PALGHAT
GAP - ENVIRONMENT
News: A Break in the Western Ghats
What's
in the news?
●
Often called as a significant
discontinuity in the Western Ghats, the Palghat Gap is about 40 km wide, with
the steep Nilgiris and Anamalai hills, both rising above 2,000 msl, on either
side.
Palghat
Gap:
●
The Palghat Gap has historically been
important as a significant gateway into
the State of Kerala.
●
It is a corridor for both roads and
railways that connects Coimbatore with Palakkad.
Rivers
flow through Palghat Gap:
●
The Bharathapuzha
river flows through it.
Uniqueness:
●
In contrast to the tropical rainforests of
the Western Ghats, the vegetation in the Palghat Gap is classified as dry evergreen forest.
●
It also marks a divide in the flora and
fauna of the region.
●
For example, several species of frogs are
found only on one side of the Gap.
Located
in Shear region:
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The Gap is a geological shear zone that
runs from east to west.
●
Shear zones are weak regions in the earth’s crust — this is the reason why tremors
are sometimes felt in the region Coimbatore.
Origin:
●
The origin of the Palghat Gap stems from
the drift of continental shelves after Australia and Africa broke off from the Gondwana landmass.
Climate:
●
Warm weather due to proximity to the
equator, and moist air brings plenty of rain to the southern Western Ghats.
●
Therefore, this region has been an island
refuge for all forms of life, even as cycles of ice ages and droughts have
reduced biodiversity in surrounding areas.
●
The Western
Ghats in north of the Palghat Gap receive more rain annually, but the south
gets rain more evenly throughout the year.
Other
Passes in Western Ghats:
●
Thal
Ghat
- Maharashtra (Mumbai and Nashik)
●
Borghat
- Maharashtra (Mumbai and Pune)