You are on page 1of 25

" I live in Balusshery in Kozhikode district. I severe.

The teacher asked all of us to wear


am extremely happy from the moment I learnt our woollen clothes. On one side there was
that the students of my school are being taken the fog covered low land and where it was
on a study tour to Wayanad and Ooty. As not foggy the paddy fields and farm lands
instructed by the teacher, I packed woollen could be seen. On the other side there were
clothes in my bag. From the time we started steep green slopes…."
the journey, I sat in bus looking around. Till Did you read the study tour report of
we reached Tamarassery, the bus went quite Tom? You now know that our earth's
fast. I did not notice many bends and curves. surface is not even everywhere. Let us
But after that the bus slowed down. The road see how these ups and downs appeared
was full of twists and turns. After two or on the earth. Some movements from
three turns, the bus went uphill. After some inside the earth and various processes
time I could see a vast spread of land. At on the earth's surface caused these
many places, the bus travelled through changes.
hairpin bends. The sights from the bus
amazed me. When we reached Lakkidi, I The Interior of the Earth
realized that we had reached a great height. I Knowledge about the interior of the
felt the coolness but not so much to wear a earth is limited. As one goes deeper into
sweater. Then the journey was even more the earth, the temperature and pressure
interesting. The road did not have many ups increases and this prevents us from
and downs. I was curious by this kind of a learning about the earth's interior
terrain at so high an altitude. Till Gudallur through direct access. The depth of the
the roads were like this. After that the bus deepest mines on the earth is only about
started climbing upwards again. The journey 9 kilometres. Investigations indicate
through tea plantations and eucalyptus that even the lava that comes to the
gardens was enjoyable. The cold was also surface of the earth through volcanoes
increasing and as we continued it became are from a depth, maximum of just 64
kilometres .
Standard - IX

It was by analysing the nature of All the continental portions came into
movements of the seismic waves being about 3600 million years ago, and
produced at the time of earthquakes in have not undergone much changes over
the interior of the earth that the scientists the ages. The ocean floors that we see
inferred much about the structure of today are of more recent origin. No
the earth. portion of the seafloor is more than 200
million years old. The ocean floors are
The radius of the earth, that is the
made by more denser rocks than those
distance from the centre of the earth to
of the continents.
its surface is about 6371 km.
Lithosphere
Crust and the
Crust upper portion of
Aesthenosphere mantle

Mantle

Mantle

Outer Core
Core

Inner Core

Interior of Earth
Fig 2.1

Layer Approximate depth in kilometres Average density


A Crust 0 to 40 2.9
B Mantle 40 to 2900 4.5
C Outer Core 2900 to 5150 10.7
D Inner Core 5150 to 6371 15

Table 2.1
The outermost layer of the earth is the Below the earth's crust is the mantle.
crust. Rocks containing minerals like The upper portion of the mantle is in a
silica, and aluminia make up the solid state.
continents and rocks containing silica The upper potion of the mantle and the
and magnesium make up the ocean crust together is called the lithosphere.
floors; these together make up the The maximum thickness of the
earth's crust. These are known as 'Sial' Lithosphere is about 100 kilometres.
and 'Sima' respectively. Earth came into Lithosphere exists like a broken
existence about 4500 million years ago. eggshell. When you compare the
thickness of the earth's crust with the
20 Social Science - II
Chapter - 2

distance to the centre of the earth, the From the fig 2.2, find the
thickness of the lithosphere is much major plates and the minor
less. The lithosphere consists of 7 major plates and note them down.
plates and about a dozen of minor Major plates Minor plates
plates. They stretch thousands of
kilometres in aerial extent and are about
hundred kilometres thick.
Just below the upper mantle the rocks
are found in a molten stage. This is due
to the high temperature in this region.
This part of the mantle is called All these plates are clustered together
aesthenosphere. The rocks that melt in to exist. It has been noted that three
this sphere, move constantly as types of plate margins can be
convectional currents. The pressure recognized on the basis of the relative
exerted on the margins of the plates by motions of plates with respect to their
the convectional currents cause plates adjacent plates. They are,
to move. Below the aesthenosphere is
the lower mantle. • Plate margins where two adjacent
plates move away from each other -
Lower mantle is followed by the core. Divergent Margins.
This part is made up of mainly rocks
formed by nickel and iron and hence it • Plate margins where two plates meet
each other - Convergent Margins.
is also called Nife. The core has two
parts, an outer core and an inner core. • Plate margins along which the plates
The outer core exists in a molten state. slide past each other - Shear Margins.
In the centre of the earth, the Divergent Plate Margins
temperature is almost 11000° C and the
pressure is very high. Hence the inner As two adjoining plates slowly move
core is in a solid state. away from each other, very long fissures
develop in the lithosphere between
Moving Plates them.When this happens to the plates
Most of the plates include both of the near the ocean floor, the molten rock
continental crust and oceanic crust. (magma) from the underlying mantle
There are also plates which include comes up through these fractures and
either oceanic crust or continental crust
alone.

