Question

What is the similarity between the soil found on the summits of the Eastern and the Western ghats and the soil found on the summits of Khasi hills? Why is this similarity?

Answer 1

The similarity is that Laterite soil is found on the summits of the Eastern and Western Ghats as well as on the summits of the Khasi Hills.

Laterite forms under hot, humid (tropical/monsoon) conditions with heavy rainfall and alternating wet/dry periods on well‑drained uplands. Intense chemical weathering and heavy leaching (desilication) remove silica and soluble bases, leaving iron and aluminium oxides; the result is a porous, red, acidic, low‑fertility residual soil (laterite). The upland/topographic position (summits) gives good drainage and exposure, which enhances this process.