29 Oct 2024        13:46:29 pm

Geography

Thar Desert

Tags : Thar Desert

Topic: Deserts

Why in the news?

• Livestock has been an integral part of the rural economy in Rajasthan’s Thar desert. 
• The pastoral undercurrent is especially evident in communities such as Raikas, Ahirs, Bharwads and Gurjars who traditionally maintain a thriving livestock which provides sustenance in the arid districts in the Thar desert.

Source: Down To Earth

About Thar Desert:

• It is also known as the Great Indian Desert.
• It is an arid region of rolling sand hills on the Indian subcontinent.
• It is one of the largest subtropical deserts in the world.
• Majority of Thar desert is in northwestern India and 15 percent lies in eastern Pakistan.
  • It extends across the states of Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Haryana in India, and the provinces of Sindh and Punjab in Pakistan. 
• It is bordered by the irrigated Indus River plain to the west, the Punjab Plain to the north and northeast, the Aravalli Range to the southeast, and the Rann of Kachchh to the south. It is separated from the Greater Rann of Kutch to the west by the low-lying marshy lands of the Luni River.
• Climate:
  • The desert features a hot and arid climate, with temperatures often reaching over 50 degrees Celsius during the day and dropping significantly at night. 
  • Rainfall is scarce, with the majority of the desert receiving less than 50mm of rain annually.
• Landscape:
  • It encompasses rugged landscape, with a variety of different terrains. 
  • It is known for its vast expanses of rolling dunes, which are up to 200 m. high. 
  • It is characterized by rocky outcroppings (clusters of large rocks that rise from the desert floor). 
  • It is home to large salt flats (areas of flat land covered with a layer of salt).
  • Large, flat plains covered with a thin layer of soil and vegetation, are also found here.
• It is rich in a variety of minerals, including gypsum, limestone, salt, bauxite, silica.
• It has one of the largest coal reserves in India.

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