Geography of Thiruvananthapuram

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The Indian city of Thiruvananthapuram is located in Thiruvananthapuram district in the state of Kerala. The city is located at 8°30′N76°54′E / 8.5°N 76.9°E / 8.5; 76.9 on the west coast, near the southern tip of mainland India. [1] The city situated on the west coast of India, and is bounded by Arabian Sea to its west and the Western Ghats to its east. The city and the suburbs spans an area of 250 km2 (96.53 sq mi). The average elevation of the city is 16 ft above sea level. [2] The highest point within the city limits is the observatory. (60 metres (197 ft)) [3] Agastya Mala, which has an elevation of 1,868 metres (6,129 ft) is only about 60 km from the city. The Ponmudi hill station which has an elevation of 1,100 metres (3,609 ft) is also near the city.

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Map of South Kerala South Kerala, May 2020.jpg
Map of South Kerala

Geography

Cliffs at Varkala, Thiruvananthapuram district. It is the only place in southern Kerala where cliffs are found adjacent to the Arabian Sea Cliffs Varkala.jpg
Cliffs at Varkala, Thiruvananthapuram district. It is the only place in southern Kerala where cliffs are found adjacent to the Arabian Sea

The district is situated between North latitudes at 8.17°–8.54° and East longitudes 76.41°–77.17°. The southernmost extremity, Parassala, is just 54 kilometres (34 mi) away from the southern peninsular tip of India, Cape Comorin (Kanya Kumari). The district stretches 78 kilometres (48 mi) along the shores of the Arabian Sea on the west, Kollam district lies on the north with Tirunelveli and Kanyakumari districts of Tamil Nadu on the east and south respectively. [4]

Unlike the flat portion of the Kerala coast, at the northern coastal region cliffs are found adjacent to the Arabian Sea at Varkala. [5] These tertiary sedimentary formation cliffs are considered as a unique geological feature. It is known among geologists as the "Varkala Formation" and a geological monument as declared by the Geological Survey of India.

The district can be divided into three geographical regions: Highlands, Midlands, and Lowlands. The Varkala, Chirayinkeezhu and Thiruvananthapuram taluks are in the midland and lowland regions, the Nedumangad taluk lies in the midland and highland regions, and the Neyyattinkara taluk stretches over all three.

The highland regions on the east and the northeast comprises the Western Ghats. This area is ideal for major cash crops like rubber, tea, cardamom and other spices. Timber trees like teak and rosewood are grown in this region. The Ghats maintain an average elevation of 814 metres (2,671 ft). The part Agasthyarkoodam, which is the second-highest peak in the Western Ghats (1,869 m or 6,132 ft above sea level), lies in the district. The forests in the tail end of Western Ghats form the most diverse and unknown ecosystem in Peninsular India. [6]

The midland region lying between the Western Ghats and lowlands is made up of small and tiny hills and valleys. This is an area of intense agricultural activities. This region is rich in produce such as paddy, tapioca, rubber, eucalyptus, spices and cashews. The lowlands are comparatively narrow, consisting of rivers, deltas and seashore. This area is densely covered with coconut trees. Water bodies cover about 55.25 km2 (21.3 sq mi), while forest area is estimated to be 498.61 km2 (193 sq mi).

Forests

Thiruvananthapuram district has a reserve forest area of 495.1 km2 (191 sq mi) and vested forest area of 3.534 km2 (1.4 sq mi). The forests are spread over three ranges: the Kulathupuzha range in the north, Palode range in the middle, and the Paruthipalli range in the south.

These forests may be broadly classified into three categories: Southern tropical wet evergreen forests, Southern tropical and semi-evergreen forests, and Southern tropical moist deciduous forests. Social forestry programmes are being implemented under the World Bank-aided Kerala Social Forestry Project, National Rural Employment Programme (NREP) and Rural Fuel Wood Schemes to assist small and marginal farmers.

Rivers

Edava-Nadayara lake Near Thekkumbhagam-Kappil Edava Nadayara Lake.JPG
Edava-Nadayara lake Near Thekkumbhagam-Kappil

Among the three rivers in the district, the Neyyar (56 km or 35 mi), the southernmost river of the Kerala state, has its origin in the Agasthyamala, the second-highest peak in the Western Ghats. The Karamana river (67 km or 42 mi) originates from Vayuvanthol (Vazhuvanthol), another mountain in Western Ghats. The Vamanapuram River has its origin from Chemunji Mottai of the Western Ghats. There are 10 major back waters in the district. The major lakes are Veli, Kadinamkulam, Anchuthengu (Anjengo), Kaappil, Akathumuri and the Edava-Nadayara. Besides these, there is a fresh-water lake at Vellayani in Thiruvananthapuram taluk, which has the potential to become the major water source of Thiruvananthapuram city in future.[ citation needed ]