THE EARTH WHICH SUPPORTS 21


Standard - IX

60 Eurasian
Plate
North
45 American Arabian
Plate Plate
Carribbean
30 Plate
African
15 Cocos Plate Philppine
Plate Plate
0 South
Pacific American Indo-
15 Plate Plate Australian-Plate
30 (Indian Plate)
Nazca
45 Plate
Antarctica
Scottia Plate
60
Plate
180 150 120 90 60 30 0 30 60 90 120 150 180

Plate margins

Lithospheric Plates
Fig 2.2
cools down. It consolidates and joins Mariana trench in the Pacific Ocean
with the trailing edges of the plates and is one such. Volcanoes are more
form the youngest portions of the sea frequent and extensive along these
floor. This is called seafloor spreading. regions.
Such plate margins passing through the b.The margins where seafloor of one
continents result in the formation of rift plate meets the continental portion
valleys. In these areas, earthquakes and of adjacent plate, the denser ocean
volcanoes are frequent, even though of floor sinks. This causes earthquakes
moderate to low intensity. of high intensity.
Convergent Plate Margins c. Due to the collision of the plate
Convergent margins are of three types. margins where continents occur on
a. When the margins of one oceanic both sides of the plate margin fold
plate collide with another, one plate mountains are formed. The
descends under the adjacent plate Himalayan ranges were formed this
and melt down to form the part of the way. The collision of the Indian plate
mantle. This may lead to the with the Eurasian plate has produced
formation of oceanic trenches. The the Himalayas.

The land near the Pacific Ocean is well known for its volcanoes. This area is called
'The ring of fire'. 90% of earthquakes and 80 % of volcanoes occur here. There are
more than 452 volcanoes in this region. The reason for the formation of this region is
the movement of the plates.

22 Social Science - II
Chapter - 2

Shear Margins The activities that take place inside the


In some regions where two lithospheric earth and the movements of the plates
plates slide past one another in cause many natural phenomena like
opposite directions, noticeable changes earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and
may not occur. But these may cause tsunamis.
fissures on the earth's crust. These are Earthquakes
called zones of faulting. San Andreas
"It was a holiday. It must have been about 8
Fault Zone of California is an example
o'clock. The birds were chattering loudly. It
for this. Shear margins are zones of
seemed as if some accident had happened.
frequent earthquakes of varied
They were flying back to their nests. The dog
intensity.
was barking for no reason. The cattle were
Those types of movements described also making a lot of noise. I felt a little uneasy.
above are responsible for various Before I could think of doing something there
tectonic activities like volcanoes, was a loud noise. Following this the chair I
earthquakes and the formation of fault was sitting on and the table nearby seemed
zones. to move. My younger brother who was
sleeping on the cot came running
The internal processes that cause
shiveringly. It was a frightening situation. I
changes on the earth's crust is called
looked out of window of our flat. The sight
tectonic movements. These movements
was smoky and dusty. The window panes
are the cause of various tectonic
were closing by themselves. When the smoke
phenomena.
screen lifted, what I saw was a two storied
San Andreas Fault building shattered to the ground. It was a
heart wrenching sight……"
San Andreas is one of the most important
fault zones . It stretches from Point Reyes This was taken from the diary of Edwin
at the Northern end of San Francisco to about his experience of an earthquake.
Boja near California. The severe
earthquake that San Francisco
experienced in 1906 was due to the
proximity of this fault zone. This rift valleys
attract a lot of tourists.

