ARAVALIS - GEOGRAPHY
News: No fresh mining leases,
renewals in Aravallis, Supreme Court orders
What's in the news?
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The Supreme Court stopped the grant of fresh mining
leases and renewals in what, according to a Forest Survey of India report, constitute
the Aravalli ranges and hills.
Key takeaways:
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The Forest
Survey of India (FSI) report, submitted by the Central Empowered Committee
(CEC) in court, defined the Aravallis to include the hills and a uniform
100-metre-wide buffer zone around the downsides of the hills.
Aravalli Range:
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It is a mountain range located in northwestern India.
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It is one of the oldest fold mountains in the world.
Covering States:
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It runs approximately 670 km (430 mi) in a
south-west direction, starting near Delhi,
passing through southern Haryana and
Rajasthan, and ending in Gujarat.
Highest Peak:
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The highest peak is Guru Shikhar at 1,722 metres (5,650 ft).
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Guru is a peak in the Arbuda Mountains of
Rajasthan.
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It is 15 km from Mount Abu, which is a popular hill
station in the Aravalli Range.
Formation:
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It is part of the Aravalli-Delhi orogenic belt, which is a large and complex
geological structure formed due to the collision of tectonic plates during the Proterozoic era.
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It is part of the Indian Shield that was formed from a series of cratonic collisions.
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In ancient times, Aravalli were extremely high but
have since been worn down almost completely by millions of years of weathering.
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The Aravalli acts as the edge which separates the Thar desert from the plains
and plateaus of eastern Rajasthan.
Division:
It is divided into two sections such as
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Sambhar-Sirohi ranges - taller and including Guru
Shikhar
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Sambhar-Khetri ranges - consisting of three ridges
that are discontinuous.
Rivers:
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Three major rivers and their tributaries flow from
the Aravalli, namely Banas and Sahibi
rivers which are tributaries of
Yamuna, as well as Luni river which
flows into the Rann of Kutch.
Climate:
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The Northern part of Aravalli range has a humid subtropical climate and hot semi-
arid continental climate.
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The Central Aravalli range has an arid and dry
climate.
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The Southern Aravalli range in Gujarat has a
tropical wet and dry climate.
Ecology:
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The Aravalli Range is known for its rich biodiversity.
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It hosts diverse plants and wildlife, including
species like the Indian wolf, Bengal fox, caracal, leopards, striped hyena,
golden jackal, nilgai, wild pig, peafowl and many species of reptiles.
National Parks and
Wildlife Sanctuaries:
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There are several national parks and wildlife
sanctuaries that fall within the belt of Aravalli Hills.
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Sariska National Park, Kumbhalgarh Sanctuary, and Mount Abu Sanctuary are among them.
Significance:
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The range is rich
in mineral resources like copper, zinc, lead, and marble.
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The range also helps to regulate the local
temperature, with its peaks and slopes giving relief.
Go back to basics:
Fold Mountain:
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A fold mountain is a type of mountain that forms
when rock layers are subjected to
compressive forces, causing them to bend and buckle.
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These mountains are created through the process of
tectonic plate movements, specifically when two tectonic plates collide.
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The collision pushes the Earth's crust upwards,
leading to the formation of large, elongated mountain ranges with a series of
parallel ridges and valleys.