Climate

The climate of Thiruvananthapuram district is generally hot tropical. The large forest reserves favourably affect the climate and induce rains. Cold weather is experienced in the mountain ranges, whereas lower down, the weather is bracing and is generally hot in the coastal regions. The mean maximum temperature is 95 °F (35 °C) and the mean minimum temperature is 69 °F (20 °C). As the district stretches from north to south with the Arabian Sea in the west side, the relative humidity is generally high. It rises up to about 95% during the South-West monsoon. [7]

The total annual average rainfall in the district is about 1,500 mm (59 in) per annum. [8] The southwest monsoon, from June to September is the principal rainy season. The district receives most of its annual rainfall in this season. The second rainy season is the Northeast monsoon. It is from October to November.

The district also gets thunderstorm rains in the pre-monsoon months of April and May. [9]

December to February are the coolest months. The average temperature goes down to 69 °F (20 °C) in these months. It is generally considered as the winter season. The summer season starts in February and continues until May. The average temperature goes up to 95 °F (35 °C) in these months. [10]

Climate data for Thiruvananthapuram
MonthJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecYear
Record high °C (°F)37
(99)		38
(100)		38
(100)		38
(100)		38
(100)		39
(102)		38
(100)		38
(100)		33
(91)		38
(100)		37
(99)		36
(97)		39
(102)
Average high °C (°F)31.5
(88.7)		31.9
(89.4)		32.6
(90.7)		32.6
(90.7)		31.6
(88.9)		29.7
(85.5)		29.2
(84.6)		29.4
(84.9)		30.0
(86.0)		29.9
(85.8)		30.3
(86.5)		31.0
(87.8)		30.8
(87.4)
Average low °C (°F)22.2
(72.0)		22.8
(73.0)		24.1
(75.4)		24.9
(76.8)		24.7
(76.5)		23.5
(74.3)		23.1
(73.6)		23.2
(73.8)		23.3
(73.9)		23.3
(73.9)		23.1
(73.6)		22.6
(72.7)		23.4
(74.1)
Record low °C (°F)15
(59)		17
(63)		20
(68)		20
(68)		20
(68)		21
(70)		18
(64)		20
(68)		18
(64)		20
(68)		20
(68)		20
(68)		15
(59)
Average precipitation mm (inches)22.7
(0.89)		24.4
(0.96)		40.4
(1.59)		117.4
(4.62)		230.4
(9.07)		320.8
(12.63)		226.8
(8.93)		138.1
(5.44)		174.6
(6.87)		281.7
(11.09)		184.5
(7.26)		65.9
(2.59)		1,827.7
(71.96)
Source 1: [11]
Source 2: [12]

Seismology

The Geological Survey of India has identified Thiruvananthapuram as a moderately earthquake-prone urban centre and categorized the city in the Seismic III Zone. [13]

Related Research Articles

Geography of India Geography of the country of India

India is situated north of the equator between 8°4' north to 37°6' north latitude and 68°7' east to 97°25' east longitude. It is the seventh-largest country in the world, with a total area of 3,287,263 square kilometres (1,269,219 sq mi). India measures 3,214 km (1,997 mi) from north to south and 2,933 km (1,822 mi) from east to west. It has a land frontier of 15,200 km (9,445 mi) and a coastline of 7,516.6 km (4,671 mi).

Western Ghats Mountain range along the western coast of India

The Western Ghats or the Western Mountain range is a mountain range that covers an area of 160,000 km2 (62,000 sq mi) in a stretch of 1,600 km (990 mi) parallel to the western coast of the Indian peninsula, traversing the states of Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is one of the eight biodiversity hotspots in the world. It is sometimes called the Great Escarpment of India. It contains a very large proportion of the country's flora and fauna, many of which are endemic to this region. According to UNESCO, the Western Ghats are older than the Himalayas. They influence Indian monsoon weather patterns by intercepting the rain-laden monsoon winds that sweep in from the south-west during late summer. The range runs north to south along the western edge of the Deccan Plateau and separates the plateau from a narrow coastal plain called Konkan along the Arabian Sea. A total of 39 areas in the Western Ghats, including national parks, wildlife sanctuaries and reserve forests, were designated as world heritage sites in 2012 – twenty in Kerala, ten in Karnataka, six in Tamil Nadu and four in Maharashtra.

