Deserts of India Map, Features of Thar Desert & Cold Desert of India

Deserts are arid regions with little or no vegetation and exceptionally high or low temperatures. Read more about the Deserts of India Map, Features of Thar Desert & Cold Desert of India.

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Deserts of India

Deserts of India: Deserts are dry areas with very little or no vegetation and extreme temperatures either very hot or very cold. Deserts can be hot or cold depending on the climate. People live and farm in these areas where there is little water. Experts agree that a desert is any place with less than 25 cm (10 inches) of rain per year. Deserts are important ecosystems with unique plants and animals adapted to survive in tough conditions.

Deserts usually do not have trees, and shrubs or small plants only cover the ground partially. Some deserts have almost no plants because they are so dry. This dryness can be made worse by human activities, like overgrazing by cattle, which puts extra stress on the environment.

Thar Desert of India

The Great Indian Desert also called the Thar Desert is a large, dry area in the northwest of the Indian subcontinent. It forms a natural border between India and Pakistan and covers about 200000 km². Around 85% of the Thar Desert is in India, and 15% is in Pakistan. The Thar Desert makes up roughly 4.56% of India’s total land area. The Rann of Kutch along the western coast, the alluvial plains of the Indus River in the northwest, Punjab and Haryana to the north, and the Aravali Hills in the northeast make up the Great Indian Desert.

The Thar Desert contains a number of protected areas. Here are a few of them:

Desert Natural Park: Desert Natural Park has an area of about 3162 km2. It has 44 towns and one of the largest Thar Desert ecosystems, as well as a variety of flora and wildlife.
Tal Chhapar Sanctuary: The Churu district is home to the 7 km2 Tal Chhapar Sanctuary. A sizable population of foxes, blackbuck, partridge, and other animals reside in the refuge.
Sundha Mata Conservation Reserve: The 117.49 km2 (45.36 sq mi) Sundha Mata Conservation Reserve is situated in the Jalore District.

Thar desert
Thar Desert	Also known as the Great Indian Desert, spans 200,000 km², forming a natural boundary between India and Pakistan. Constitutes about 5% of India’s total geographical area. 17th-largest desert globally and the 9th-largest hot subtropical desert. About 85% of the desert lies within India, covering approximately 170,000 km², primarily in Rajasthan. Extends into Gujarat, Punjab, and Haryana in India, and Sindh in Pakistan. Surrounded by the irrigated Indus River plain to the west, Punjab Plain to the north and northeast, Aravalli Range to the southeast, and Rann of Kachchh to the south.
Location	Located northwest of the Aravali hills. Also known as Marusthali. Features undulating topography with longitudinal dunes, barchans, and sandy plains. Barchans are crescent-shaped dunes.
Climate	Average annual rainfall below 150 mm. Winter: In January, the coldest month, temperatures range between 5 and 10 °C, with frequent frost. Summer: Dust storms and winds reaching speeds of 140 to 150 km/h are common in May and June. Temperature can reach 50 °C during summer.
Geological Evidence	Believed to have been underwater during the Mesozoic era. Evidence found in wood fossils in Aakal and marine deposits near Brahmsar, estimated to be 180 million years old. Akal Wood Fossil Park is a National Geological Monument in Jaisalmer, Rajasthan.
Surface Features	Underlying rock structure is an extension of the Peninsular plateau. Shaped by physical weathering and wind actions. Prominent features include mushroom rocks, shifting dunes, and oases (mainly in the south). Undulating sandy plains surrounded by sand dunes.
Rivers	Mostly ephemeral, with the Luni River being the largest. Some streams vanish into the sand, joining lakes or playas. Crescent-shaped dunes called barchans are common.
Lakes and Playas	Have brackish water, a major source of salt production.
Vegetation	Mainly consists of low-growing herbs and shrubs. Occasional drought-resistant trees like gum arabic acacia and euphorbia on hills. Khajri tree is common in the plains.
Biodiversity:	Sparse grasslands with low population density. Habitats for blackbucks, chinkara (gazelles), and various birds like francolins and quail. Migratory birds such as sand grouse, ducks, and geese are frequently seen. Home to the endangered great bustard. Various medicinal grasses and breeds of cattle. Camels are used for transportation.
Utilization of Groundwater	Despite water scarcity, groundwater is used for domestic, agricultural, and energy needs. Irrigation projects like the Indira Gandhi Canal help in water management.

Features of Thar Desert of India

Features	Details
Sand dunes	The land has a wavy surface with scattered crescent-shaped dunes (barchans) and long, narrow dunes.
Barchans	Made of desert sand, barchans are crescent-shaped sand dunes. The fact that a barchan constantly faces the wind is one of its distinguishing characteristics. It develops when there is a lot of sand in the desert.
Mushroom Rocks	In a dense montane forest, Mushroom Rocks is a group of huge granite boulders.
Shifting dunes	Locally called Dhrians.
Oasis	Mostly in its southern part.