THE EARTH WHICH SUPPORTS 23


Standard - IX

The earthquake that occurred on 26th January 2001 at Bhuj in Gujarat (Richter scale
7.7) caused a loss of almost 13,000 lives and great devastation in the surrounding
areas. It is reported that this also caused immense damage and loss in nearby areas of
Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, and also in the Sind province of Pakistan.
This earthquake is described as the worst that has happened in the Indian Subcontinent.
The severe quake lasted 85 seconds but the tremors were felt for some more minutes.
The greatest destructions was seen on the western side of Kutch, and the Batchua
town was completely destroyed. The collapse of multi storied buildings in Ahmadabad
and Surat led to the loss of many lives.
The processes that take place in the above the focus on the surface of the
interior of the earth causes in the storage earth is known as epicenter. The energy
of energy in some portions in the earth. being released from the focus
Earthquakes occur on those instances propagates as waves. These cause
when these energy is being released. tremors on the surface of the earth and
The point of origin of the earthquakes cause destructions.
is known as focus and the point just

Fig 2.3

24 Social Science - II
Chapter - 2

The salient features of earthquake waves

Primary waves move very fast through solids, and very slowly through liquids. These
waves reach the epicenter from the focus first. But secondary waves move only through
solids. They do not travel through liquids. These reach the epicenter following the primary
waves. These two waves travel to the interior of the earth. So they are known as body
waves. Depending on the density of the material they pass through, there is a difference
in their speed. Where the material traversed is more dense, the speed is more and
where the density is less, the speed is also less. According to the density, the direction
of the waves change. Surface waves reach the epicenter last. They travel through the
surface of the earth and cause destruction on the earth's surface.

The instrument used to measure the Tsunami


magnitude of the earthquake is called Sea waves which can go very high are
a seismograph. The intensity of the called tsunamis. Tsunami is a Japanese
earthquake is measured based on the word meaning harbour waves.
Richter Scale.

Table 2.2 Characteristics of earthquakes of different magnitude


Richter Scale Effects
1-3 We don't feel the tremors. But recorded in the seismograph
3-4 Tremors felt
4-5 Small objects fall, doors and windows shake.
5-6 Damage to weak buildings
6-7 There is strong tremor over vast areas, weak buildings col-
lapse
7-8 Comparatively strong earthquake, there is a lot of destruc-
tion over large areas, strong buildings collapse, tsunamis
caused
8-9 Severe earthquake, causes destruction in more than 100
kilometre circumference, cause strong tsunamis (like the
2004 tsunami in the Indian Ocean)
9 and above Very intense earthquake, very rare

THE EARTH WHICH SUPPORTS 25


Standard - IX

Tremors produced by intense The tsunami of Dec.26, 2004,


earthquakes that occur in the sea create caused serious damage in Kerala
gigantic waves. Till it reaches the shore and in neighbouring Tamil Nadu. Collect
these waves are not noticed because information about this from newspapers and
they are only about a metre high. But the internet to prepare a report.
when they reach the shore, they become
very gigantic and powerful. They travel Collect information on the
at about 800 km per hour and rise up to earthquakes that occurred in
30 metres high. These tsunami waves India and organize a seminar entitled 'The
that travel thousands of kilometres in earthquakes that shook the nation'.
the sea without causing any harm, cause Information about the above can be collected
widespread devastation when they from geography books, encyclopedia and the
reach and hit the shore. Some islands internet.
may be totally disappear due to this.
The disappearance of the Indira Point Make a note after collecting
on the Andaman & Nicobar Islands can information of the earthquake
be cited as an example for this. that occur in Haiti in January 2010

The tsunami that took origin in the Indian You must have now understood the
Ocean on 24th December 2004, is role played by earthquakes in bringing
considered as one of the most destructive about changes on the earth. This
in the history of the world. According to a phenomenon causes huge losses in
report by the U.S Geological Survey, an densely populated regions. In the
energy 23,000 times more than that present scenario when the population
released by the nuclear bomb that is widely distributed, the people
devastated Hiroshima, caused this staying in the earthquake prone areas
tsunami. Reports say that 1,50,000 should take precautions to face this
people were dead or missing and more calamity.
than ten lakh people belonging to 11 Precautions
countries lost their homes. • There should be earthquake
surveillance centres.
The earthquake which was recorded as • People should be warned promptly
having an intensity of 9 on the Richter about possible earthquakes. This
Scale, originated on the western side of will help people to move to safer
the Sumatra islands of Indonesia. This places and reduce the loss of life.
caused to develop a Tsunami in the Indian • In earthquake prone areas,
Ocean. The Indian plate slipped a little preference should be given to those
under the Burma plate; according to construction technologies which can
scientists, this was the cause of the withstand the impact of earthquakes.
earthquake.

