Quantitative Morphometric Analysis of the Chinnar Sub-Basin, Dharmapuri District, Tamil Nadu, India

Abstract

An essential tool for examining drainage networks, exploring geomorphological characteristics, and connecting them to future basin management plans is remote sensing technology based on satellites. The linear, aerial, and relief features of the geomorphologic development and river basin's potential for groundwater are evaluated quantitatively using morphometric analysis. In this paper, an attempt was made to investigate the specific morphometric features of the Chinnar sub-basin. Here, 56 morphometric parameters across all dimensions have been computed. One of the main tributaries of the Cauvery River, the Chinnar sub-basin flows through the Dharmapuri District in Tamil Nadu, India. The drainage network, basin geometry, texture analysis, and terrain features have all been covered in the quantitative morphometric analysis (QMA) of the Chinnar sub-basin. The Strahler classification method was utilized to describe the drainage network, and the results suggest that the topography displays drainage patterns including dendritic, parallel, radial, and trellis. The research region was classified as seventh-order, and lower-order streams predominate there, which is a key contributor to flash floods. The average bifurcation ratio shows that there were several structural disturbances in the area. The Chinnar sub-basin covers 1539.784 km² in total. The Chinnar sub-basin's elongation ratio is 0.449, and its circularity ratio is 0.255, indicating that the basin has an elongated form. With 2.407 km/km², the research area’s drainage density is high. The calculated value of 21.738 demonstrates the basin’s fine drainage texture. The basin is made up of low-erodible rocks and requires a minimum area of 0.415 km² to develop a channel. The south-western section has a strong slope, as shown by the basin slope, which runs from 0° to 58°. The sub-basin's relief ratio indicates that both pediplain and hilly zones are involved. Several themed maps, including those for drainage density, relief, contour, slope, and aspect, were produced using the ArcGIS software. QMA is essential to controlling the drainage basin. The study comes to a conclusion by analyzing the findings of QMA parameters and thematic data to comprehend the geomorphological issues and the sustainable development of water resources in the Chinnar sub-basin.