Varkala Municipality in Kerala, India

Varkala, IPA: [ʋar̥kala] is a municipality situated in the Indian state of Kerala, Thiruvananthapuram District. It is the headquarters of Varkala Taluk and the important government institutions of the taluk such as the taluk office, court complex, office of the Deputy Superintendent of Police, Legal Metrology Inspector office, Excise Circle and Range office, RTO, Treasury and Mini civil station are situated in Varkala. It is one among the oldest municipalities of Kerala established on 1980. The town of Varkala is located 40 kilometres north of thiruvananthapuram Kerala and 25 km south of port city of Kollam.

South Western Ghats montane rain forests

The South Western Ghats montane rain forests is an ecoregion in South India, covering the southern portion of the Western Ghats in Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu at elevations from 1,000 to 2,695 m. Annual rainfall in this ecoregion exceeds 2,800 mm (110 in).

Malabar Coast moist forests

The Malabar Coast moist forests are a tropical moist broadleaf forest ecoregion of southwestern India.

South Western Ghats moist deciduous forests

The South Western Ghats moist deciduous forests is an ecoregion in the Western Ghats of southern India with tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests. This biome covers the Nilgiri Hills between elevation of 250 and 1,000 m in Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu states.

Ponmudi

Ponmudi also known as Kashmir of Kerala is a hill station in the Peringamala gramapanchayath of Trivandrum District of Kerala in India. It is located 22km west of Vithura town, 53 km north-east of Trivandrum City, 78 km south-east of Varkala town and 69 km north-east of Kovalam Beach at an altitude of 1,100 m (3,600 ft). Ponmudi (Varayadumotta) peak is a part of the Western Ghats mountain range that runs parallel to the Arabian Sea. Ponmudi is a popular honeymoon destination in South India. The normal temperature of Ponmudi is between 18 and 25 °C.

Kollam district, is one of 14 districts of the state of Kerala, India. The district has a cross-section of Kerala's natural attributes; it is endowed with a long coastline, a major Laccadive Sea seaport and an inland lake. The district has many water bodies. Kallada River is one among them, and the east side land of river is East Kallada and the west side land is West Kallada.

Thiruvananthapuram district District of Kerala in India

Thiruvananthapuram District, is the southernmost district in the Indian state of Kerala. The district was created in 1949, with its headquarters in the city of Thiruvananthapuram, which is also Kerala's capital. It is also the IT capital of the State. The present district was created in 1956 by separating the four southernmost Taluks of the erstwhile district to form Kanyakumari district. The district is home to more than 9% of total population of the state.

Agumbe Village in Karnataka, India

Agumbe is a village situated in the Thirthahalli taluka of Shimoga district, Karnataka, India. It is nestled in the thickly forested Malenadu region of the Western Ghats mountain range. Owing to its high rainfall, it has received the epithet of "The Cherrapunji of South India", after Cherrapunji, one of the rainiest places in India.

Kanyakumari district District of Tamil Nadu in India

Kanyakumari district is one of the 38 districts in Tamil Nadu state and the southernmost district in mainland India. It stands second in terms of population density among the districts of Tamil Nadu. It is also the richest district in Tamil Nadu in terms of per capita income, and also tops the state in Human Development Index (HDI), literacy, and education. The district's headquarters is Nagercoil.

The term Malabar rainforests refers to one or more distinct ecoregions recognized by biogeographers:

  1. the Malabar Coast moist forests formerly occupied the coastal zone to the 250 metre elevation
  2. the South Western Ghats moist deciduous forests grow at intermediate elevations
  3. the South Western Ghats montane rain forests cover the areas above 1000 metres elevation
Geography of Kerala

Kerala is situated between the Arabian Sea to the west and the Western Ghats to the east. Kerala's coast runs some 580 km in length, while the state itself varies between 35–120 km in width. Geologically, pre-Cambrian and Pleistocene formations comprise the bulk of Kerala's terrain. The topography consists of a hot and wet coastal plain gradually rising in elevation to the high hills and mountains of the Western Ghats. Kerala lies between northern latitude of 8°.17'.30" N and 12°. 47'.40" N and east longitudes 74°.27'.47" E and 77°.37'.12" E. Kerala's climate is mainly wet and maritime tropical, heavily influenced by the seasonal heavy rains brought up by the monsoon.

Geography of Karnataka

The Indian State of Karnataka is located 11°30' North and 18°30' North latitudes and 74° East and 78°30' East longitude.It is situated on a tableland where the Western Ghats and Eastern Ghats converge into the complex, in the western part of the Deccan Peninsular region of India. The State is bounded by Maharashtra and Goa States in the north and northwest; by the Arabian Sea in the west; by Kerala in the south-west and Tamil Nadu in the south and south-east, Andhra Pradesh in the south-east and east and Telangana in the north-east. Karnataka extends to about 750 km from north to south and about 400 km from east to west.