26 Social Science - II
Chapter - 2

Volcanoes to the crust of the earth is known as the


vent. The rocks and other material
Volcanoes are caused when molten rock
which come on to the surface of the earth
(magma) flows out onto the earth's
from the interior of the earth
suface through fissures that are caused
accumulates to develop volcanic
due to the movement of plates. Observe
mountains. The funnel shaped
the picture (fig. 2.5).
depression that can be seen on the
The fissures, through which the magma summit of a volcanoe is known as a
comes out from the aesthenosphere on crater.

Creater

Lava
Vent

Magma
chamber

Fig 2.5

Volcanic eruption - an experience illustrated

This is a description of an earth phenomenon in Parikutin village in Mexico.


The village experienced a series of tremors. This increased to almost 300
by February 19th 1943. A farmer who went to plough his field the next
morning, saw a crack of almost 30 cm. There was smoke coming out of it.
Within hours this crack became bigger and hot lava started coming out of
it. Within days, rocks and lava spurted out of it with a great noise. By now
the crater had become almost 400 metres in diameter. In a few days, the
whole village was covered with lava. This volcano is said to have been
active till 1952.

THE EARTH WHICH SUPPORTS 27


Standard - IX

Some volcanoes erupt the lava out with The molten rock produces various
a great explosion and some others, landforms not only on the surface of the
silently. earth but also inside the earth. The
molten magma that tries to come on to
Watch a video clipping of an the surface of the earth gets stopped at
active volcano using the some points. As a result of this, this
internet. molten material gets solidified within
the crust. These landforms have been
It is believed that the Deccan plateau
named according to the shapes in which
was formed by the lava which errupted
they are formed. See the fig. 2.6 and
silently in prehistoric times.
notice the names given to the
formations.

Sill Laccolith
Dyke
Sill

Magma Chamber Batholith

Fig 2.6
Based on the chances of eruption the volcanoes are classified
into three.

Different types of volcanoes

↓ ↓ ↓
Active Extinct Dormant

Those that have erupted


Active at a time. But will
Those that frequently earlier and not active in the
not erupt again Eg.
erupt.Eg. Mount Etna in recent past. But can become
Kilimanjaro in Africa
Italy, Mount Fujiyama active. Eg. Vesuvius in Italy
in Japan

28 Social Science - II
Chapter - 2

With the help of the internet Forces that cause changes on the
and the encyclopeadia, collect Earth's Surface
information about the active volcanoes in the
world and make a note of it. `We saw how the movements inside the
earth cause changes on the earth's
Volcanoes and Man surface. Like the forces that act on the
Volcanoes are helpful in many ways. interior of the earth, some forces act on
Though volcanic eruptions are threats the surface of the earth causing changes.
to human life, the areas where the The forces that act inside the earth are
eruptions have taken place are useful called endogenic forces and those that
too. These areas are rich in minerals. The act on the surface of the earth are called
black soil that formed as a result of a exogenic forces. Endogenic forces cause
volcanic eruption is very suitable for compression and tension on the layers
cotton cultivation. The hotsprings that of rocks.
are found on volcanic mountains are The forces that act on the rock layers of
supposed to have healing properties. the crust of the earth cause folds to form
These places have been developed as on them. These are known as folding.
well known tourist spots. They are Folding cause ups and downs and they
known as spas. are called anticlines and synclines,
Deccan Plateau- storehouse respectively. At all times and
of minerals everywhere, it may not be the
compressional forces with same
The lava deposits of the Deccan plateau intensity that act on either side of the
is rich in minerals. In Chota Nagpur there
rocks. When the force increases on one
side, according to the intensity of forces,
is iron ore and mica, and in Golconda gold
it can be seen that the fold acquires
and diamonds.

