Himalayas and Physiographic Divisions of India Flashcards

A collection of vocabulary terms and definitions covering the physiographic divisions of India, mountain types, and specific geographic and geological features of the Himalayan mountain system.

Physiographic Divisions of India

Based on physical features, India is divided into six regions: Himalayas / Northern Mountains, Northern Plains, Indian Desert, Coastal Plains, Peninsular Plateau, and Islands.

Fold Mountains

Formed when tectonic plates collide, causing the Earth’s crust to buckle and fold into parallel ridges and valleys; categorized into Young (e.g., Himalayas) and Old (e.g., Aravalli).

Young Fold Mountains

Mountains formed by tectonic activity a few million years ago, including the Himalayas, Andes (world's longest), Alps, Rockies, Atlas, and Caucasus.

Old Fold Mountains

Mountains formed in the distant past, such as the Aravalli, Ural (separating Asia and Europe), and Appalachians.

Block Mountains

Formed when large areas of the Earth's crust are broken and displaced vertically; they consist of Horsts (raised blocks) and Grabens (lowered blocks/rift valleys).

Horst

A raised block of land bounded by faults, often appearing as a ridge or plateau in block mountain systems.

Graben

Also known as a Rift Valley, this is a lowered block of land between two faults, such as the Great African Rift Valley.

Volcanic Mountains

Landforms created when magma rises to the surface and erupts, building up lava flows over time; examples include Mt. Stromboli and Mt. Kilimanjaro.

Ojas del Salado

Located on the Chile-Argentina border, it is the world's highest active volcano.

Formation of Himalayas

Resulted from the collision of the Indo-Australian and Eurasian tectonic plates, which closed the ancient Tethys Sea and uplifted seabed sediments.

Trans Himalayas

The region north of the Great Himalayas with an average elevation of $3000\,\text{m}$, consisting of the Karakoram, Ladakh, and Zanskar ranges.

K2 (Mt. Godwin-Austen)

The highest peak of the Karakoram Range and the world's second highest peak, standing at $8611\,\text{m}$.

Geosyncline

An obsolete geological concept of a long, linear trough in the Earth's crust where sediment accumulates before being deformed into mountain ranges.

Siachen Glacier

The second longest non-polar glacier and the highest battlefield ($5700\,\text{m}$), where Operation Meghdoot took place in $1984$.

Greater Himalayas

Also known as Himadri or Inner Himalayas, these have an average height of $6000\,\text{m}$ and a core of granitic rock.

Sagarmatha

The local Nepalese name for Mt. Everest, the world's highest mountain ($8848\,\text{m}$).

Mt. Kanchenjunga

The highest mountain peak in India, located in Sikkim, with a height of $8598\,\text{m}$.

Lesser Himalayas

Also known as Middle Himalayas or Himachal, with an average height of $4000\,\text{m}$; includes the Pir Panjal, Dhauladhar, and Mahabharat ranges.

Karewa

Formations of glacial and lacustrine deposits in the Kashmir Valley used for cultivating Zafran (a local variety of Saffron).

Outer Himalayas

Known as Shiwalik, with an average height of $1000\,\text{m}$; characterized by longitudinal valleys called Duns and soft deposits called Duars.

Kumaon Himalayas

The regional division of the Himalayas located between the Sutlej and Kali rivers.

Jhumming

A slash-and-burn or shifting cultivation method practiced by several tribes in the Arunachal Himalayas.

Purvanchal Hills

The eastern mountain chain including the Patkai, Naga, Manipur, and Mizo hills, with a north-to-south alignment.

Loktak Lake

Located in Manipur, it is the world's only floating lake and home to Keibul Lamjao National Park.

Umling La

Located in Ladakh, it is the world's highest motorable road constructed through Project Himank.

Shipki La Pass

A pass connecting Himachal Pradesh to Tibet through which the Sutlej river enters India.

Atal Tunnel

The longest highway tunnel at $9.02\,\text{km}$, built under the Rohtang Pass.

Phawngpui

Also known as Blue Mountain, it is the highest peak in the state of Mizoram.