Consider the following statements regarding the Great Indian desert:1....
• The Thar Desert, also known as the Great Indian Desert, is a large arid region in the northwestern part of the Indian subcontinent that covers an area of 2 Lakh km² and forms a natural boundary between India and Pakistan.
• Statement 1 is correct: The underlying rock structure of the desert is an extension of the Peninsular plateau, yet, due to extreme arid conditions, its surface features have been carved by physical weathering and wind actions. Some of the well pronounced desert land features present here are mushroom rocks, shifting dunes and oasis (mostly in its southern part). The desert can be divided into two parts: the northern part is sloping towards Sindh and the southern towards the Rann of Kachchh
• Statement 2 is correct: It is believed that during the Mesozoic era (252 to 66 million years ago), this region was under the sea. This can be corroborated by the evidence available at wood fossils park at Aakal and marine deposits around Brahmsar, near Jaisalmer (The approximate age of the wood-fossils is estimated to be 180 million years).
• The Mesozoic is one of three geologic eras preceded by the Paleozoic and succeeded by the Cenozoic. It is also called the Age of Reptiles and the Age of Conifers.
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Consider the following statements regarding the Great Indian desert:1....
The correct answer is option C, which means both statement 1 and 2 are correct.
Underlying rock structure of the Great Indian Desert:
- The underlying rock structure of the Great Indian Desert, also known as the Thar Desert, is an extension of the Peninsular plateau.
- The Peninsular plateau is a large plateau that covers much of southern India. It is composed mainly of ancient igneous and metamorphic rocks.
- The Thar Desert is located in northwestern India and extends into southeastern Pakistan. It covers an area of about 200,000 square kilometers.
- The desert is characterized by its arid climate, with low rainfall and high temperatures.
Importance of underlying rock structure:
- The underlying rock structure plays a significant role in determining the landscape and geology of an area.
- The presence of igneous and metamorphic rocks in the Peninsular plateau suggests that the Great Indian Desert has a similar geological composition.
- These rocks are resistant to weathering and erosion, which contributes to the formation of flat, rocky terrain in the desert.
Sea during the Mesozoic era:
- The Mesozoic era is a geological era that spanned from about 252 to 66 million years ago.
- During this era, the Indian subcontinent was part of the supercontinent called Gondwana.
- The region that is now the Great Indian Desert was located near the Tethys Sea, which was a large sea that existed during the Mesozoic era.
- The deposition of sediments from the Tethys Sea contributed to the formation of the rock layers that underlie the desert.
- Over millions of years, the sea gradually receded, and the sediments were uplifted to form the Peninsular plateau and the underlying rock structure of the Great Indian Desert.
Conclusion:
- In conclusion, statement 1 is correct because the underlying rock structure of the Great Indian Desert is indeed an extension of the Peninsular plateau.
- Statement 2 is also correct because the region that is now the desert was indeed under the sea during the Mesozoic era.
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