Mountain Ranges-1

Himalayas
-Formation
-Western Vs Eastern Himalayas
-Longitudinal Division Of Himalayas
-Parallel Ranges Of Himalayas
-Importance Of Himalayas
-Role Of Himalayas On Climate
Santosh Choudhary
CSE 2018
Insta: little_simple_buddha

India Mapping Series

Lecture 23
Location of Himalayas
Himalayas
• The Himalayas, the abode to the highest peaks on earth, are incredible
mountain system of Asia and a great wall (2500 kms)between the Plateau of
Tibet to the north and the alluvial plains of the Indian subcontinent to the
south.
• These mountain ranges start from Pamir Knot in the west and extend up to
Purvanchal in the east.
Formation of Himalayas
Formation of Himalayas
• The Himalayas are the youngest mountain chain in the world.
• Himalayan mountains have come out of a great geosyncline called the Tethys
Sea and that the uplift has taken place in different phases.
• 250 million years ago, there was a supercontinent known as Pangaea.
• In between Laurasia and Gondwanaland, there was a long, narrow and
shallow sea known as the Tethys Sea.
• There were many rivers which were flowing into the Tethys Sea (some of the
Himalayan rivers were older than the Himalayas themselves.).Sediments
were brought by these rivers and were deposited on the floor of the Tethys
Sea.
• These sediments were subjected to powerful compression due to the
northward movement of the Indian Plate. This resulted in the folding of
sediments.
• An often-cited fact used to illustrate this process is that the summit of Mount
Everest is made of marine limestone from this ancient ocean
Formation of Himalayas
• Once the Indian plate started plunging below the Eurasian plate, these
sediments were further folded and raised. This process is still continuing
(India is moving northwards at the rate of about five cm per year and crashing
into rest of Asia).
• And the folded sediments, after a lot of erosional activity, appear as the
present-day Himalayas.
• Tibetan plateau was formed due to upthrusting of the southern block of the
Eurasian Plate.
• The Indo-Gangetic plain was formed due to the consolidation of alluvium
brought down by the rivers flowing from the Himalayas.
• The curved shape of the Himalayas convex to the south is attributed to the
maximum push offered at two ends of the Indian Peninsula during its
northward drift.
Longitudinal division of Himalayas
Longitudinal Division of the Himalayas
The Kashmir /Punjab/ Himachal Himalayas
• Kashmir Himalayas lies between Indus River and Sutlej.
• All the three ranges- the greater, the lesser and the outer Himalayas are well
represented in this region. Karakoram, Ladakh, Zanskar, Pir Panjal and Dhauladhar
are the ranges from north to south in that order. It has the largest number of glaciers
in India. A special feature of the the Vale of Kashmir is the Karewa
(lacustrine) deposits consisting of silt, sand and clay.
• Karewa formation – clay, sands from old fertile lands.
• Kashmir Himalayas are characterised by high snow covered peaks, deep valleys,
interlocked spurs and high mountain passes.
• Important passes of the Kashmir Himalayas: Pir panjal, Banihal, Zoji La, Burzil,
Khardungla, Pensi- La, Saser- La, Lanak- La, Jara- La, Tasaka-La, Umasi-La and
Qara-Tagh-La.
• The important snow-capped peaks are Nanda Devi, Trisul, Nunkun, Kamath and
Nanga-Parbat.
• Lake Wular – largest freshwater lake of India located in Kashmir.
The Kumaun Himalayas
• This division lies between the Satluj and Kali River.
• The highest peak in this division is Nanda Devi.
• Source of Ganga and Yamuna. Located in Uttarakhand.
• The important passes are Thaga La, Muling La, Mana, Mangsha Dhura and
Lipu Lekh.
The Central / Nepal Himalayas
• This division stretches from stretches from Kali River to Tista River.
• Major part of it lies in Nepal except for the extreme eastern part- Sikkim
Himalayas.
• The important peaks are the Mt. Everest, Kanchenjunga, Makalu, Dhaula giri,
Annapurna, Manasuly, and Gosainath.
• Nathu La and Jelep La are the important passes in this region.
Sikkim Himalayas
• Teesta river originates near Kanchenjunga
• Jelep la pass- tri-junction of India- China-Bhutan
The Assam/ Eastern Himalayas
• This division lies between Tista and the Brahmaputra River (Dihang).
• It occupies the state of Arunachal Pradesh in India and Bhutan.
• On the southern border of Arunachal Pradesh, it takes a southerly turn and
ranges are arranged in North-South direction passing through Nagaland,
Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura called Purvanchal.
• The Purvanchal is joined by Meghalaya Plateau in the west and its extension
of the Myanmar mountain chain continues to Andaman and Nicobar islands
and to the Archipelago of Indonesia.
• It comprises of many hills called Aka hills, Dafla hills, Miri hills, Abor hills,
Mishmi hills and Namcha Barwa.
• The important hills of eastern Himalayas are Pakai bum, Manipur hills, Blue
Mountain, Tripura range and Brail range.
• The important passes in this region are Bomdi La, Yonggyap, Diphu (ri-
junction of India- China-Myanmar), Pangsau, Tse La, Dihang, Debang, Tunga
and Bom La.
The Assam/ Eastern Himalayas
Parallel ranges of Himalayas
Himalayan Ranges

1. Shiwaliks or outer Himalayas

2. Lesser or Middle Himalayas
3. The Greater Himalayas
4. The Trans-Himalayas – Tibetan Himalayas.
5. The Eastern Hills – Purvanchal
The Trans Himalayas

• The Himalayan ranges immediately north of the Great Himalayan range.

