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Geological Ecosystem

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  • India is the 5th largest country in the world and has rich geographical and geological diversity, ranging from the mighty Himalayas which are one of the highest mountain ranges in the world to low-lying coastal plains overseeing the vast Indian Ocean.
  • The Himalayas are the highest mountain range in the world, separating the Indian landmass from the Tibetan Plateau.
  • It has been formed by the collision of the Indian plate with the Eurasian plate, resulting in the formation of a large fold mountain system, running along the northern fringes of the Indian sub-continent.
  • It runs from west-northwest to east-southeast direction in the form of an arc for about 2,400 km, extending across five southeast Asian countries.
  • Its width varies from 350 km in the west to 150 km in the east.
  • It consists of four parallel mountain ranges namely, the Shivalik Hills, the Lower Himalayan Range or Himachal, the Great Himalayan Range or Himadri, and the Tibetan Himalayas from south to north.
  • The Great Himalayas are home to some of the highest peaks in the world such as Mount Everest, Kanchenjunga, Nanga Parbat, etc.
  • Several glaciers are present within the range, including Gangotri Glacier and Satopanth Glacier.
  • The Northern Plains also referred to as ‘Great Plains of India is one of the most extensive alluvial tracts in the world.
  • It runs for roughly 2400 km from west to east and stretches 240 to 320 km from north to south.
  • It has formed from sediments brought by rivers, originating from uplifting Himalayas, and deposited in a foreland basin.
  • As the rivers originating from the Himalayas descend the hills, their velocity decreases and as a result, they dump much of their denser and coarser sediment fraction along the foothills in a narrow, porous, thin strip called Bhabar which is around 8 to 16 km wide.
  • The Terai belt is located south of the Bhabar belt where streams go underground in the Bhabar belt resurfaces.
  • Teria region is densely forested and has diverse flora and fauna and houses some of the famous national parks such as Jim Corbett National Park in Uttarakhand and Kaziranga National Park in Assam.
  • Bhangar, which is an older alluvium that forms a terrace above the floodplain.
  • It is frequently covered in calcareous stone-like pebbles known as ‘Kankar’.
  • The rivers of the northern plains are laden with sediment deposits, their sediment load at the mouth forms the largest delta in the world called Sundarbans.
  • The mangrove forest presents a natural barrier against tropical cyclones and tsunamis.
  • The area is known for its wide range of fauna, including many bird species, the Bengal Tiger, and other threatened species such as the estuarine crocodile and the Indian Python.
  • The Peninsular Plateau is the largest physiographic entity of the Indian landmass.
  • It has a table-land type of topography.
  • It has elevations of about 900-1200 m above mean sea level, dissected by numerous rivers, forming broad valleys.
  • The plateau stretches from the Aravalli Range in the west to the Chota Nagpur Plateau in the east.
  • It comprises important mountain ranges of Central India such as the Vindhyans, Satpuras, Mahadeo, Maikal and Sarguja ranges as well as the Western and Eastern Ghats.
  • It is rich in mineral resources. It contains mineral deposits, such as iron, bauxite, mica, gold, copper,
    manganese, etc.
  • It has well-known mines like Kolar, Hutti, Bailadila, Singhbhum, Korba, Malanjkhand, etc.
  • Most of the Gondwana coal deposits of India are found in the Peninsular Plateau.
  • A large part of the plateau is covered with fertile black soil which is extremely useful for growing cotton.
  • The Thar Desert, also known as the ‘Great Indian Desert; is a vast arid region, located primarily in the northwestern part of the Indian subcontinent.
  • It consists of dunes, rocky terrain, salt flats, and sparse vegetation.
  • The dunes, known as ‘bhakhar’, can reach heights of up to 150 m and constantly shift with the wind.
  • The desert also features dry riverbeds called ‘nullahs; which occasionally fill with water during the monsoon season.
  • The region is rich in oil reserves and is home to one of the largest onshore oil fields in India in the Barmer Basin.
  • The region also has one of the largest salt marshes in the world called the ‘Great Rann of Kutch’ Kutch is one of the major salt-producing districts in India.
  • The Andaman and Nicobar Islands form an archipelago, consisting of around 572 islands, out of which only about 37 are inhabited.
  • These islands are known for their pristine beaches, lush tropical forests, and diverse marine life.
  • These are mainly volcanic in origin, formed by the eruption of lava due to plate movements.
  • Barren Island in the Andaman Sea is the only active volcano in India.
  • Another group of islands from the west coast of India is Lakshadweep, which is an archipelago of 36 islands. These are mainly coral islands with unique marine flora and fauna.

Conclusion

India is endowed with great mineral wealth and is one the largest producers of coal, iron ore, bauxite, manganese, mica, and zinc in the world. Geological ecosystems have not only played a major role in defining India’s mineral wealth but also have shaped its unique geographical landscape.