Question

Which of the following is an example of desert?
1. Ladakh
2. Sundarban
3. Konkan
4. Western Ghats

Answer 1

Correct Answer - Option 1 : Ladakh

 The cold desert of Ladakh :

• Ladakh is a cold desert lying in the Great Himalayas, on the eastern side of Jammu and Kashmir.
• The Karakoram Range in the north and the Zanskar mountains in the south enclose it.
• Several rivers flow through Ladakh, Indus being the most important among them.
• Several glaciers are found in Ladakh, for example, the Gangotri glacier.
• The altitude in Ladakh varies from about 3000m in Kargil to more than 8,000m in the Karakoram. Due to its high altitude, the climate is extremely cold and dry.
• The air at this altitude is so thin that the heat of the sun can be felt intensely.
• The day temperatures in summer are just above zero degrees and the night temperatures well below –30°C.
• It is freezing cold in the winters when the temperatures may remain below –40°C for most of the time.
• As it lies in the rain shadow of the Himalayas, there is little rainfall, as low as 10 cm every year.
• The area experiences freezing winds and burning hot sunlight.
• The expanse of deserts appears to be growing because of the deglaciation or progressive melting of glaciers due to climate change.​​