Fig 2.7
THE EARTH WHICH SUPPORTS 29
Standard - IX

different forms(fig 2.7). At times, the broken rock layers are raised or
endogenic forces create a tensional lowered along the plane of fracture.
force. This tensional force causes This action is called faulting.
fractures on the rock layers and the

Block mountian Block mountian


Rift valley

Fig 2.8
Look at the fig 2.8 and write for the creation of the physical world
a note on the formations that which bear soil and minerals. Actually
result from faulting. these are the forces which made the
earth an hospitable one.
Folding and faulting changes the form
of the surface of the earth. The Weathering
Himalayas were fromed through
Look at fig 2.9 and 2.10. Don't you see
folding. It is believed that the Indo-
the cracks and fissures in the rocks?
Gangetic plain was formed by the
When the rocks break into small pieces
alluvials from the Himalayan rivers
like this it is called weathering. As this
deposited in the geosyncline formed at
action continues, the size of the rocks
the foot of the Himalayas. The rivers
reduces and makes way for soil
Narmada and Tapti flow through the
formation.
rift valleys formed between the
Vindhya Satpura range. As a result of weathering, rocks
The running water, the sea waves, the disintegrate and become small pieces
wind and the glaciers are examples for and when the organic content mix with
the external agents that change the this, in course of time, soil is formed. For
earth's surface. These are known as the formation of one inch of soil, it takes
erosive agents. The endogenic forces about a thousand or more years.
and exogenic forces are responsible Weathering is mainly of three types.
mechanical weathering, chemical
weathering and biological weathering.

30 Social Science - II
Chapter - 2

Fig 2.9

Mechanical Weathering Freezing of Water in the Cracks in


Rocks
Changes in temperature and the
freezing of the water in the cracks of the During the day, the heat of the sun
rocks cause mechanical weathering. causes the snow to melt and water fills
the cracks in the rocks. At night when
Changes in Temperature
the temperature drops to below freezing
During the day, rocks expand due to the point, the water in these cracks freezes
heat of the sun. The different minerals and becomes ice. Haven't you studied
in the rocks expand in different in the science classes that volume of ice
magnitudes. On these rocks if suddenly is more than that of water? Thus when
rain falls or at night the temperature the water freezes in the cracks it exerts
drops, the expanded areas contract. This pressure on the lateral sides of the rock
type of changes in terms of expansion which eventually causes the rocks to
and contraction cause the rocks to break.
disintegrate in due course.

THE EARTH WHICH SUPPORTS 31


Standard - IX

Observe the picture (fig 2.10). The roots


During the day, the rocks become heated
of the trees penetrate into the cracks of
and expand with the rays of the sun and
the rocks and small creatures make their
at night when the temperature decreases,
homes in these spaces. These also cause
they contract. This alternate expansion
the disintegration of rocks. This is called
and contraction causes the outer surface
biological weathering.
of the rocks to break into layers. This kind
of peeling away of rock layers is called All the parts of the earth that are created
exfoliation. due to the endogenic forces, are liable
to face some form of weathering from
Chemical Weathering
exogenic forces.
Sometimes the nitrogen and carbon Mountains
dioxide in the atmosphere dissolve in
Those landforms which have a height
the rain water.
of 900 metres or more above sea level
When the rain falls on the rocks are called mountains. They have been
chemical action takes place between the divided into four on the basis of their
minerals in the rocks and the rain water. origin. Fold mountains, block
As a result of this, there can be mountains, relict mountains and
disintegration of the rocks. This is called volcanic mountains. Among these we
chemical weathering. have already learnt about volcanoes.
Biological Weathering Most of the mountains we
see today are fold mount-
ains. They are higher when
compared to other mount-
ains. Folding of the plates
cause fold mountains to
form. The highest peak in
the world, Mt. Everest, is
part of the Himalayan
mountains, one of the
young fold mountains of
the world. The Alps, the
Andes, the Rockies are all
fold mountains.
The block mountains are
formed as a result of uplift
of landforms due to
faulting. These mountains
have flat tops and steep
sides. Eg. Black Forest in
Germany, Vosges in
France.
Fig 2.10
32 Social Science - II
Chapter - 2

