gis based morphometric characterization of mini watershed - ijater

International Journal of Advanced Technology & Engineering Research (IJATER)www.ijater.comGIS BASED MORPHOMETRIC CHARACTERIZATION OFMINI WATERSHED - RACHHAR NALA OF ANUPPURAbstractDISTRICT MADHYA PRADESHDrainage system delineation is important to betterunderstand hydrologic system, water resourcemanagement and its planning. Fluvial morphometriccharacteristics are studied of Rachhar Nala – MiniWatershed. Basin morphometric characteristics such aslinear aspect, areal aspect and relief aspect of thewatershed are determined and computed. It is a 4 th orderwatershed and drainage pattern is sub-dendritic andparallel type. The mean bifurcation value indicatesgeologically controlled drainage pattern. The value ofdrainage density indicates impermeable sub-surfacematerial and sparse vegetation. The circularity ratio,form factor and elongation ratio indicates less circularto elongated basin shape. GIS technique is used for theidentification of morphological features and analyzingtheir properties.Key wordsGIS, Morphometric analysis, Rachhar Nala, 3D Terrain,Mini-Watershed.IntroductionWater is a natural resource and a basic human need. Itgives life and livelihood. It is also a basic need for anyplanning and development. Due to population growth,irrigation and industrialization the demand for water hasgone to a large extent. So watershed management isnecessary and is an important part of sustainabledevelopment. Morphometric analysis of a watershed isan important aspect in watershed management. Detailedmorphometric analysis of a watershed is helpful inunderstanding the influence of fluvial morphometry.Morphometric analysis of any watershed provides anaccount about the topography of the area, geologicalcondition and runoff potential. Morphometric analysisis the measurement of 3 dimensional geometry oflandforms and has traditionally been applied towatershed, drainages, hill slopes, and other group ofterrain features (Barber, 2005). The morphometriccharacteristics of a watershed represent its attributes andcan be helpful in synthesizing its hydrological behavior(Pandey et al, 2004). Morphometric parameters affectcatchment stream flow pattern through their influenceon concentration time (Jones, 1999). Remote Sensingand GIS technique is a powerful tool for morphometricanalysis (Chopra, et al., 2005; Nookaratnam, et al.,2005; Thakkar et al., 2007; Bhatt et al., 2007; Kar et al.,2009; Rao et al., 2010; Vittala et al., 2004; Gowd,2004). It provides efficient tool in drainage delineationSandeep Kr Soni, Shashikant Tripathi, Abhishek Kr MauryaRemote Sensing and GIS Lab, MGCGV, Chitrakoot Satna M.P.and updation. Remote Sensing and GIS has effectivetools to overcome most of the problems of land andwater resources planning and management on theaccount of usage of conventional methods of dataprocess.Study AreaRachhar nala is a mini watershed having 16.89 sqkmcatchment areas. It is a small tributary of NarmadaBasin. It raises in the extreme north at an elevation of900 meter of the Maikal hills of the Satpura range andflowing due south of the study region to meets theNarmada near Sagamtola village. It is located inAnuppur District of Madhya Pradesh, India. It isbounded by latitude 22 0 54’49.04” N to 22 0 58’23.81” Nand longitude 81 0 12’53.38” E to 81 0 15’44.14”E. It issituated in extreme west margin of the district.Geologically the watershed is situated in basaltic lavaflow, with somewhere laterite, of Deccan trap. Soil typeis black cotton soil and somewhere reddish lateritic soil.Geomorphologically upper part is region of high levelplateau and lower region of middle level plateau.Annually maximum temperature of the area is 31.6 0 Cand minimum is 18.2 0 C. Average annual rainfall is1235mm. Relative humidity is 66%.Method of InvestigationThe drainage system is delineated using Landsat-7 path& row 143-44, TM Band of FCC of band 4, 3, 2 andSurvey of India toposheet 64F/1 and 64F/5 on 1:50,000scale as reference is used for the updation of thedrainage network. The morphometric characteristics arecomputed using the formulae of old researchers.Remote Sensing and GIS software like ERDAS Imagine9.1 and MapInfo Professional software are used fordigitization, computation and layer generation.Morphometric CharacterizationMorphometric analysis of a watershed provides aquantitative description of the drainage system which isan important aspect of the characterization ofwatersheds (Strahler, 1964). According to Clarke(1966), morphometry is the measurement andmathematical analysis of the configuration of the earthsurface, shape, and dimensions of its landforms. Themorphometric analysis is carried out throughmeasurement of linear, areal and relief aspects of thebasin and slope contribution. (Nag and Chakraborty,ISSN No: 2250-3536 Volume 3, Issue 3, May 2013 32

