<p>The Deccan Traps are the geological formation that make up the Western Ghats in India. They were formed by massive volcanic eruptions that formed flood basalts.  These are layers of lava that are extruded from fissures and spread over wide areas of relatively flat ground or over flat sea floor.</p>
<p>The terracing is natural. Each of the layers that you see in the picture represents a single eruptive event. When the lava spreads out out the top and bottom of the flow cool rapidly and the rapid cooling breaks up the rock. The middle of the flow cools slower, cracks less and doesn't erode as easily.</p>
<p>The total thickness of flows in the Deccan Traps may be up to 2000 metres, with individual flows between 5 and 50 metres thick.</p>
<p><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deccan_Traps" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deccan_Traps</a></p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-01-24T17:57:59.493Z
Yes, edited the original answer to emphasise that they are natural terraces.
Andy M
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-01-24T23:43:38.990Z
Thanks. I made a little tweak to your post. Fell free to roll it back.
Spencer
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-01-25T16:01:39.960Z
Thank you very much, I'm amazed that it's natural after all but I will gladly defer to your expertise! Earth really is a magical place!
Cryogen
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-01-19T17:29:18.277Z
2021-01-24T23:43:04.077Z
2021-01-24T23:43:04.077Z
Andy M
<p>my first time here!</p>
<p>I was going down the rabbit hole after watching a video on YouTube that made me want to read about it on Wikipedia.</p>
<p>It led me to this Picture:</p>
<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/vDliJ.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/vDliJ.jpg" alt="enter image description here" /></a>
(<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Varandha_ghad.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer">View from Varandha Pass near Mahad in Maharashtra, with numerous waterfalls</a>)</p>
<p>I'm guessing that those lines are not natural, but I know very little about this so I thought to come and ask the experts!
It looks like a kind of terracing to me, but I've no idea how big they are from the angle of the Photo and the Wiki article doesn't appear to explain it, either.
I can't find a tag for it, and can't create one, but this is part of a mountain range that is parallel to the west coast of the Indian peninsula, they are, apparently the <a href="https://www.wikiwand.com/en/Western_Ghats" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Western Ghats</a>.</p>
<p>Can anyone help me out and tell me what's going on here?</p>
<p>Thank you very much indeed!</p>

<geography><mountains><structural-geology>
Terracing in Mahad
Cryogen
# Terracing in Mahad

(Asked by: username_0 on 2021-01-19)

my first time here!

I was going down the rabbit hole after watching a video on YouTube that made me want to read about it on Wikipedia.

It led me to this Picture:

[![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/vDliJ.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/vDliJ.jpg)
([View from Varandha Pass near Mahad in Maharashtra, with numerous waterfalls](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Varandha_ghad.jpg))

I'm guessing that those lines are not natural, but I know very little about this so I thought to come and ask the experts!
It looks like a kind of terracing to me, but I've no idea how big they are from the angle of the Photo and the Wiki article doesn't appear to explain it, either.
I can't find a tag for it, and can't create one, but this is part of a mountain range that is parallel to the west coast of the Indian peninsula, they are, apparently the [Western Ghats](https://www.wikiwand.com/en/Western_Ghats).

Can anyone help me out and tell me what's going on here?

Thank you very much indeed!

**Tags:** geography, mountains, structural-geology


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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2021-01-19. Score: 8 | Accepted answer

The Deccan Traps are the geological formation that make up the Western Ghats in India. They were formed by massive volcanic eruptions that formed flood basalts. These are layers of lava that are extruded from fissures and spread over wide areas of relatively flat ground or over flat sea floor.

The terracing is natural. Each of the layers that you see in the picture represents a single eruptive event. When the lava spreads out out the top and bottom of the flow cool rapidly and the rapid cooling breaks up the rock. The middle of the flow cools slower, cracks less and doesn't erode as easily.

The total thickness of flows in the Deccan Traps may be up to 2000 metres, with individual flows between 5 and 50 metres thick.

<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deccan_Traps>

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Yes, edited the original answer to emphasise that they are natural terraces.  
> **username_2**: Thanks. I made a little tweak to your post. Fell free to roll it back.  
> **username_0**: Thank you very much, I'm amazed that it's natural after all but I will gladly defer to your expertise! Earth really is a magical place!  

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