If you move from Badrinath to Sunderbans delta along the course of the river Ganga, what major geomorphological features will you come across?
Moving from Badrinath to the Sunderbans delta along the course of the river Ganga, one would come across several major geomorphological features.
South of the Tarai region lies a belt consisting of old and new alluvial deposits known as the Bhangar and Khadar respectively. These form the extensive river valley plains of the region.
These plains exhibit characteristic features of the mature stage of fluvial erosional and depositional landforms. Major features include sand bars, meanders, ox-bow lakes, and braided channels. The rivers also display shifting river courses forming braided streams.
The plains are relatively featureless with a general elevation of 50-150 m above the mean sea level. They possess a fertile alluvial soil cover which supports various crops like wheat, rice, sugarcane and jute, and hence supports a large population.
Finally, at the mouth of the river Ganga, one encounters the Sunderbans delta, which is one of the largest deltas of the world.
Explanation
The textbook context describes the geomorphological features of the Ganga river valley plains. The journey from Badrinath (in the Himalayas) to Sunderbans covers: (1) Tarai region, (2) Bhangar and Khadar (old and new alluvial deposits), (3) mature fluvial features like sand bars, meanders, ox-bow lakes and braided channels, and (4) the Sunderbans delta at the river mouth. The answer strictly uses only the information provided in the context without adding external knowledge about the mountainous upper course.