable
region
Rich in minerals – iron, limestone, bauxite
98% of Gondwana coal
Peninsular: ‘Regur’ black soil important for
cotton and sugarcane cultivation
Plantation agriculture in hilly areas: tea,
coffee, rubber, spices, cashews
Physiography of India

Northern mountains

Northern plains

Peninsular plateau

Coastal plains
 Coastal plains
• From Rann of Kutch to
Sundarban
1) Western coastal
plain
2) Eastern coastal plain

1 2
Western coastal plain
• Narrower than Eastern
coastal plain
• Steeper fast flowing
rivers – No alluvial
deposits
• Rivers form Estuaries
and not deltas
• Good for Port
development
Western coastal plain
• Formation of 2 gulfs: gulf
of Khambhat and gulf of
Kutchh
• Narmada, Mahi,Tapi and
Sabarmati flow into Gulf
of Khambhat
• Kathiawar: radial
drainage
• Islands: Alia bet, Pirotan
island, Diu
• Baidar, Kora, Kurumbhar
Is in g. of Kutchh
 Western coastal plain
• KR coast/Malabar
coast:
• Vembnad lake
• Periyar river merge
near Vembnad lake
Periyar
river
• Inner side – Ernakulam
kochi
and outward side -
Vembnad lake Annamalai
Kochi
hills
Eastern coastal plain
• Broader
• Large rivers –extensive
delta formation
• Mahanadi delta
• Godavari delta
• Krishna delta
• Kaveri deltas
Eastern Coastal Plain
• Odisha coast:
• Wheeler Is. –
missile testing
Wheeler
Is.
• Chilka lake
(biggest)
Chilka lake • Olive ridley turtles
–Ganjam coast-
Rushikulya
river (nr. Mouth of
Rushikulya river)
Eastern Coastal plains
• Andhra coast:
• Kolleru lake –deltaic
lake (Goadavari and
Krishna rivers)
Kolleru
• Pulicut lake – split bar
lake Shriharikota Is. (ISRO
Pulicut lake
+Shriharikota rocket launching
Island
station)
 Eastern Plain
Palar
river
• TN coast:
Javadi hills • Winter rainfall
Shevroy hills • Rameshwaram –
Kaveri
Pamban Island – last
river point – Dhanushkondi
• Gulf of Mannar –
Cardamom
biosphere reserve
Vaigai
hills
river • Ram setu issue
Physiography of India

Northern mountains

Northern plains

Peninsular plateau

Coastal plains