The Peninsular Plateau

Introduction

The country is divided into two main parts by a narrow, irregular belt running east to west. It is known as the Peninsular plateau of India. The Northern and Central highlands, the Deccan plateau, and the Northeastern plateau are the four major geographic regions that constitute it. We would also explain the formation of a peninsular plateau in this article.

About the peninsular plateau :

1. As it was formed from the drifting section of Gondwana land, the peninsular plateau is triangular in shape and surrounded by hills, and is made up of the oldest rocks.
2. It’s a tableland made up of crystalline, igneous, and metamorphic rocks that are thousands of years old. This peninsular plateau is known for its large and shallow valleys, as well as its rounded hills. From the Aravali mountain to India’s southern point, the Peninsular plateau runs. The Western Ghats in the west and the Eastern Ghats in the east divide this peninsular region.
3. The Central Highlands and the Deccan Plateau are the two regions that make up the Plateau.

Central Highlands: 

1. The Central Highlands are located to the north of the Narmada River and encompass the majority of the Malwa plateau, which sits between the Aravali and Vindhyas in Madhya Pradesh.
2. The Satpura range, which forms the northernmost borders of the Deccan Plateau, is formed of scarped plateaus to the south with elevations ranging from 600 to 900 meters above mean sea level.

Mewar or Marwar Plateau:

1. It is the eastern Rajasthan plateau. The Marwar Plain is located west of Aravalis, whereas the Marwar Plateau is located east. The typical elevation is 250-500 meters above sea level, with a little eastward slope.
2. The Banas River and its tributaries (Berach and Khari rivers) start in the Aravali Range and run northwest into the Chambal river.

Bundelkhand Plateau:

1. Yamuna River to the north, Madhya Bharat Pathar to the west, Vindhyan to the east and south-east, and Malwa Plateau to the south define this plateau.
2. It is the old divided upland of the ‘Bundelkhand Gneiss,’ which is made up of granite and gneiss rocks and is split by a number of deep valleys.

Malwa Plateau:

1. The Malwa Plateau forms a triangle built on the Vindhya Hills, delimited on the west by the Aravali Range, on the north by Madhya Bharat Pathar, and on the east by Bundelkhand.
2. The plateau contains two drainage systems: one that drains into the Arabian Sea (Narmada, Tapi, and Mahi), and the other that drains into the Bay of Bengal (Chambal and Betwa, joining the Yamuna).

Baghelkhand Plateau:

Baghelkhand is located to the north of the Maikal Range. On the west, it is composed of limestones and sandstones, whereas on the east, it is composed of granite. The Son Rivers form the northern border.

Chotanagpur Plateau :

The Chotanagpur plateau is the Indian Peninsula’s north-eastern protrusion. It is predominantly found in Jharkhand, the northern portion of Chhattisgarh, and West Bengal’s Purulia region.

The Deccan Plateau: 

1. The Deccan plateau is India’s biggest plateau, covering much of the country’s southern region. It is located south of the Narmada River and is formed like a downward-pointing triangle.
2. Satpura hills, Mahadeo hills, Maikal range, Amarkantak hills, and Rajmahal hills in the north, the Western Ghats in the west, and the Eastern Ghats in the east surround the deccan plateau.
3. The Deccan plateau is made up of horizontal strata of hardened lava from volcanic eruptions that form a step-like trap structure. Sedimentary layers are found in between the layers of hardened lava, resulting in a structure that is inter-trapping.
4. The Western Ghats have an average altitude of 900–1600 meters, whilst the Eastern Ghats have an average altitude of 600 meters. It is known for its deep, black soil (known as regur), which is ideal for cotton growth.

Deccan Trap:

1. The Deccan Traps are a Vast Igneous Province, which is defined as an unusually large collection of igneous rocks, including volcanic rock formations, that occurs when hot magma extrudes from within the Earth and flows out.
2. Since 1785–95, geologists have referred to such stair-like rock structures as “traps.” Multiple layers of cemented flood basalt make up the structure. The Maharashtra Plateau in Western India is home to the Deccan Trap.

Conclusion

Peninsular Plateau was formed from the drifting section of Gondwana land, It is triangular in shape and surrounded by hills, and is made up of the oldest rocks.The Central Highlands and the Deccan Plateau are the two regions that make up the Plateau. The Deccan plateau is made up of horizontal strata of hardened lava from volcanic eruptions that form a step-like trap structure. Sedimentary layers are found in between the layers of hardened lava, resulting in a structure that is inter-trapping.The Central Highlands are located to the north of the Narmada River and encompass the majority of the Malwa plateau, which sits between the Aravali and Vindhyas in Madhya Pradesh.