Topography of jammu kashmir and Ladakh , Physiographical features of jammu and kashmir
Topography of Jammu Kashmir and Ladakh.
Physiological division of Jammu and Kashmir.
- The physical features of a region is largely influenced by climate, soils, vegetation and lifestyle of the people.
- An understanding of physical features is imperative to assess the resources potential and their management.
- The physiography of jammu of kashmir , has been divided into 6 divisions.
- The outer plains.
- The shivaliks.
- The middle Himalayas.
- The valley of kashmir.
- The Greater Himalayas.
- The plateau of Ladakh.
Physiographic division of J&K
1). The outer plains : the alluvial plains of Tawi, Ravi and chenab river border the southern flanks of J&k.
These plains form the parts of Akhnoor , Ranbir singh pura , Samba, Kathua and constitute a part of great plains of India.
These plains are located in the south hills of shivalik.
Many hill streams called 'khads' traverse these pains.
The outer plains vary in altitude from 320 - 350 metres. They are highly fertile and many high yielding varieties of wheat and rice are grown here.
2). The Shivaliks : in the north of the outer plains the youngest mountains of the subcontinent called Shivalik range.
These mountains are 20 - 50 km wide and 600 to 1200 metres above from the sea level.
Jammu city is located on the southern slopes of Shivalik hills at an altitude of 366 metres above from the banks of river Tawi.
Mansar and Surinsar lake also lie in these moutains in the east of jammu at an altitude of 600 metres.
Southern slopes of shivalik Hills, adjacent to the plains , have an undulating platform. These undulating platforms between Ravi and Chenab rivers is called "kandi"
In between the Shivalik hills are located many longitudinal valleys which are known as Duns
, some important Duns are Basoli, Ramkoi, sunderbani, and udhampur.
3). The middle himalayas : the Middle himalayas are located between river ravi in the east of poonch and in the west contineous upto Muzzafarabad.
The average height of Middle himalayas is between 1820 to 2240 metres . The middle himalayas are about 10 - 60 km across.
They are covered with by dense forests of Deodar ( cedrus) Pine and Fir .
Many important rivers of the both UTs like Tawi , Basantar, ujh arise from the middle himalayas.
The sacred cave of Mata vaishnodevi is situated in Middle himalayas of Trikuta hills.
In this part of J&K people generally earn thrir livelihood from forestry , cattle rearing and tourist industry.
Other divisions are
- The valley of kashmir.
- The Greater Himalayas.
- The plateau of Ladakh.
4). The kashmir valley : kashmir is a "bowl shaped" Valley surrounded on all sides by huge moutain ranges. These mountains vary in altitude from 2770 metres to 5550 metres.
In the south , Banihal pass (jawahar tunnel) affords an exist from the valley. The only outer for water is the Baramulla gauge when river jehlum leaves the valley.
River jehlum with its tributaries like, Vishav, Liddar, Erin, Madumati etc form the main river system of the valley, called the Jehlum River System.
The valley of kashmir is 130 km long and 40 km wide . The valley of kashmir is divided into four physiographic sub divisions
Physiographic Sub divisions of kashmir valley are.
Jehlum valley Floor
The karewas
The side valleys
The Greater himalayas.
5). The Greater Himalayas : part of Ladakh UT, the Greater himalayas are known as 'Zanskar'.
Average height of Zanskar range is 5940 metres.
Zanskar and suru river river flows through Zanskar and Drains into Indus river.
Some of the coldest places like Drass and Rangdom , where winter temperature falls even below 40°c are located in Greater Himalayas.
6). The Ladakh Region : the Ladakh region is an arid table land with an average altitude of 5000 metres. It is a cold Desert having very low rainfall and scanty vegetation . River Indus flows through this area.
Ladakh range forms the right bank of Indus River , while as Zanskar range forms its left bank .
Leh is situated at an altitude of 3505 metres , on the right bank of river Indus.
Worlds 2nd highest peak K2 peak is locates in karakoram range.
Siachen, Baltoro, Hisper etc are important valley Glaciers in the Ladakh range.