Discussion
Which of these is the principal cause of the Thar Desert’s aridity?
Answer: A
Correct answer: The monsoon winds run parallel to the Aravalli range instead of being lifted over it
The Thar is arid chiefly because the Arabian Sea branch of the southwest monsoon runs parallel to the Aravalli range rather than across it. Nothing forces the moist air to rise, so it is not cooled to its dew point and little rain is released. Two further factors reinforce this. The Bay of Bengal branch has lost most of its moisture by the time it reaches the northwest. And the winter western disturbances that bring rain to Punjab arrive already dry by the time they cross Rajasthan. This makes the Thar unusual among deserts: it is not a rain-shadow desert like the Gobi, nor a subtropical-high desert like the Sahara in the ordinary way, but one produced by the geometry of a mountain range relative to a wind. It is also the most densely populated desert in the world, supporting pastoralism and, since the Indira Gandhi Canal, irrigated agriculture - along with India’s best conditions for solar and wind generation.
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