Geography of South India

The Geography of South India comprises the diverse topological and climatic patterns of South India. South India is a peninsula in the shape of a vast inverted triangle, bounded on the west by the Arabian Sea, on the east by the Bay of Bengal and on the north by the Vindhya and Satpura ranges.

Palode Town in Kerala, India

Palode is a town in Thiruvananthapuram district in the Indian state of Kerala. Palode town is 35 km (22 mi) from Thiruvananthapuram city and 17 km (11 mi) from Nedumangad municipality.There is a Helipad in palode. Palode is surrounded by Western Ghats. Jawaharlal Nehru Tropical Botanic Garden and Research Institute is situated near Palode. Mankayam Ecotourism near Brimore is 11 km (6.8 mi) away. Brimore has tea estate and plantations make Palode a gateway for tourism destination.Thenmala is 38 km (24 mi) from Palode and Ponmudi hills is 35 km. Palode is town in Thiruvananthapuram-Thenmala -Shenkottai State Highway 2 (Kerala). Tenkasi is 75 km (47 mi) from Palode. Palode is a town located in Nedumangad Taluk of Thiruvananthapuram district in Kerala.

Gangavalli River

Gangavalli River is one of the many small rivers that originates and flows entirely within the western part of state of Karnataka in India. The National Highway 17 (India) continues on the Hosur Bridge the bridge built over Gangavali River and the road continues to split the Ankola and Kumta regions to connect Uttar Kannada district to Dharwar and Mangalore area.

Agasthyavanam Biological Park is a protected area in the Western Ghats in Kerala State, India. The park is located within Vazhichal Panchiyat and lies between the Neyyar and Peppara Wildlife Sanctuaries which covers an area of about 31 square kilometres (12 sq mi).

Malabar Coast Region in India

The Malabar Coast is the southwestern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Geographically, it comprises the wettest regions of southern India, as the Western Ghats intercept the moisture-laden monsoon rains, especially on their westward-facing mountain slopes. The term is used to refer to the entire Indian coast from the western coast of Konkan to the tip of the subcontinent at Kanyakumari. The peak of Anamudi, which is also the point of highest altitude in India outside the Himalayas, and Kuttanad, which is the point of least elevation in India, lie on the Malabar Coast. Kuttanad, also known as The Rice Bowl of Kerala, has the lowest altitude in India, and is also one of the few places in the world where cultivation takes place below sea level.

Sampakhanda Village/Hill Station in Western Ghats, India

Sampkhanda or Samphakanda is a Hill station of Western Ghats located in Sirsi Taluk of Uttara Kannada District, Karnataka, India. State Highway 69 passes through this village. It is 18 km (11 mi) away from Devimane Ghat and about 16 km (9.9 mi) from its Taluk Headquarters at Sirsi. Sampakhanda is considered one of the coldest places in Karnataka during summer season.

References

  1. ↑ "Thiruvananthapuram, India Page". Falling Rain Genomics, Inc. Retrieved 19 March 2008.
  2. ↑ "Rainfall Stations in India". Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (Pune). Archived from the original on 16 January 2009. Retrieved 18 June 2010.
  3. ↑ "Tracking the Monsoon". The Hindu . 3 June 2010. Archived from the original on 6 November 2012. Retrieved 25 July 2010.
  4. ↑ "Geography". Government of Kerala. Archived from the original on 7 February 2009.
  5. ↑ "Tourist Destinations at Varkala, Sivagiri Mutt, Kappil Beach". Karthikaplaza.com. Archived from the original on 10 March 2010. Retrieved 4 August 2016.
  6. ↑ "Agasthyakoodam, the abode of biodiversity". Thenmala.info.
  7. ↑ "Climate" Archived 24 January 2010 at the Wayback Machine , kerenvis.nic.in.
  8. ↑ Rainfall Archived 24 January 2010 at the Wayback Machine
  9. ↑ Climate-Monsoon Archived 21 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine
  10. ↑ Seasons Archived 1 April 2010 at the Wayback Machine
  11. ↑ "Thiruvananthapuram". Archived from the original on 6 March 2011. Retrieved 21 March 2010.
  12. ↑ "Thiruvananthapuram, India". Whetherbase. Retrieved 1 July 2010.
  13. ↑ Seismic zoning map of India (Map). Geological Survey of India. Archived from the original on 15 May 2013. Retrieved 1 July 2010.
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