Class IX Geography    PHYSICAL FEATURES OF INDIA

India has all the major physical features i.e. mountains, plains, plateaus and islands.

What are the causes of these variations.

External forces :

• weathering - break down and alteration of rocks on the earth due to the exposure of atmosphere
• erosion  - wearing away of the landscape by different agents such as wind water and ice.
• deposition - Transportation and deposition of weathered materials through wind and water.

Internal Forces :

• Tectonic movements -  these plates are continuously moving in different directions at different speeds.

Result of plate movements : These plates changed the position and size of the continents over millions of years.

Plate Boundaries :

Convergent Boundaries : Collides

• the crust is destroyed and recycled back into the interior of the earth as one plate dives under another.
• mountains and volcanoes are often found where plate converge.

Divergent Boundaries  : Separate from one another

• new crust is created as two or more plates pull away from each other.
• oceans grow wider.
• on land a rift or separation arises.
• over time the mass breaks apart into distinct land masses and the surrounding water fills the space.

Transform Boundaries  :

• most transform faults found on ocean floor.
• produce zig-zag plate margins generally defined shallow earthquakes.

Major Physio graphic Divisions

Himalayas
northern plains
peninsular plateau
Indian desert
Coastal plains
Islands