Black Forest is a fault mountain situated The Himalayas, the Vindhyas and the
on the south -west of Germany. It is about Satpuras have a major influence in
200 kilometres long and 60 kilometres controlling the flora and fauna of our
wide, and 12,000 sq. kilometres in area. country.
Danube is one of the major rivers rising The Influence of Mountains on
from this mountain range. The mountain Man
sides were thick with pine and fir but due
• Climate :
to rapid deforestation, the forests were
denuded. Most of the beautiful peaks there The Himalaya ranges obstruct the
have now turned bald. flow of the extreme cold wind from
Central Asia to India and make the
Due to the different weathering
climate pleasant and also to block
processes of prolonged duration, the
the monsoon winds to cause rainfall
rocks that are not very resistant get
in the north-east parts of the country.
disintegrated and only those resistant
parts remain. These mountains are In the Himalayas, different types of
called residual mountains. Eg. The vegetation from evergreen to alpine
Aravalli ranges and the Nilgiris in India. forests can be found. Logging is one of
Mount Abu the main occupations of the people here.
Steep slopes and snow are not conducive
Mount Abu which was ones called to agriculture. But where it is possible,
Arbudanchal is the highest peak in the terrace farming is carried out. Plantations
Aravalli ranges. Gurusikhar is the highest have taken over most of the cultivable
peak in this range. This is one of the areas; tea is the main cultivation. These
summer resorts of Rajasthan, and it is plantations generate maximum employ-
1220 metres above sea level. Many ment. Sheep rearing is also a very
people come here to enjoy the scenic lucrative business as the climate suits
beauty and to get relief from heat. Mount them and the wool industry has grown to
Abu is situated about 58 kilometres from the status of a cottage industry here.
Palampur, Gujarat. Places of worship of different religions are
also found here which attracts pilgrim
The mountains play a vital role in making
tourism. There are also many resorts
the earth a hospitable one for all living
which create employment for many
beings.
people and trade also flourishes due to
this.

THE EARTH WHICH SUPPORTS 33


Standard - IX

Mountains are useful in otherwise too • When compared to the surrounding


plains, some plateaus are found to
• Mineral wealth
be higher. These are Continental
• Hydro - electric power Plateaus.
• Tourist resorts Examples are given in the table below.
• Mountains help in defense and Plateaus Division
protection of life
Tibetan Intermontane
Plateau Plateau
Find out how mountains
influence life. Different Colorado Piedmont
groups must be given different topics and the Plateau Plateau
information collected should be consolidated East African Continental
and a prepare a note on the title "The Plateau Plateau
importance of mountains in human life".
From the atlas make a note of all the
Plateaus plateaus and find out to which group
they belong.
Comparatively flat areas , but higher
than the plains and water bodies Plains
surround it are called plateaus. When
Places that are not so rugged and are
compared to other areas, these places
not much higher than sea level are called
look like tables. That is how they got
plains. Based on their formation, they
their name. Steep slopes and flat tops
have been divided into three. Structural
are the characteristic features of this
plains, erosional plains and
land. They can be divided into three on
depositional plains
the basis of the location where they are
situated Structural plains
• Plateaus that are completely Due to endogenic forces, an area can be
surrounded or partially surrounded raised or lowered. These actions are
by mountains are called called uplift and subsidence
Intermontane Plateaus. respectively. These actions cause plains
to be formed. They are called structural
• Plateaus that are found at the foot of
plains.
a range of mountains are called
Piedmont Plateaus.

34 Social Science - II
Chapter - 2

Erosional plains coin. Let us see how erosion helps in


Some areas on the earth's surface which creating new landforms.
originally were rugged are leveled due Running water
to friction or planation. This is possible
due to the action of several agents. The Rivers are the major agents of erosion
plains that are formed thus are called which help in the formation of different
erosional plains
landforms on the earth.
Depositional plains
The amount of water, speed of the
Running water, winds, glaciers, sea
flowing water, the hardness of the rocks
waves, and other external agents carry
rock materials from the hills to it flows through, the slope of the land-
depressions on the surface of the earth all these affect the erosion and
or to the water bodies. In course of time depositional activities. From the source
these deposits lead to the formation of to the mouth, rivers create different
plains.