2003). Various morphometric parameters such as linearaspects of the drainage network: stream order (Nu),bifurcation ratio (Rb), stream length (Lu) and arealaspects of the drainage basin: drainage density (D),stream frequency (Fs), texture ratio (T), elongation ratio(Re), circularity ratio (Rc), form factor ratio (Rf) of thebasin are computed through GIS technique.Linear Aspects of the Channel SystemStream Number & Stream Order (Nu): For drainagebasin analysis it is important to demonstrate streamorders which are initial work for morphometric analysis.In the present study, the channel segment of thedrainage basin has been ranked according to Strahler’s(1952) stream ordering system. In the system fingertipstream has lowest order while trunk stream throughwhich all discharge of water and sediment passes hashighest order. The catchment area of the miniwatershed is a 4 th order drainage basin. Total number of80 streams were identified of which 58 are 1 st orderstreams, 16 are 2 nd order, 5 are 3 rd order and one isindicating 4 th order stream. Drainage patterns of thestream network from the basin have been observed asmainly sub-dendritic type while in some parts of thebasin represent parallel type (Regression logarithm alsosupport).Bifurcation Ratio (Rb): The term bifurcation ratio(Rb) is used to express the ratio of the number ofstreams of any given order to the number of streams innext higher order (Schumn, 1956). Bifurcation ratioscharacteristically range between 3.0 and 5.0 for basinsin which the geologic structures do not disturb thedrainage pattern (Strahler, 1964). The mean bifurcationratio value is 3.94 for the study area which indicatesthat the geological structures are less disturbing thedrainage pattern. Higher values of Rb indicate a strongstructural control in the drainage pattern.Stream Length (Lu): Stream length is the length of allthe streams having order u. It indicates the contributingarea of the basin of that order. It is one of the mostsignificant hydrological features of the basin as itreveals surface runoff characteristics streams ofrelatively smaller lengths are characteristics of areaswith larger slopes and finer textures. Longer lengths ofstreams are generally indicative of flatter gradients.Generally, the total length of stream segments ismaximum in first order streams and decreases as thestream order increases. The number of streams ofvarious orders in the basin is counted and their lengthsfrom mouth to drainage divide are measured with thehelp of GIS software.Areal Aspects of the Drainage Basin:Drainage Density (Dd): Drainage density is animportant factor for land forms element in streameroded topography. It was introduced by Horton (1945).It is the ration of total stream length within a basin tothe basin area. In the drainage density analysis Gridmethod is used in which 1 sq.km grids are used as areaand length of streams are measured in the area of 1International Journal of Advanced Technology & Engineering Research (IJATER)www.ijater.comsq.km. The value drainage density varies from 1.08 to4.88 km/km 2 . In average measurement of drainagedensity the value is found as 3.30 km/km 2 . It shows thecloseness of spacing of streams. Drainage density givesan idea about the physical properties of the underlyingrocks in the study area.Stream Frequency (Fs): Stream frequency wasintroduced by Horton (1945). It is defined as the totalnumber of stream segments of all orders per unit area.Its value indicates positive correlation with the drainagedensity suggesting increase in stream population withrespect to increase in drainage density.Texture Ratio (Dt): Drainage texture is the totalnumber of stream segments of all orders per perimeterof that area (Horton, 1945). It is one of the importantconcepts of geomorphology which means that therelative spacing of drainage lines. Smith (1950)classified drainage density into five classes i.e., verycoarse (8).Form Factor Ratio (Rf): This factor determines aboutthe shape of the basin. Form factor is defined as theratio of basin area to the square of the basin length(Horton, 1932). For perfectly circular basin the valueshould be greater than 0.78. Smaller the value, moreelongated will be the basin.Circularity Ratio (Rc): It is the ratio of the area of thebasins to the area of circle having the samecircumferences as the perimeter as the basin (Miller,1953). It is influenced by the length and frequency ofstreams, geological structures, land use/land cover,climate and slope of the basin.Elongation Ratio (Re): It is the ratio between thediameter of the circle of the same area as the drainagebasin and the maximum length of the basin. High Revalues indicate that the areas are having high infiltrationcapacity and low runoff. Values nearing 1.0 are typicalof regions of low relief, whereas values in the range of0.6 to 0.8 are generally associated with strong relief andsteep ground slopes. For the study area the value is0.67.Basin Shape (Bs): Basin shape determines about peakflow or flood discharge. It is the ratio of square of thebasin length to the area of the basin. Lesser valueindicates sharply peaked water flow which may happento flood. Higher the value indicates weaker flooddischarge period or weaker out flow. For the study areavalue is 2.78 which is a higher value.Length of Overland Flow (Lb): The length ofoverland flow is equals to half of reciprocal of drainagedensity. It is length of water over the ground before itgets concentrated into definite stream channels (Horton,1945). In the study area value is 0.15 indicating highrelief.Relief Aspect of the Drainage BasinISSN No: 2250-3536 Volume 3, Issue 3, May 2013 33

