Deserts & Plains

The Rajasthan Bagar is a semi-arid region that acts as a transitional zone between the Aravalli range to the east and the arid Thar Desert (Marusthali) to the west.

The Terai is a damp, swampy, and marshy tract that lies south of the Bhabar belt, where streams from the Himalayas re-emerge.

The Luni is a river of the Thar Desert that flows towards the southwest and eventually drains into the Rann of Kutch, as it fails to reach the sea.

The Ganga-Brahmaputra Plain constitutes the largest part of the North Indian Plains, formed by the depositional work of the Ganga, Brahmaputra, and their tributaries.

The Bhabar is a narrow belt along the foothills of the Shiwaliks, characterized by large pebbles and boulders, making the soil highly porous and causing streams to disappear.

In the Punjab-Haryana plains, the floodplains formed by newer alluvium are locally known as 'Bets'.

The Thar Desert features many short-lived lakes or saline depressions known as 'Playas' or 'Dhand'.

A Doab (derived from 'Do' meaning two and 'Ab' meaning water) is the tract of land lying between two converging or confluent rivers.

The Thar Desert, also known as the Great Indian Desert, is primarily located in the state of Rajasthan, covering about 85% of its total area in India.

The fertile tract in the eastern part of the Rajasthan Bagar is often referred to as 'Rohi'.

Shifting sand dunes in the Thar Desert are locally called 'Dhrian' or 'Barchans' depending on their shape and movement.

The Aravalli Range acts as the primary barrier preventing the eastward expansion of the Thar Desert.

The Northern Plains were formed by the infilling of a massive foredeep (geosyncline) created by the Himalayan orogeny with sediments brought by Himalayan rivers.

The seasonal streams known as 'Chos' cause significant soil erosion in the foothills of the Shiwaliks in the Hoshiarpur district.

The Aravalli range lies parallel to the Arabian Sea branch of the monsoon, preventing the interception of moisture-laden winds, thus causing the region to remain dry.

The Northern Plains are entirely built of alluvial soil deposited by the Indus, Ganga, and Brahmaputra river systems.

Arid regions like the Thar Desert are defined by extreme temperatures, high rates of evaporation, and very little precipitation.

The Bhabar belt is widest in the western parts, particularly in the foothills of the Punjab and Himachal Himalayas.

Khadar is the newer, younger deposit of alluvium along the floodplains, renewed almost every year by river floods, making it highly fertile.

Bangar is the older alluvium of the Indo-Gangetic plain. It is situated above the floodplains and often contains calcareous concretions known as 'kankars'.

In Punjab, the floodplains formed by fresh alluvium, which is renewed annually by river flooding, are locally known as 'Bet' or 'Dhaya'.

Bhabar is a narrow belt of pebbles and boulders deposited by streams emerging from the Himalayas, causing rivers to disappear underground due to high porosity.

The Thar Desert, also known as the Great Indian Desert, is a continuation of the Saharo-Arabian desert belt.

The Terai is a damp, swampy, and marshy tract lying south of the Bhabar belt where the streams that disappeared in the Bhabar re-emerge.

The Aravalli range lies parallel to the Arabian Sea branch of the monsoon, failing to obstruct the rain-bearing winds, thereby resulting in low rainfall in the Thar region.

The Punjab Plains are formed by the Indus and its major tributaries: Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, Beas, and Sutlej.

The desert experiences extreme heat leading to high evaporation rates and very low annual rainfall, which prevents the formation of perennial river channels.

Barchans are crescent-shaped sand dunes that are the most common landform in the Indian desert, indicating the direction of prevailing winds.

Khadar refers to the newer, younger deposits of the floodplains, which are enriched by fresh silt deposited by rivers during floods annually.

The Indo-Gangetic Plain is a vast aggradational plain formed by the depositional activities of the Indus, Ganga, and Brahmaputra river systems.

In the Punjab-Haryana plains, the higher-level landmasses composed of old alluvium, which stand above the floodplains, are called Dhaya.

While the majority of the Thar Desert is in Rajasthan, it extends into the adjoining states of Gujarat, Punjab, and Haryana.

A 'Doab' (from 'do' meaning two and 'ab' meaning water/river) is a tract of land lying between two converging or confluent rivers.

Sambhar Lake is a saline lake located in Rajasthan, reflecting the internal drainage characteristics of the desert region.

Due to wind action and high aridity, the soil in the Thar Desert is primarily sandy, characterized by low moisture and organic matter.

The Sindh Sagar Doab is the largest, lying between the Indus and Jhelum rivers.

The Northern plains span about 2400 km in length, reaching their maximum width in the western part (near Punjab/Haryana) and narrowing towards the east.

Seifs are long, narrow sand ridges that form parallel to the prevailing wind direction, distinguishing them from the crescent-shaped Barchans.

The Thar Desert is characterized by inland drainage, where rivers are seasonal and usually dry up before reaching any ocean or sea.

The Bhabar is a narrow belt of about 8–16 km in width lying parallel to the slope of the Sivaliks, composed of pebbles and gravels deposited by rivers.

Seif dunes are long, narrow, longitudinal sand ridges common in the Thar Desert, distinct from the crescent-shaped Barchans.

Khadar is the new alluvium deposited by floodwaters along the river banks, making it extremely fertile and ideal for intensive cultivation.

The Luni is the largest river in the Thar Desert region, originating in the Aravallis and flowing southwest into the Rann of Kutch, where it disappears.

Bhangar represents the older alluvium of the Gangetic plain, deposited away from the floodplains, often containing kankar nodules.

Reh or Kallar are saline-alkaline efflorescences found in semi-arid parts of the Indo-Gangetic plains, often caused by poor drainage and intensive irrigation.

Sambhar Lake is the largest inland saltwater lake in India, situated in Rajasthan, and is a classic example of a playa or salt depression.

The Bist Doab lies between the Beas and the Sutlej rivers. The name is derived from the initials of the two rivers (Beas + Sutlej).

The Aravalli range runs parallel to the direction of the Arabian Sea branch of the monsoon, failing to block rain-bearing winds, leading to aridity.

South of the Bhabar, streams re-emerge to create a wet, swampy, and marshy region known as the Terai, traditionally prone to high malaria risk.