Question

Alluvial soils in India are
A) Found in desert
B) Least fertile
C) Very rare
D) Most extensive soils

Answer 1

Hint: Alluvial soils are high in humus since they are formed by three major rivers in the Himalayas: the Indus, Ganges, and Brahmaputra. They are found in India's eastern coastal plains, especially in the deltas of the rivers Mahanadi, Godavari, Krishna, and Kaveri.

Complete answer:
Alluvium is loose, unconsolidated soil or sediment that has been eroded, reshaped, and redeposited in a non-marine setting by water in some type. Alluvium is usually composed of a number of materials, including fine silt and clay particles and larger sand and gravel particles.

Alluvial soils are the most widespread type of soil. It is created by river deposition brought down from the upper course of the river. It is found on the combined plain land of the Indus and Ganga-Brahmaputra rivers, which includes Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and West Bengal. Deltaic alluvium can be found in the deltas of the Ganga-Brahmaputra, Godavari, Mahanadhi, and Kaveri rivers.

The coastal alluvium is present on the coasts of Peninsular India and is known as riverine soils because it was initially found in river basins.

Hence option ‘D’ is the correct answer.

Note: The composition of alluvial soils ranges from sandy loam to clay. They are high in potash but low in phosphorus. Two types of alluvial soils have formed in the Upper and Middle Ganga plains, namely Khadar and Bhangar.