• Most of the part of this Himalayan range lies in the Tibet and hence also
called Tibetan Himalaya
• Ranges → Zaskar, K2 (Godwin Austin), Ladakh, Kailash and Karakoram
Range
• It stretches for a distance of about 1,000 km in east-west direction.
• Average elevation is 3000 m above mean sea level.
• The northern most range of the Trans-Himalayan Ranges in India is the
Great Karakoram Range also known as the Krishnagiri range.
The Greater Himalayas
• Also known as Inner Himalaya, Central Himalaya or Himadri.
• Average elevation of 6,100 m above sea level and an average width of about
25 km.
• The folds in this range are asymmetrical with steep south slope and gentle
north slope Terminates abruptly at the syntaxial bends.
• One in the Nanga Parbat in north-west and the other in the Namcha Barwa in
the north-east.
• This mountain range boasts of the tallest peaks of the world, most of which
remain under perpetual snow.
Middle or the Lesser Himalaya
• In between the Shiwaliks in the south and the Greater Himalayas in the north.
• Runs almost parallel to both the ranges.
• It is also called the Himachal or Lower Himalaya.
• Lower Himalayan ranges are 60-80 km wide and about 2400 km in length.
• Elevations vary from 3,500 to 4,500 m above sea level.Many peaks are more
than 5,050 m above sea level and are snow covered throughout the year.
• Lower Himalayas have steep, bare southern slopes [steep slopes prevents
soil formation] and more gentle, forest covered northern slopes.
• In Uttarakhand, the Middle Himalayas are marked by the Mussoorie and
the Nag Tibba ranges.
• The Mahabharat Lekh, in southern Nepal is a continuation of the Mussoorie
Range
Shiwaliks or outer Himalayas
• Also known as Outer Himalayas.
• Located in between the Great Plains and Lesser Himalayas.
• The altitude varies from 600 to 1500 metres.
• Runs for a distance of 2,400 km from the Potwar Plateau to the Brahmaputra
valley.
• The southern slopes are steep while the northern slopes are gentle. Shiwalik
range from North-East India up to Nepal are covered with thick forests but the
forest cover decreases towards west from Nepal (The quantum of rainfall
decreases from east to west in Shiwaliks and Ganga Plains).
• The southern slopes of Shiwalik range in Punjab and Himachal Pradesh are
almost devoid of forest cover.
Purvanchal or Eastern Hills
• Eastern Hills or The Purvanchal are the southward extension of Himalayas running
along the north-eastern edge of India.
• At the Dihang gorge, the Himalayas take a sudden southward bend and form a
series of comparatively low hills which are collectively called as the Purvanchal.
• Purvanchal hills are convex to the west.They run along the India-Myanmar Border
extending from Arunachal Pradesh in the north to Mizoram in the south.
• Patkai Bum hills are made up of strong sandstone; merges into Naga Hills
where Saramati (3,826 m) is the highest peak.
• Patkai Bum and Naga Hills form the watershed between India and Myanmar.
• The Barail range separates Naga Hills from Manipur Hills.
• Further south the Barail Range swings to west into Jaintia, Khasi and Garo
hills which are an eastward continuation of the Indian peninsular block. They are
separated from the main block by Ganga and Brahmaputra rivers.
• South of the Manipur Hills are the Mizo Hills (previously known as the Lushai hills)
which have an elevation of less than 1,500 metres. The highest point is the Blue
Mountain (2,157 m) in the south.
Significance of Himalayas
Influence on Indian Climate
1. They intercept the summer monsoons coming from the Bay of Bengal and Arabian
Sea causing precipitation in the entire Ganga Plains, North-Eastern Hills.
2. They direct the monsoon winds towards north-western India (Punjab, Haryana etc..
But these regions receive most of the rainfall due to Western Disturbances coming
from the Mediterranean regions).
3. They protect northern-plains from the cold continental air masses of central Asia.
4. It traps the monsoon winds from Arabian sea and Bay of Bengal and forces them to
shed their moisture content within the Indian sub-continent in the form of snow and
rain.
5. It also blocks the cold winter storms of East Asia from entering India, thus protecting
us from severe cold.
6. The Himalayas splits the westerly jet streams into two branches such that the
southward branch entering India plays a significant role in bringing the monsoon
7. Had there been no Himalayas, the whole of India would have been a desert and its
winters would have been very severe.
SOURCE REGION OF RIVERS
1. The Himalayas is the abundant reservoir of Great Indian rivers such as
Ganga, Indus and Brahmaputra.
2. The snow melt in summer and precipitation in winter makes them perennial
rivers. i.e, having water throughout the year.
3. The abundant waterfall, huge snowfield and large glaciers feed these
drainage systems.
4. The Himalayan rivers give life to the northern India.
Significance of Himalayas
1. PHYSICAL BARRIER:
• It acts as a compound wall that separates India from central and East
Asian countries.
• It also accounts for the difference in climatic and weather patterns
between Indian sub-continent from the rest of Asia.

