Basics
- Also called Sahyadri
- Geologically extends from Gujarat to Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
- Form western edge of Deccan plateau.
- They run from Tapi valley to a little north of Kanyakumari for a distance of 1600 km.
- The are steep sided , terraced , flat topped hills presenting a stepped topography facing the Arabian sea coast.
- This is due to the horizontally bedded lavas, which in weathering , have given a characteristics ‘landing stair aspect’ to the relief of the mountain chain called Ghats.
- The Western Ghats is one of the eight hotspots of biological diversity in the world and is spread across six states—Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala.
- It is a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Division
- Northern Western Ghats
- The northern section of the Ghats from Tapi valley to a little north of Goa is made of horizontal sheets of Deccan lavas (Deccan Traps).
- The average height of this section of the Ghats is 1,200 m above mean sea level, but some peaks attain more heights.
- Kalsubai (1,646 m) near Nashik, Mahabaleshwar (1,438 m) and Harishchandragad (1,424 m) are important peaks.
- Major Gaps
- Thal Ghats – Between Mumbai and Pune
- Bhor Ghats – Between Mumbai and Nasik
- The ghats connect between the Konkan plain in the west and Deccan plateau in the east.
- Near continuous range.
- Hill station is Lonawala.
- Middle Western Ghats
- The Middle Sahyadri runs from 16°N latitude up to Nilgiri hills.
- The area is covered with dense forests.
- The average height is 1200 m
- The Kudremukh with height of 1892m is an iron mine near Karwar port and Doda Betta (2637m) in Baba Budan hills are peaks.
- The Nilgiri hills which join the Sahyadris near the tri junction of Karnataka , Kerala , Tamil Nadu rise abruptly to over 2000m and they mark the junction of Western and Eastern Ghats.
- Mineral rich regions are Ratnagiri , Belgaum , Marmagoa etc.
- Palghat Gap between middle and south Sahyadri
- Southwest monsoon wind enters Tamil Nadu through a gap.
- It is 24 to 30 km wide.
- Southern Western Ghats
- The southern part of the Western Ghat is separated from the main Sahyadri range by Palghat Gap.
- Anai Mudi (2,695 m) is the highest peak in the whole of southern India.
- Three ranges radiate in different directions from Anai Mudi. These ranges are the Anaimalai (1800-2000 m) to the north, the Palani (900-1,200 m) to the north-east, and the Cardamom Hills or the Ealaimalai to the south.