Trick to remember Himalayas and its ranges
Trans Himalayas
- They are made of the ocean sediments of the Tethys Sea which was consumed during the collision of Indian and Eurasian plate boundaries.
- They include the ranges of Karakoram, Ladakh, and Zanskar.
Karakoram Range
- Karakoram ranges have their one end originating from the Pamir Knot.
- Karakoram ranges hold the largest amounts of snow and ice among all of the Himalayan ranges.
- This is because they are situated in higher latitudes where the snow line (altitude above which there are permanent ice and snow cover).
- The Karakoram is home to some of the largest glaciers such as Siachen.
- They are home to some of the tallest peaks in the world such as Mt. K2/Godwin-Austin.
- Karakoram ranges have gaps in them, which are known as passes. There are many passes such as Khunjerab Pass.
Ladakh Range
- Ladakh ranges are to the south-east of the Karakoram ranges.
- They separate the rivers Indus and Shyok (a tributary of Indus).
- These ranges extend into China where they are known as the Kailash ranges.
- They include Mt. Kailash and Mansarovar Lake.
- Pangong Tso(largest saline lake between India and China) and Spanggur Tso are the two saltwater lakes situated in these ranges.
Zanskar Range
- To the south of the Ladakh, ranges are the Zanskar ranges, which are cut across by the Zanskar river.
- These ranges extend into Uttarakhand.
- They contain some prominent peaks like Mt. Kamet.
- Liphu Lekh Pass that leads to Mansarovar and Mt. Kailash forms a part of these ranges.
- Spiti Valley, Lahaul Valley, and Kinnaur Valley are also a part of these ranges.
Greater Himalayas
- They extend for about 2400 km, making them one of the longest-running fold mountain ranges in the world.
- Mt. Everest, Mt. Kanchenjunga, Mt. Makalu, etc. are a part of these ranges.
- Some of the important passes of these ranges include Zojila Pass (connects Srinagar with Leh), Shipki La Pass, Burzil Pass, Nathu La Pass, etc.
- Important glaciers of these ranges include – Rongbuk glacier (largest in the Himadri), Gangotri, Zemu, etc.
- They are separated from the lesser Himalayas by longitudinal valleys that are filled with sediments. These are called the Doons.
- Prominent Doons include Paatli Dun, Chaukamba Dun, Dehra Dun, etc.
Lesser Himalayas or the Himachal
- They are divided into the Pir Panjal range and the Dhauladhar range
- Pir Panjal range is the longest range of the lesser Himalayas.
- It is cut across by the Jhelum River, Chenab river.
- Famous passes of this range include – Pir Panjal Pass, Banihal Pass (connects Jammu and Srinagar)
- Dhauladhar ranges are the extension of Pir Panjal into Himachal Pradesh. They are cut across by the river Ravi.
- Mussoorie ranges are also a part of the lesser Himalayas. They divide the waters of Sutlej and Ganga.