Relative Relief: It is the maximum vertical distancebetween the lowest and the highest points of the basin.The maximum height of the basin is 900m and thelowest is 700m. Therefore, the relief of the basin is200m.Relief Ratio: It is defined as the ratio of horizontaldistance along the longest dimension of the basinparallel to the principal drainage line (Schumn, 1956). Itmeasures the overall steepness of a drainage basin andis an indicator of the intensity of erosion processesoperating on the slopes of the basin.Result & ConclusionGeographical Information System (GIS) tools are usedin the drainage delineation and their updation.Morphometric analysis is carried out through updateddrainage. Linear aspects, areal aspects and relief aspectsof the basin are measured for the analysis. Drainagepattern of the study area is sub-dendritic and parallelwith moderate drainage texture. Sub-dendritic drainagepattern of the study area exhibit homogeneity in textureand lack of structural control but parallel drainagepattern suggest that the area has a gentle, uniform slopesand with less resistant bed rock. The mean bifurcationratio value is 3.94 which indicates geologicallycontrolled drainage pattern. The average value ofdrainage density for the basin area is 3.30 while in Gridmethod measurement the value varies from 1.08 to 4.88km/km 2 . In the drainage density map analysis it is foundthat maximum basin area is covered in mediumdrainage density value which indicates medium surfacerunoff, moderate impermeable sub-surface material,moderate sparse vegetation, steep to high relief and welldeveloped network. Drainage texture is moderate. Thevalue of stream frequency indicates +ve correlation withincreasing stream population with respect to increasingdrainage density. The value of circularity ratio indicatesmore or less circular in shape and the area ischaracterized by high relief and the drainage system iscontrolled. The value of elongation ratio indicateselongated basin with high relief and steep slopes andsomewhere gentle slope. The value of form factorindicates flatter peak flow for longer duration andelongated in shape. The value of basin shape indicatesweaker flood discharge period or weaker outflow. In 3Dview analysis of the basin area, it is found that streamsare originated from high relief or high slope region thencomes to steep slope region and then flows in gentleslope area to meet the Narmada River. Due to mediumdrainage density and slope the basin area indicatesmoderate ground water recharge zone. Themorphometric characteristics evaluated using GIShelped us to understand various terrain parameterswhich are important for basin area planning andmanagement.AcknowledgementThe authors are thankful to Remote Sensing and GISlab, MGCGV Chitrakoot for providing the lab facilityand encouragement for the present study.International Journal of Advanced Technology & Engineering Research (IJATER)www.ijater.comReferences[1] Barber, M. D. (2005) Hydrogeomorphology,Fundamental Applications and Techniques, NewIndia Publishing Agency, New Delhi, 259pp.[2] Bhatt,C.M., Chopara,R, and Sharma,P.K (2007)Morphometric Analysis in Anandpur Sahibarea,Punjab(India) using Remote Sensing andGIS Approach, Jour Ind Soc. of Remote Sensing,35(2).129-139.[3] Chopra, R., Diman, R. D. and Sharma, P. K.(2005) Morphometric Analysis of Sub-Watershed in Gurdaspur District, Punjab usingRemote Sensing and GIS Techniques, Jour IndSoc. of Remote Sensing, 33(4):531-539.[4] Clarke J. I. (1966) Morphometry from maps,Essays in geomorphology, Elsevier Publ. Co.,New York. pp 235-274.[5] Gowd, S.S., (2004) Morphometric analysis ofPeddavanka basin, Anantapur district, AndhraPradesh, India, Journal of Applied Hydrology,Vol. xv11, (1) pp 1-8.[6] Horton R.E. (1932) Drainage basincharacteristics. Trans Am Geophys Union13:350-361.[7] Horton R.E. (1945) Erosional development ofstreams and their drainage basins; Hydrophysicalapproach to quantitative morphology. Geol SocAm Bull 56:275-370.[8] Miller VC (1953) A quantitative geomorphicstudy of drainage basin characteristics on theClinch Mountain area, Virgina and Tennessee,Proj. NR 389-402, Tech Rep 3, ColumbiaUniversity, Department of Geology, ONR, NewYork.[9] Nag SK and Chakraborty S (2003) Influences ofrock type and structures in the development ofdrainage network in hard rock area. Jour Ind SocRemote Sensing 31(1):25-35.[10] Jones, J.A.A. (1999) GlobalHydrology:Processes, Resources andEnvironmental Management, Longman, 399pp.[11] Kar, G., Kumar, A. and Singh, R. (2009) Spatialdistribution of Soil Hydro-physical Propertiesand Morphometric Analysis of RainfedWatershed as a tool for Sustainable LandusePlanning, Jour. of Agriculture WaterManagement, 96:1449-1459.[12] Nookaratnam,K.,Srinivastava,Y.K.,Venkateswara,W., Amminedu, E. andMurthy, K. S. R. (2005) Check Dam Positioningby Prioritization of Micro Watershed using SYIModel and Morphometric Analysis RemoteSensing and GIS Perspective, Jour Ind Soc. ofRemote Sensing, 33(1):25-28.[13] Pandey A., Chowdary V.M. and Mal B.C. (2004)Morphological analysis and watershedmanagement using GIS, Hydrology J. 27, (3 &4), 71-84.[14] Rao, K. N, Swarna Latha, P, Arunkumar P. andHari Krishna, M. (2010) MorphometricAanalysis of Gostani River Basin inISSN No: 2250-3536 Volume 3, Issue 3, May 2013 34

