IN THE EXPANSIVE PLAIN

UNIT: 2

IN THE EXPANSIVE PLAIN

1.  Name the physical division that lies to the south of the Northern Mountains and to the north of the Peninsular Plateau ?

📚 Indo-Gangetic- Brahmaputra Plain (North Indian Plain) 

2.  What are geomorphic agents?

📚 Diverse landforms are formed on the surface of the Earth through the continuous processes driven by external forces. They are called geomorphic agents. 

Eg: 

◻️Running water 

◻️Wind 

◻️Glaciers 

 ◻️ Waves 

3.Define geomorphic processes?

📚. The processes that lead in the formation of landforms are called geomorphic processes.

 4. What is called deposition?

📚 The sediments or rock materials formed through the disintegration of rocks are transported by the agents from one place to another and then deposited conveniently in low lying regions. This process is called deposition

5.  How alluvial plains are formed?

📚 Rivers originating from high altitudes transport sediments down the stream and deposit them in low-lying areas creates depositional landforms, expansive alluvial plains.

Eg: Indo-Gangetic-Brahmaputra plain. 

6.Write short note on the Indo-Gangetic-Brahmaputra Plain (North Indian plain) ?

📚 Extending approximately over 3200 km from the mouth of River Indus to the mouth of River Ganga. 

📚 One of the largest alluvial plain in the world.

📚 It spreads over around 2400 km in India.

📚 The plain widens from east to west, with the width varying between 150 km and 300km. 

📚 The plain covers an area of approximately 7 lakh sq.km. 

7.  What make this region suitable for agriculture?

📚 Fertile soil, 

📚Adequate water supply, 📚Favourable climate  

📚Flat topography

8.  Based on the river system, direction of flow of rivers and topographical features, North Indian plain can be divided into four regional divisions. Which are they?

1.  Rajasthan Plain

2.  Punjab-Haryana Plain

3.  The Ganga Plain

4.  Brahmaputra Plain

9.  Write short note on the Rajasthan Plain?

◻️Includes the Thar Desert

◻️The westernmost end of the North Indian Plain.

◻️Two-thirds of the Thar Desert is situated in Rajasthan. 

◻️ Remaining portion extends into the neighbouring states of Haryana,Punjab, and Gujarat.

10.  The Thar Desert is further divided into two significant regions. Which are they? 

📚 The actual desert area called Marusthali (the desert proper). 

📚 The semi-arid plain (semi desert region) known as Rajasthan Bagar.

11.  Name the part of the North Indian Plain which is situated to the west of the Aravali

Mountain range?

📚 The Rajasthan Plain

12.   Name the major salt lakes in Rajasthan Plain ?

📚 Sambhar, 

📚 Didwana,

📚 Sargol

13.Identify the location of The Punjab-Haryana plain?

📚 The Punjab-Haryana plain is situated to the east and northeast of the Rajasthan Plain. 

📚 This plain is the western part of the North Indian Plain and extends upto the Yamuna River.

📚 The eastern border ofa this plain is defined by River Yamuna. 

14.Punjab is etymologically known as the Land of Five Rivers. Give reason?

📚 The Punjab region, is primarily formed by the deposition of sediments carried by rivers such as Satluj, Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi and Beas. That is why it is known as the Land of Five Rivers. 

15. What a doab is?

📚 A doab is a land lying between two rivers that join together later.

16.  Write the features of The Ganga Plain?

📚 Situated to the east of the Punjab - Haryana Plain

Stretches from Bangladesh in the east to the Yamuna River in the west

Covers the states of Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Delhi, and parts of Jharkhand and West Bengal. 

📚 An area of approximately 3.75 lakh sq.km. 

📚 Formed through the depositional processes by River Ganga and its tributaries.

📚 Average elevation is around 200 metres above mean sea level. 

📚 Exhibits a general slope towards the east and the southeast.

17.  Based on geographical features, the Ganga Plain has been further divided into three regions. Which are they ?

◻️Upper Ganga Plain

◻️Middle Ganga Plain

◻️Lower Ganga Plain

18.  Write the features of The Brahmaputra Plain?

📚 Known by various names such as Brahmaputra Valley, Assam Valley, and Assam Plain, Constitutes the easternmost part of the North Indian Plain.

📚 It spans approximately 720 km in length,

Width ranging from 60 to 70 km.

📚 Spanning an area of approximately 56,275 sq.km. 

📚 Formed through the depositional processes carried out by the Brahmaputra River and its tributaries.

📚 The major portion located in the state of Assam.

19.  Locate the natural boundaries of The Brahmaputra Plain ?

◻️North The Eastern Himalaya. 

◻️East - The Patkai-Naga Hills. 

◻️South - The Garo-Khasi-Jaintia Hills and Mikir Hills. 

◻️West - The Lower Ganga Plain. 

20.Name the major tributaries of the Brahmaputra River?

◻️Teesta

◻️Manas

◻️Lohit  

◻️Dibang

21.How alluvial fans are formed?

