Morphometric analysis of a drainage basin using aerial photographs: A case study of Khairkuli basin, district Dehradun, U.P.

Abstract

Remote sensing techniques using satellite images and aerial photographs are convenient tools in morphometric analysis of a drainage basin. In the present study morphometric parameters of Khairkuli drainage basin, district Dehradun, are worked out using aerial photographs. The parameters worked out include bifurcation ratio, stream length, form factor, circulatory ratio, elongation ratio, drainage density, constant of channel maintenance and stream frequency. Hypsometric relations of drainage basin are also presented. Relation between cumulative stream length and the stream order establishes that the ratio between cumulative stream length Σ ^u₁ Σ ^nu₁ Lu and the stream order u is constant throughout the. successive orders of a drainage basin suggesting that geometrical similarity is preserved in the basins of increasing order.

The morphometric parameters computed suggest that the area is covered by resistant permeable rocks (with fracture and karstic porosities) and vegetative cover, the drainage network is affected by tectonic disturbances. The peak flows generated from the basin are likely to be moderately high and of short duration.