Question

If you move from Badrinath to Sunderbans delta along the course of the river Ganga, what major geomorphological features will you come across?

Answer 1

If we move from Badrinath to Sunderbans delta along the course of the river Ganga, the following major geomorphological features will come across:

1. V-Shaped Valleys: Valleys start as small and narrow rills; the rills will gradually develop into long and wide gullies; the gullies will further deepen, widen and lengthen to give rise to valleys. Depending upon dimensions and shape, many types of valleys like V-shaped valleys, gorges, canyons, etc. can be recognized.

2. Gorge: A gorge is a deep valley with very steep to straight sides.

3. Canyon: A canyon is characterized by steep step-like side slopes and maybe as deep as a gorge. A gorge is almost equal in width at its top as well as at its bottom. In contrast, a canyon is wider at its top than at its bottom. In fact, a canyon is a variant of a gorge.

4. Waterfall: When the rivers start falling in pits in mountainous regions, it makes a waterfall.

5. Plunge pools: Once a small and shallow depression forms, pebbles and boulders get collected in those depressions and get rotated by flowing water and consequently the depressions grow in dimensions. A series of such depressions eventually join and the stream valley gets deepened. At the foot of waterfalls also, large potholes, quite deep and wide, form because of the sheer impact of water and rotation of boulders. Such large and deep holes at the base of waterfalls are called plunge pools.