Brahmaputra and Indus rivers are antecedent rivers. Which one of the following may be the true definition of an antecedent drainage ?
- A.Which follows the initial slope of the Himalaya
- B.Which existed before the Himalayan range came into existence
- C.Which followed the dip or rock beds of the Himalaya
- D.Which followed the strikes of rock beds of the Himalaya
Correct answer
Explanation
The correct answer is B, Which existed before the Himalayan range came into existence. An antecedent river is older than the uplift it now cuts across.
The Indus, the Sutlej and the Brahmaputra rise beyond the main Himalayan range, north of it in Tibet. They were already flowing when the Himalaya began to rise. As the land was slowly pushed up, the rivers kept cutting down at the same pace and held their old courses, so they now cross the mountains through very deep gorges, such as the Indus gorge near Gilgit and the Dihang gorge of the Brahmaputra in Arunachal Pradesh. This is why the Himalayan drainage is called antecedent.
A is wrong because a river that follows the original slope of the land is a consequent river. C is wrong because a river following the dip of the rock beds is also consequent in type, not antecedent. D is wrong because a river that follows the strike of rock beds is a subsequent river.
Exam tip: antecedent rivers, Indus, Sutlej and Brahmaputra, older than the Himalaya; they cut deep gorges through it.
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