📚 When rivers enter a plain from mountainous regions, their velocity decreases abruptly.

The sediments (alluvium) carried by the rivers get deposited in the form of fans.

Such depositional landform features are referred to as alluvial fans.

22. What are ox-bow lakes?

Rivers that continue flowing through plains split into many channels.

As the river's velocity decreases, it starts flowing creating curves in the river course or in a sinuous manner.

This eventually leads to the formation of ox-bow lakes.

23 . What do you mean by river meandering?

📚 A river flowing in a sinuous manner is called river meandering. 

24.  The  North Indian Plain can be divided into three zones from north to south based on its geomorphic features. Name them?

◻️Bhabar 

◻️Tarai

◻️Alluvial plains

25.  Bhabar - write short note?

📚 Width approximately 8 to 10 km. 

📚 Running parallel to the Shiwalik mountain range at the break-up of the slope.

📚 Situated to the south of the Shiwalik mountain range along its foothills.

📚 Formed by the deposition of rocks and boulders brought by rivers flowing from the

mountains.

📚 The rivers flowing through this region are not visible as they flow beneath the rocks and boulders.

26.Explain the features of the Tarai?

📚 Marshy and swampy tract,

📚 Approximately 10 to 20 km wide,

Running parallel to the Bhabar belt.

📚 The rivers that disappear in the Bhabar region re-emerge in this area.

📚 The

Luxurious growth of natural vegetation and serves as a habitat for varied wildlife.

27.Point out the features of the Alluvial plain?

📚 To the south of the Tarai,

📚 The belt consisting of older and newer alluvial deposits forms the Alluvial plain.

📚The older alluvium deposits are called the Bhangar, 

📚The newer ones are referred to as the Khadar.

📚 Include depositional landforms such as riverine islands, sandbars, and deltas. Braided streams, meanders and ox-bow lakes.

28.  Write the four Climate seasons of the North Indian Plain?

1.The Cold Weather Season

2.The Hot Weather Season

3.  The Southwest Monsoon Season

4.  The Northeast Monsoon Season

29.  Why there is excessive cold weather in the North Indian Plain?

📚 The major portion of the North Indian Plain is located far away from the moderating influence of the oceans, resulting in a continental climate.

📚 Snowfall in the nearby Himalayan ranges contributes to strong cold waves.

📚 Cold winds from West Asia cause frost, fog and cold waves in the western part of the North Indian Plain.

📚 The apparent movement of the sun from the northern hemisphere towards the southern hemisphere adds to the cold conditions. 

30.  Write the features of the Hot Weather Season?

📚 The temperature increases in the North Indian Plain by March.

📚 The summer season experienced in the months of April, May, and June.

📚 Summer is extremely severe

📚 By the month of May, the temperature rises up to 48 Degree Celsius in the western part Loo wind increases the temperature considerably in the North Indian Plain.

📚 Storms bring light rain during summer, 

📚 it provides some relief from the oppressive heat.

 31. What are 'Loo' ?

📚 Hot, dry and oppressive wind blows from the desert region of Rajasthan to the Ganga Plain in the months of May and June, called 'Loo'.

32.  The North Indian Plain's distance from the ocean contributes to the excessive heat experienced during the summer in these regions. Why is it so ?

📚 The interior of vast areas are far away from the influence of the ocean, so it feels very cold in winter and hot in summer.

📚 The ocean influences the climate of the coastal areas near the ocean and moderate climate is felt in these places.

33.How the Southwest Monsoon is formed ?

📚 As a result of the rapid increase in temperature over the North Indian Plain by the month of March, 

📚 a low-pressure area is developed over this region.

📚 This low-pressure area attracts the southwest monsoon winds to the Indian subcontinent.

 34.List the two branches of the southwest monsoon winds.Identify their paths over the

subcontinent ?

📚 The Arabian branch 

 📚The Bay of Bengal branch

👉 The Arabian Sea branch that reaches the coast of Kerala by early June causes heavy rainfall here. Then it advances to the states of Karnataka, Goa, Maharashtra, and Gujarat and causes rainfall in the western parts. 

👉 The Bay of Bengal branch, entering the land through the Sundarbans delta region, gets bifurcated into two sub-branches.

One branch moves eastward and enters the Brahmaputra Plain, causing widespread rains. The other branch, moving westward along the Ganga Plain, causes rainfall in West Bengal, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, and proceeds further westward.

Over the Punjab Plain this branch joins the Arabian branch which is moving parallel to the Aravali Mountains and then brings rain to the foothills of the Western Himalayas. 

35.  The rainfall received in Rajasthan from the southwest monsoon is very scanty. Why?

📚 Rainfall is scarce in the Rajasthan region because the monsoon branch entering through Gujarat blows parallel to the Aravalli mountain ranges.

36.  Why the northeast monsoon season is called the retreating monsoon season ?

📚 The low-pressure area that prevails over the North Indian Plain starts moving southward in response to the apparent movement of the sun towards the southern hemisphere. This season is named the retreating monsoon season.