2. NATURAL FRONTIER:
• The Himalayas acts as a defense barrier and have been protecting India
from foreign invasions since early times.
• History gives us the evidence that no invaders attacked India after
crossing the Himalayas.
• Even though China's aggression is an exception, the significance of
Himalayas cannot be ignored completely.
3. FERTILITY OF SOIL:
3. The entire northern plains were made by the Himalayas.
4. The Himalayan Rivers carry slits on their way down and deposit in the
northern plain.
5. These alluvial deposits are responsible for the high fertility of this land.
Therefore, it is often said that northern great plain is a gift of Himalayas.

4. HYDRO ELECTRIC POWER PROJECTS:

3. The Himalayan valley with natural waterfalls offers the best location for
construction of dams.
4. The vast potential of Himalayan rivers offer a great range for construction
of many mainstream dams.
5. BIODIVERSITY AND VEGETATION:
• The Himalayan ranges is famous for its rich biodiversity.
• There is altitudinal zonation of vegetation from the tropic to the alpine.
• The forests provide fuel woods, medicinal plants and various raw materials
that are needed for the forest based industries.
• Rich pastures for grazing is also an adding feature of the Himalayas.

6. AGRICULTURE:
• The Himalayas does not have much flat lands, so offers slopes that are
terraced for cultivation.
• The major crop is Rice. Crops like wheat, maize, potatoes, ginger, and
tobacco are also cultivated.
• Tea is a unique crop which grows only on hill slopes. Many fruits such as
apples, pears, peaches, mulberries, cherries along with citrus fruits are grown
in the Himalayan region.
7. MINERAL RESOURCES:
• Himalayan region contain many valuable mineral resources.
• The tertiary rocks have vast potential of mineral oil. Coal is found in
Kashmir.
• Also minerals such as Copper, Cobalt, Nickel, Zinc, Lead, Antimony,
Tungsten, Limestone, Gypsum and Magnetite are also present in the
Himalayan locality.
• The presence of Gold, Silver and other semi-precious and precious
stones are also the feature of Himalayan region.
8. TOURISM:
• The beautiful landscapes on Himalayan mountain offer a great tourist
spot.
• Hill stations such as Missouri, Shimla, Kulu, Manali, Nainital, Chamba,
Ranikhat, Almora, Darjeeling, Mirik, Gangtok etc. provide huge scope of
tourism due to its scenic beauty as well as healthy environment.
11. PILGRIMAGE:
• The Himalayas is known as the house of Gods.
• Apart from its tourist places, the region is studded with sanctified shrines.
Kedarnath, Badrinath, Vaishnodevi, Kailash, Amarnath, Tungnath, Uttarkashi,
Gangotri, Yamunotri etc. which are at high altitudes are famous pilgrim
centers in the Himalayas
Comparison of Eastern Himalayas and Western Himalayas
 Western Himalayas Eastern Himalayas
1.Extends till west of River Kali (around 80°E 1.This is considered to be ranging from east
Longitude). of the Singalila ranges in Sikkim (88°E
Longitudes) to eastern boundaries of
2.Height of the mountains from the plains in
Himalayas.
this part rises in a number of stages. The high
mountain ranges are at a long distance from 2.This part rises abruptly from the plains, thus
the plains peaks are not faraway from the plains
(Example: Kanchenjunga)
3.Amount of rainfall here is less and is 1/4th
of that of Eastern Himalayas. 3.This region receives 4 times more rainfall
than western Himalayas. Due to high rainfalls,
4.The dominant vegetation in the western
it is covered with dense forests.
Himalayas is Coniferous forests and alpine
vegetations. The Natural vegetation reflects 4.Snowline is Higher than Western Himalayas
the impact of lower rainfall.
5.Eastern Himalayas receive more
5.The altitude of the Western Himalayas is precipitation from south-eastern monsoon in
higher than the Eastern Himalayas the summers.
6.Snowline is Lower than Eastern Himalayas 6.Much ahead from western Himalayas in
terms of Biodiversity and is one of the
7.Western Himalayas receive more
Biodiversity hotspots
precipitation from northwest in the winters
8.Less biodiversity in comparison to eastern
Himalayas