Get Start With Your Civil Services Preparation With Expert Teachers. Start Preparation Now

New Plateau in the Western Ghats - Current Affairs - Geography

Researchers have discovered a rare low-altitude basalt plateau in the Western Ghats that could offer new insights into surviving climate change.

 

New Plateau in the Western Ghats

  • Researchers have discovered a rare low-altitude basalt plateau in the Western Ghats that could offer new insights into surviving climate change. 

Key highlights:

  • The plateau has a widespread flora with 76 species of plants and shrubs from 24 different families discovered so far.
  • It is one of the four global biodiversity hotspots in India and can prove to be a repository of information for species interactions.
  • Researchers believe that the plateau can help study the effects of climate change on species survival.
  • The plateau was discovered in Manjare village of Maharashtra’s Thane district and is the fourth type of plateau to be identified in the region; the previous three are laterites at high and low altitudes and basalt at high altitudes.

About Plateaus:

  • Plateaus are dominant landscapes in Western Ghats. They are classified as a type of rocky outcrop.
  • Rocky outcrops are geological features that protrude above the surface of surrounding land.
  • They are formed by weathering that happens at different rates, causing the less weathered rock to remain exposed.
  • They are found on all continents, in most climate zones and vegetation types.

Source - PIB
© Best IAS . All rights reserved | Designed & Developed By : The Webdeb Distributed by Tech and Fun Zone