Indo-Gangetic plain

The Indo-Gangetic flood plain is formed by the deposits brought there, for centuries, by
the Indus, the Ganga, the Brahmaputra and their tributaries. Known as the Great Plain,
this is about 7 lakh sq.kilometres in area. This is one of the biggest alluvial plains in the
world. The river valleys where ancient civilizations came into existence are on the banks
of this Great Plains. This land is one of the most important agricultural areas in the
world. Wheat, rice, corn, sugarcane, cotton and many other crops are grown here.
Since most of the land here is flat, canal irrigation is widespread. This is one of the
densely populated areas in the world. Kanpur, Agra, Varanasi, Lucknow, Allahabad are
some of the important cities in this area.

Erosion landforms. "V" shaped valleys,


The act of removing the rock debris waterfalls, flood plains and meanders
derived by the weathering processes of are some of them.
external agencies is called erosion.
Factors like running water, wind, "V"shaped valleys
glaciers, sea waves all aid in erosion
In fig. 2.11, the inclined surface on either
process. Removing the debris and
depositing it elsewhere is called sides of the river are called valleys. The
deposition. Erosion and deposition are down cutting of the river is faster than
described as being the two sides of a

THE EARTH WHICH SUPPORTS 35


Standard - IX

the lateral cutting of the valleys and due Which are the main waterfalls
to this, the depth of the river increases. in Kerala? Find out and make
a note of them. Also mark the ones that you
They cause the valleys to take the "V"
find out on the map of Kerala.
shape.

River
'V' shaped valley

Fig 2.11

Grand Canyon

The Grand Canyon is situated in Arizona in the United States of America. This was
formed by the erosive action of Colorado river. This is one of the National parks of
America. It is 446 kilometres long and 6 to 29 kilometres wide. The average depth of this
steep valley is about 1830 metres.

Waterfall
Waterfalls always attract man. Water falls vertically down from steep places in
the hilly regions, as you can see in fig 2.12. This kind of flow of the river is called
waterfall. The Jog falls of Karnataka is the biggest in India.

36 Social Science - II
Chapter - 2

Fig 2.12

Meanders
Do you see the picture (fig.2.13)
of a river that flows in a zigzag
manner. As the river flows
further from the foot of
Flood Plains
mountains and it grows older, the speed
During monsoon, when the river of the flow reduces and the river twists
overflows its banks there is flooding. As and turns as it flows along the flood
a result of this, there is a deposit of silt plains. Big and small twists and turns
on the banks. This evolves as flood which occur thus are called meanders.
plains. They continually change their forms. At

(I) (II)

(III) (IV)

Fig 2.13
THE EARTH WHICH SUPPORTS 37
Standard - IX

times a curve of meander gets isolated Wind


into an individual body of water. These
Another agent of erosion is the wind.
are called oxbow lakes, and are the
When the particles of sand brought by
result of the changing course of the
the wind rubs on the rock surfaces, it
river.
acts like sand paper in smoothening the
Delta surface. Wind erosion is more in dry
Observe the picture (fig. 2.14). When areas. The size and quantity of sand
rivers brings materials along with it particles which the wind carry depends
which gets deposited near to the mouth on the strength of the wind. The sand
of the rivers the formation of a delta blast effect of wind carrying a load of
takes place. Since it looks like the Greek sand particles cut away the softer bands
letter delta (∆), it has been named thus. of rocks and causes abrasion, which
When deltas form, the river splits into may provide a mushroom form to the
smaller branches, the distributaries. rocks. These rocks are called as
mushroom rocks (fig. 2.15)
Distributaries

Delta

River

Fig 2.14 Fig 2.15

When the speed of the wind decreases,


Make a field report on a river
the sand and dust particles that it carries
basin by identifying the
landforms exist between the source and the get deposited on the way. Sand dunes
are formed by this action of the wind.
mouth of the river, giving detail of its source
On the shores of the oceans also, wind
to the place where it ends.
blows countinuously and causes dunes
to form.

38 Social Science - II
Chapter - 2

Barchans

When they are not


blocked by plants or
some other object,
crescent shaped dunes
are formed. These are
called Barchans.

