On the Roof of the World - Northern Mountains of India

Flashcards covering the geography, geology, and cultural features of India's Northern Mountain Region, including the Himalayas and Trans Himalayas.

Into which five physiographic divisions can India be divided based on its topography?

The Northern Mountain Region, The North Indian Plain, The Peninsular Plateau, The Indian Desert, and The Coastal Plains and Islands.

Which mountain range is famously known as 'the Roof of the World'?

The Pamir Knot.

Which mountain ranges originate from the Pamir Knot?

Kunlun, Hindukush, Karakoram, Tien Shan, and Sulaiman.

What is the average elevation of the landforms in the Northern Mountain Region?

Above $900\,metres$ from the sea level.

According to topographical characteristics, how is the Northern mountain region classified?

Trans Himalayas, The Himalayas, and The Eastern Hills.

How are fold mountains, such as the Himalaya and the Alps, formed?

They are formed due to the compression of sedimentary rock strata of the earth's crust.

What are the physical dimensions and average elevation of the Trans Himalaya?

It has an average elevation of $3000\,metres$, an approximate width of $40\,km$, and a length of $965\,km$.

Which specific mountain range connects the Himalayas with the Pamir Knot?

The Karakoram range.

What are the three parallel ranges that extend south of the Trans Himalayas?

The Himadri (Greater Himalayas), The Himachal (Lesser Himalayas), and The Shiwalik (Outer Himalayas).

What are the characteristics of the Himadri (Greater Himalayas)?

It is the inner mountain range with an average elevation of $6100\,metres$ and a width of nearly $25\,km$. it is characterized by being snow-clad.

Describe the elevation and width of the Himachal range (Lesser Himalayas).

It has an elevation of $3500-4500\,metres$ and a width ranging from $60$ to $80\,km$.

Where is the Shiwalik range located, and what is its width?

It is the southernmost range bordering the Ganga plains, with a width ranging from $60$ to $150\,km$.

What are tectonic plates?

They are crustal rock blocks of continental and oceanic parts that move slowly above the asthenosphere.

What are the three types of plate boundaries?

Convergent Boundary (moving towards each other), Divergent Boundary (moving away from each other), and Transform (Shear) Boundary (sliding past each other).

How were the Himalayas formed?

The Indian Plate moved northwards toward the Eurasian Plate. The seabed of the Tethys ocean situated between them was uplifted due to the convergent boundary compression.

What are gorges?

Deep valleys with steep sides.

Which rivers separate the Western, Central, and Eastern Himalayas?

The Indus and Kali separate the Western Himalayas; the Kali and Teesta separate the Central Himalayas; the Teesta and Brahmaputhra separate the Eastern Himalayas.

What are the sub-classifications of the Western Himalayas?

Kashmir Himalaya, Himachal Himalaya, and Uttarakhand Himalaya.

Which is the second highest peak in the world, and where is it located?

Mount K2 (Godwin Austin) at $8611\,metres$, situated in the Karakoram range.

What are the 'Margs' found in the Kashmir Himalaya?

Meadows formed along mountain slopes during the summer season, such as Sonmarg and Gulmarg.

What are the hallsmarks of Kashmir tourism situated on the banks of Dal Lake?

The Shikara boats and floating markets in Srinagar.

Which pass connects Himachal Pradesh with Ladakh?

The Baralacha La Pass.

Where is the geothermal power plant in Himachal Pradesh located?

At the Manikaran hotspring.

What are 'Duns' and what is a prominent example?

Flat valleys located between the Lesser Himalayas and the Shiwalik hill ranges, such as Dehradun in Uttarakhand.

What are 'Bugyals'?

Alpine summer meadows along higher altitude mountain slopes, like Dayara Bugyal and Gorson Bugyal.

What is 'transhumance'?

The seasonal migration of shepherds and their domestic animals from one grazing ground to another.

Which range is known as the Assam Himalayas?

The Eastern Himalayas.

Which locations in the Purvachal Region receive the highest rainfall in the world?

Cherrapunjii and Mawsynram.

Why are Himalayan rivers like the Indus, Ganga, and Brahmaputra perennial?

They are water-rich year-round because they are fed by both glaciers and heavy rainfall.

What are 'Karewas' and what are they used for?

Humus-rich fine glacial sediment deposited in the Kashmir Valley, which is ideal for saffron cultivation.

Which shepherd tribes live in the mountain meadows of the Western Himalayas?

The Gujjars.