International Journal of Advanced Technology & Engineering Research (IJATER)www.ijater.comAndhrapradesh State, India, using Spatial Total No. of Streams 80Information Technology, Int. Jour of Geomaticsand Geosciences,1(2):179-187.[15] Schumn SA (1956) Evaluation of drainageBasin Area16.89 Sq.km.systems and slopes in badlands at Perth Amboy,New Jersy, Bull. Geol. Soc. Amer, 67, pp 597-Perimeter18.80 km.646.[16] Smith KG (1950) Standards for grading textures Basin Length6.85 km.of erosional topography. Am. Jour. Sci. 248:655-688.Total Stream Length55.72 km.[17] Strahler A. N. (1952) Hypsometric (area-attitude)analysis of erosional topography. Geol. Soc. Am.Bull. 63, 1117-1142.Mean Bifurcation Ratio 2.96[18] Strahler A. N. (1964) Quantitativegeomorphology of drainage basin and channelDrainage Density 3.30 km/km 2networks. In: VT Chow (ed), Handbook ofApplied Hydrology, McGraw Hill Book, New Stream Frequency 4.74 streams/km 2Section 4-II[19] Thakkar, A., Diman.S.D. (2007) “Morphometric Drainage Texture4.25 streams/kmAnalysis and Prioritization of Mini Watershed inMohr Watershed,Gujrat using Remote Sensingand GIS Techniques, Jour Ind Soc. of RemoteForm Factor 0.36Sensing, 35(4):313-321.[20] Vittala, S., Srinavasa, G.S., and Honnegowda,Circularity Ratio 0.60(2004) Morphometric analysis of sub-watershedsin the Pavagada area Tumkur district, south India Elongation Ratio 0.67using remote and GIS techniques Jour Ind Soc.of Remote Sensing, 32:235 - 251.Basin Shape 2.78BiographiesRelative Relief200 mDR. SHASHIKANT TRIPATHI Associate Professor,Department of Remote Sensing & GIS, MahatmaGandhi Chitrakoot Gramodaya VishwavidyalyaChitrakoot Satna M.P. Email -tripathi.shashikant@gmail.comSANDEEP KUMAR SONI PhD Scholar in RemoteSensing and GIS, Department of Remote Sensing& GIS, Mahatma Gandhi Chitrakoot GramodayaVishwavidyalya Chitrakoot Satna M.P. Email –sandeepsoni80@gmail.comABHISHEK KUMAR MAURYA PhD Scholar inRemote Sensing and GIS, Department of RemoteSensing & GIS, Mahatma Gandhi ChitrakootGramodaya Vishwavidyalya Chitrakoot SatnaM.P. Email – avi.maurya@gmail.comLength of overland flow 0.15Relief Ratio 0.029Table 1: Morphometric parameters of mini watershedMorphometric ParametersISSN No: 2250-3536 Volume 3, Issue 3, May 2013 35

International Journal of Advanced Technology & Engineering Research (IJATER)www.ijater.comFig: 1 Location MapFigure 2. Landsat TM FCC ImageFigure 3. Drainage NetworkISSN No: 2250-3536 Volume 3, Issue 3, May 2013 36

log of the stream Numbers.International Journal of Advanced Technology & Engineering Research (IJATER)www.ijater.com21.510.501 2 3 4Stream OrderRegrassion Lograthim Between StreamNumber/Stream OrderFigure 4. Drainage Density MapFig: 5 Regression logarithmsFigure 6. Digital Elevation Model Figure 7. Slope in degree Figure 8. Aspect MapISSN No: 2250-3536 Volume 3, Issue 3, May 2013 37

International Journal of Advanced Technology & Engineering Research (IJATER)www.ijater.comFigure 9. 3D View of the Mini-watershedISSN No: 2250-3536 Volume 3, Issue 3, May 2013 38