Thar Desert Characteristics

The harsh environment and sparse vegetation of the desert is called Marusthali, meaning “dead land.” Marusthali is rocky in the east and has shifting sand dunes in the west. The semi-arid area west of the Aravallis is called Bagar. Bagar has a thin layer of sand. The northern part has many salt lakes, while the southern part is drained by the Luni River. There are also several short seasonal streams from the Aravallis in the Rajasthan Bagar region.

In some fertile areas known as Rohi, these streams provide agricultural support. Even the “Luni,” the most significant river, is a seasonal stream. The Luni River begins in the Pushkar valley of the Aravalli Range, close to Ajmer, and flows into the Rann of Kutch in the southwest. The Thali, or sand plain, is located north of the Luni River. Some streams flow for a while and then dry up, joining lakes or playas like Sambhar Lake, showing typical inland drainage. The main source of salt comes from the brackish water in these lakes and playas.

Thar Desert Topography

The soil in the Great Indian Desert is always dry and easily blown away by the wind. Strong winds carry dust from the desert and deposit it near farmland, creating shifting sand dunes. Canals like the Indira Gandhi Canal provide water to the Thar Desert and prevent it from spreading into fertile areas.

Thar Desert Flora and Fauna

Fauna: There is a diverse range of flora and fauna in the Thar Desert. Here are a few examples of fauna:

Blackbuck
Wolf
Indian Wild Ass
Red Fox
Chinkara
Sand Grouse
Leopard
Caracal
Asiatic Wild Cat
Packcock

Flora: Herbaceous species including cactus, neem, khejri, and acacia nilotica are among those grown in the area. All of these plants can adapt to extremes in temperature and unfavourable environmental circumstances.

Thar Desert in India Map

Here is the map of the Thar Desert of India:

Cold Desert of India

The Himalayan Region, India’s Cold Desert Cultural Landscape is found, including Ladakh in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) and Kinnaur in Himachal Pradesh (H.P.) Ladakh, in the Greater Himalayas, is India’s cold desert. It is east of Jammu and Kashmir and borders China. Ladakh is surrounded by the Zanskar mountains to the south and the Karakoram range to the north. The area is very high, with altitudes from 3,000 meters in Kargil to over 8000 meters in the Karakoram. Ladakh is extremely cold and dry, with winter temperatures often dropping below -30°C.

Features of Cold Desert of India

In Ladakh, the altitude ranges from about 3000 meters to over 8000 meters. The Karakoram mountains are around 8000 meters high, while Kargil is about 3000 meters high. Ladakh is very dry and cold because of its high altitude. Night temperatures often drop below -30°C, and in winter, they can go below -40°C. Ladakh gets very little rain only about 10 cm a year, because it is in the rain shadow of the Himalayas. The thin air at high altitudes makes the sun’s heat feel very strong. The cold desert experiences intense sunlight and cold winds.

Cold Desert in India Map

Here is the map of the Cold Desert of India:

Deserts of India UPSC Important Facts

Thar Desert, also called the Great Indian Desert, is the hottest desert in India.
Ladakh is the cold desert in India.
The Thar Desert is located northwest of the Aravali hills.
About 85% of the Thar Desert is in India, and 15% is in Pakistan.
The semi-arid region of the Thar Desert is called “Bagar”.
The world’s coldest desert is Antarctica.
The world’s largest desert is located in Antarctica.
The Antarctic Desert is colder than the Arctic Desert.
Antarctica, mainly made up of ice flats, has experienced temperatures as low as -89°C.

FAQs

What is the other name of the Thar desert?

The Great Indian Desert, also known as the Thar Desert, is a sizable and dry region in the Indian subcontinent’s northwest.

Where is the Great Indian Desert located?

About 85% of the Thar Desert is in India, and the remaining 15% is in Pakistan.

Which city is called a desert city in India?

Jaisalmer is called Desert city. It is in Rajasthan state.

What is an example of a cold desert?

Examples of cold deserts include Antarctica, Ladakh, and the Gobi Desert. China and Mongolia both contain the Gobi Desert. In general, people refer to an area as a desert if it contains little or no vegetation or water.

Where is the cold desert in India located?

Ladakh is a cold desert in India.

Why Ladakh is called the cold desert?

There is hardly any rainfall in Ladakh. It only gets 10 cm of rain a year at most. It’s quite chilly here. There is little vegetation there. The population is extremely small.