37.  How the northeast monsoon season experienced?

📚 During this period, a high-pressure area develops over the North Indian Plain and consequently, the wind starts blowing from here to the Indian Ocean.

📚 As these moisture-less winds blow from the northeast, this season is called the northeast monsoon season.

38 . What is 'October heat'?

📚 The North Indian Plain generally experiences a dry climate the northeast monsoon season.

📚 Owing to the conditions of high temperature and atmospheric humidity, the weather becomes rather oppressive. This phenomenon is commonly known as the 'October heat'.

 39.  List out the major factors that cause the diversity in natural vegetation in the North Indian Plain? 

📚 Topography, 

📚Climate , 

📚Nature of the soil

40 . What is the term 'natural vegetation' refers?

📚 The term 'natural vegetation' refers to a plant community that has been left undisturbed for a long period, enabling its individual species to fully adapt to the respective climate and soil conditions.

41.  The prominent natural vegetation generally found in North Indian Plain?

📚 The Tropical Deciduous Forests. 

📚 The Tropical Thorn Forests. 

📚 Swamp Forests. 

42 . The tropical deciduous forests are further divided into two. 

1.DRY DECIDUOUS FORESTS

◻️Rainfall : Between 70 cm and 100 cm.

◻️Regions : Uttar Pradesh and Bihar

 

2.  MOIST DECIDUOUS

FORESTS.

◻️Rainfall : From 100 cm to 200 cm. 

◻️Regions : Along the strip of Shiwalik

range including Tarai

and Bhabar and in certain parts of Odisha and West Bengal. 

43 . List out the main species of the tropical deciduous forests?

📚 Teak, sal, shisham, mahua, amla and sandalwood. 

44.  Write note on the Tropical thorn forests ?

📚 Prevalent in the semi-arid areas of southwest Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh. 

📚 Consist of various grasses and shrubs, with important species such as babool,ber, wild date palm, khair, neem, khejri and palas.

📚 In certain regions Tussocky grass grows as undergrowth, reaching up to a height of 2 metres. 

45 . Why this swamp forests are so important ? 

📚 Natural vegetation found in the vast saline expanses of Rajasthan, freshwater lakes, the freshwater marshes of the Ganga Plain, the flood plains of the Brahmaputra, and in the deltaic region of Sundarbans.

📚 The marshy and expansive deltaic region of Ganga Plain in West Bengal is Sundarbans. 

📚 The natural vegetation found luxuriously in this region is mangroves.

📚 Serves as a natural habitat for the Royal Bengal Tiger.

46 . Write the distinctive features of the Sundarbans delta?

📚 The marshy and expansive deltaic region of Ganga Plain. 

📚 Sundri, a type of mangrove, stands out as natural habitat for numerous aquatic species, including fishes.

📚 Abode of varied species of birds.

📚 Natural habitat for the Royal Bengal Tiger. 

47 . There are two different types of alluvial soils developed in the Ganga Plain. Which are they?

📚 Khadar and Bhangar

48.Identify the distribution of different types of soils in the North Indian Plain?

49  . What are the significant characteristic features of the North Indian Plain ?

📚 Fertile alluvial soil,

 📚 flat topography, 

📚presence of perennial rivers  

📚Favourable climate. 

50.  The North Indian Plain plays a very significant role in building India's economic system based on the agricultural sector ?

📚  Wheat, rice, jute, and sugarcane are widely cultivated here.

📚 Extensive cultivation, supported by irrigation,

The entire plain, except the Thar Desert, has a well-developed network of roads and railways.

📚 This infrastructural development has facilitated large-scale industrialisation and urbanisation of the region.

51.Which physiographic region is known as the granary of India?

North Indian Plain. 

52.  What are the three different cropping seasons in the North Indian Plain?

📚 Kharif, 

📚 Rabi, 

📚 Zaid

53.  What are the different cropping seasons in the North Indian Plain. Explain. 

👉 Cropping season : Kharif 

◻️Tropical Crops- Rice, Cotton, Jute,Bajra, Tur etc. 

◻️Months :From June to September. 

◻️Season : Southwest monsoon. 

👉 Rabi

◻️Major crops : 

Temperate Subtropical Crops: Wheat, Gram, Mustard,Barley etc. 

◻️From October to March. 

◻️Season : Cold season. 

👉 Zaid

◻️Major crops : Vegetables, Fruits, Fodder etc. 

◻️Months : From April to June. 

◻️Season : Summer

54 . North Indian Plain plays a significant role in shaping the cultural diversity of India.Justify. 

◻️Rich output and abundance of perennial rivers,.

◻️Serving as the backbone of India's agriculture-based economy. 

◻️Bears a decisive responsibility for our nation's food security.

◻️The facilities such as transportation and communication provided by the plain have been facilitating the spread and cultural diffusion of people for decades.

◻️The plural and mixed society that developed through this is the beauty and strength of our India.