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UPSC Prelims 2001 · Indian Geography · India’s Land and Borders
The approximate age of the Aravalli range is
- (a) 370 million years
- (b) 470 million years
- (c) 570 million years
- (d) 670 million years
Show the answer and explanation
Answer: (a) 370 million years
The key accepts 370 million years.
The idea
The age of a mountain system can refer to its rocks, folding or later uplift. These events need not have the same date. The Aravalli belongs to ancient Precambrian mountain-building episodes and has since been deeply eroded; one young-looking numerical date cannot describe that whole history.
The trap
Geologists date the Aravallis to the Precambrian — well over 1,500 million years — so none of the options is accurate; UPSC’s key is (a).
Also know
Guru Shikhar near Mount Abu is an Aravalli peak. The Delhi ridge is the range’s north-eastern continuation. The Himalaya is a much younger fold belt, while the Deccan Traps are volcanic rocks; these are three different geological settings.
🔒 Aravalli: Precambrian fold mountains, among the world’s oldest; Guru Shikhar (1,722 m).
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