Contrary to the typical geological phenomenon observed in many river systems worldwide, the Western Ghats, a mountain range along the western coast of India, do not give rise to deltas through river deposition. This distinctive absence of delta formation can be attributed to several factors. Primarily, the steep gradient of the rivers originating from the Western Ghats prevents the accumulation of sediment at their mouths. Additionally, the high rainfall and swift flow rates in these rivers facilitate efficient transportation of sediments, leaving minimal material for delta formation. Furthermore, the rocky terrain of the Western Ghats limits the extent of sediment deposition, thus precluding delta development.
Tag: Salient features of the world’s physical geography.
Decoding the Question:
- In Introduction, try to define delta.
- In Body, discuss the reasons why there is no formation of deltas by rivers of the Western Ghat.
- In Conclusion, mention the significance of such a phenomenon.
Answer:
Delta is a more or less triangular and level tract of alluvium formed at the mouth of the river and traversed by the distributaries of the river. West flowing peninsular rivers emptying into sea have no deltas but instead they have the shape of a gradually widening mouth cutting deep inland. Such a mouth is called an estuary.
Reasons Behind the Formation of Estuaries and not Delta by the Rivers of the Western Ghat:
- Rivers of the Western Ghat have short river courses. So, they cannot erode many sediments due to less water capacity. Example: Length of River Ganga is 2510 kms, while that of Narmada is around 1300 kms.
- Rivers flow through coarse hilly regions of the Western Ghats. So, they are unable to gather many sediments. Also, the speed of the river flow is higher for the rivers of the Western Ghat due to smaller distance and a more inclined terrain.
- Since the land of the western coast is more inclined, the rivers drain faster into the Arabian Sea.
Hence, the peninsular rivers flowing to the Arabian Sea do not form deltas due to the geographical factors of the terrain, high gradient, distance to the Sea, etc., while the exact opposite is observed for the rivers flowing into Bay of Bengal.
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