Landforms, Rivers & Deserts of Pakistan

Vocabulary practice flashcards covering the physical features, plateaus, plains, river systems, and deserts of Pakistan for O Level Pakistan Studies (2059).

Plateau

A flat, elevated landform that rises sharply above the surrounding area on at least one side.

Balochistan Plateau

A massive, hyper-arid upland in southwestern Pakistan with an average elevation between $600$ and $900\,\text{m}$ (spanning up to $3,010\,\text{m}$), characterized by inland drainage, low rainfall (under $200\,\text{mm}$ annually), and mineral reserves such as Sui natural gas.

Karez

An ancient traditional underground canal system in arid regions where tunnels are excavated into hill slopes to tap the water table and carry water to valleys via gravity without losing it to evaporation.

Hamuns

Temporary, shallow inland salt lakes or playas where seasonal streams accumulate and evaporate in closed drainage basins, leaving salt crusts behind.

Hamun-i-Mashkel

The largest temporary salt lake (hamun) in the Balochistan Plateau, situated near the Iranian border.

Potwar Plateau

A plateau in northern Punjab situated between the Indus and Jhelum rivers, bounded on the south by the Salt Range, with an elevation of $300\text{--}600\,\text{m}$ and characterized by a heavily dissected badland relief.

Khaderas

The local name for deep ravines, gullies, and ridges carved out by water and wind erosion across the Potwar Plateau.

Loess

Fine-grained, windblown silt deposits that cover the Potwar Plateau and are highly susceptible to gully erosion when protective vegetation is cleared.

Barani Farming

Rain-fed agriculture that relies entirely on seasonal rainfall rather than canal irrigation, common in the Potwar Plateau for cultivating wheat, maize, barley, and mustard.

Salt Range

A rugged geological hill range bordering the southern edge of the Potwar Plateau, characterized by steep slopes, bare rock, and rich mineral deposits including rock salt, gypsum, limestone, and coal.

Plain

An extensive area of level or gently undulating land, usually situated at a low altitude.

Tributary

A river or stream that flows into a larger river or lake rather than directly into an ocean or sea.

Doab

A tract of land situated between two converging rivers, derived from the terms 'Do' (two) and 'Ab' (water).

Sindh Sagar Doab

The doab land tract located between the Indus River and the Jhelum River.

Chaj Doab

The doab land tract located between the Chenab River and the Jhelum River.

Rachna Doab

The doab land tract situated between the Ravi River and the Chenab River.

Bari Doab

The doab land tract situated between the Sutlej River and the Ravi River.

Active Flood Plain

The low-lying flat area adjacent to a river channel that is inundated every year during flood season, receiving a fresh layer of new alluvium.

Khaddar

The fresh, fertile, flood-renewed silty alluvium deposited annually on the active flood plain.

Old Flood Plain (Cover Flood Plain)

A relatively higher flat area of river alluvium that is inundated only during severe floods roughly every $7\text{--}8$ years, depositing older alluvium.

Bhangar

Older, elevated alluvial deposits found on the old flood plain and alluvial terraces that are not renewed by annual floods.

Scarp (Bluff)

A distinct, steep slope or bank that separates the lower old flood plain from the higher alluvial terrace (bar upland).

Alluvial Terrace (Bar Upland)

An elevated, flat highland built up by historical river deposition in the center of a doab, elevated safely above flood levels and ideal for farming, settlements, and industry.

Meander

A pronounced, sweeping, zig-zag winding loop or curve formed along the middle and lower course of a river.

Oxbow Lake

A curved, crescent-shaped lake formed when a river cuts through the narrow neck of a meander loop, abandoning the old channel.

Levee

A naturally occurring elevated ridge or embankment built up along the banks of a river channel by the deposition of coarse sediment when floodwaters overtop the banks.

Braided Channel

A wide river channel that divides into a network of small, shallow, interlaced branching channels separated by temporary islands or sediment bars.

Piedmont Plain

A gently sloping plain stretching outward from the foothills or base of a mountain range, such as the Sulaiman and Kirthar ranges.

Derajat

The local name for the piedmont plain located along the eastern foothills of the Sulaiman Range.

Alluvial Fan

A fan-shaped landform of silt, sand, and gravel created when fast-flowing, seasonal mountain streams abruptly slow down and diverge into braided channels upon reaching the flatter foothills.

Cuesta

An asymmetrical limestone ridge formed by gently tilted strata, possessing a steep cliff face (scarp slope) on one side and a gentle incline (dip-slope) on the other.

Dip-slope

The gentle incline or back slope of a cuesta that descends along the inclination of the underlying rock strata.

Delta

A low-lying, roughly triangular area of alluvium formed at the mouth of a river as sediment drops out when river current slows down upon entering a sea or lake.

Distributary

A branching river channel that diverges away from the main river stem in a delta without rejoining it, discharging sediment and water into the open sea.

Mangroves

Salt-tolerant intertidal shrubs and trees growing in the Indus Delta that trap silt, reduce tidal wave erosion, and provide essential breeding grounds for fish.

Kachhi-Sibi Plain

A barren, hyper-arid plain extending from the Indus Plain into Balochistan, bordered by the Marri-Bugti Ranges to the north and the Kalat Range to the west.

Panjnad

The river reach in southern Punjab where the combined waters of the five eastern tributaries (Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, Sutlej, and Beas) merge before flowing into the Indus at Mithankot.

Indus Waters Treaty (1960)

A transboundary water agreement between Pakistan and India allocating exclusive use of the Eastern Rivers (Ravi, Sutlej, Beas) to India and the Western Rivers (Indus, Jhelum, Chenab) to Pakistan.

Ephemeral River

A river or stream, such as the Dasht River in Makran, that remains dry for long periods and flows only in direct response to precipitation events.

Ranns

Exposed salt flats or barren saline mud basins found within desert regions like the Thar Desert.