Loess Plains called glaciers. Some of the formations


The fine sand particles brought by the as a result of these glaciers is given
wind gets deposited on large plains, as below.
a result of which loess plains are Glacial Valleys
formed. They are usually found near The 'V' shaped valleys formed by the
deserts. flowing rivers sometimes gets modified
Manchuria is located on the Northeast
to 'U' shaped as a result of erosion by
part of China. Here you find fertile loess
glaciers. These are called glacial valleys.
deposits. The sand from the deserts of Hanging Valleys
Gobi and Taklamkan are deposited here
In the rivers that rise out of snow
due to the action of wind.
covered areas the glaciers bring about
Glaciers changes by down cutting. The tributary
streams enter the main stream as a
On high mountains and cold regions,
waterfall at the point of their junctions.
snowfall is common. The snow that
These are called hanging valleys. The
collects like this, in course of time and
rivers that flow from here fall into the
when it reaches a certain thickness,
main river as waterfalls. Fig. 2.16.
starts moving very slowly to lower
regions. These moving masses of ice are

THE EARTH WHICH SUPPORTS 39


Standard - IX

Fig 2.16

Underground Water limestone on the sides of the cracks.


When this continues for a very long
Underground water produces the
time, caves are formed. The size of the
erosional and depositional landforms
caves depends on the thickness of the
in those areas made of soft rocks like
limestone. Different depositional
limestone. Some of these are given
structures can be seen inside caves like
below.
these. These caves were useful in
Caves ancient times for human habitation.
See the fig. 2.17. These types of caves In the fig 2.17 you can see stalactites and
are seen where limestone rocks are stalagmites. Formations that are upside
found deep in the earth. The water flows down are stalactites and the formations
down the cracks of the limestone. The that grow from the bottom of the cave
water percolates through these cracks. upwards are stalagmites. As you see in
The water thus percolated dissolves the the picture, stalactites and stalagmites

Fig 2.17

40 Social Science - II
Chapter - 2

sometimes join together and become Sea Waves


pillar like structures.
Due to the action of the sea waves, the
Borra Caves shores are subjected to various
morphological changes. Strong waves
Borra caves are limestone caves situated
cause changes on the shores through the
in Anantagiri hills in Visakhapatnam
erosional and depositional processes.
district. Situated 80 kilometres below the
This leads to the formation of different
earth's surface, this is considered to be
landforms . The following are some of
the deepest cave in India. In 1807, William
the factors influencing the erosional
King George of the Geological Survey of
activities.
India , found this cave first. Stalactites and
Stalagmites of different sizes, which are • The size and strength of the waves
peculiar to limestone caves, can be seen • The height and slope of the shores
here. There is also a temple in this cave. • The position of the rocks on the
The main part of the cave is 100 metres shores
wide and 75 metres high. November and
Sea Cliff
December are the best months to visit
these caves. This place which is 100 Due to the force of the waves cracks
kilometres from Visakhapatnam is occur to the rocks which are situated
accessible by road and rail. near to the shore. In course of time these
cracks become bigger and pieces fall
away into the ocean. This causes steep
slopes to form on the shores; they are
called sea cliffs.(fig. 2.18)

Fig 2.18

THE EARTH WHICH SUPPORTS 41


Standard - IX

Fig 2.19

Sea caves, Arches, Stacks


Due to erosion by the waves, weak rocks
by the side of the sea are carved out and
sea caves are formed (fig 2.19).
Sometimes due to the weathering and
erosion caused by the waves, sea caves
which are close to each other are joined
and arches are formed.
When the size of the caves increase
further due to the continued erosional
processes, the roofs of the arches would
collapse. The structure that remains after
these are called stacks.

Fig 2.20

Fig 2.21

42 Social Science - II
Chapter - 2

Beaches • Collect information about the


These are formed due to the volcanoes in the world and make a
depositional work of the waves..The chart after differentiating the active,
sand and soil brought by the waves are extinct and dormant ones.
temporarily deposited to form beaches. • You have understood the influence
of mountains on human life. Make
Beaches are one of the most notes of how plateaus and plains
popular tourist spots. Find out affect life.
which are the most popular beaches in Kerala • Taking help from the science teacher,
and mark them on the map. Prepare note on find out more about chemical
" The importance of beaches as tourist spots weathering.
incorporating the salient features of our
beaches." • When you go on a study tour make
a note of the different landforms you
noticed.
Use all the charts prepared and hold an
Follow up Activities... exhibition under the aegis of the Social
• Prepare a chart after collecting Science club.
information about the earthquakes
that shook the world.

THE EARTH WHICH SUPPORTS 43

You might also like