Abstract
This study evaluated some morphometric parameters with a view to assessing the infiltration potential of Osun Drainage Basin (ODB), Southwestern Nigeria. Input data were derived from SPOT DEM using ArcGIS 10.3 platform. ODB has an area extent of 2,208.18 km2, and is drained by 1,560 streams with total length of 2,487.7 km. The Relief Ratio (5.6) suggests that ODB is characterized by topographic high and topographic low. Thus, infiltration potential would be low as surface runoff would have less time to infiltrate before entering the drainage channels. The computed values of Drainage Texture (0.52), Stream Number (1,560), Total Stream Length (2,487.7 m) and Main Stream Length (119 m) indicate that larger percentage of annual rainwater would leave ODB as river discharge. Stream Frequency, Basin Perimeter, Length of Overland Flow and Drainage Density influence Infiltration Number across the basin. Infiltration Number increases with increasing Stream Frequency (r = 0.95) and Drainage Density (r = 0.78); and Length of Overland Flow increases with decreasing Drainage Density (r = -0.83), Stream Frequency (r = -0.51) and Infiltration Number (r = -0.45). The study concluded that basin’s infiltration potential is moderate as suggested by the mean Infiltration Number.
Highlights
Drainage basin can be defined as a geographically delimited finite area on the earth surface that is drained by a network of streams through a single pore point (Akinwumiju, 2015)
The values of Drainage Density, Stream frequency and Length of Overland Flow showed that infiltration potential is higher in Calabar Drainage Basin compared to Osun Drainage Basin
This study has attempted to examine the morphometric characteristics of Osun Drainage Basin, Southwestern Nigeria, with a view to assessing its infiltration potential
Summary
Drainage basin can be defined as a geographically delimited finite area on the earth surface that is drained by a network of streams through a single pore point (Akinwumiju, 2015). The continuous interaction between climate and geology often result to the evolution of landform pattern across a given basin, which can be qualitatively (morphology) and quantitatively (morphometry) analyzed. This topographic expression is known as terrain analysis (Jones, 1999; Obi-Reddy et al, 2002). Vol 8, No 4; 2016 parameters have earlier been observed as crucial indices of surface processes within a given basin These parameters have been determined and analyzed in many geomorphological and surface hydrological studies such as sediment deposition, flood parameterization as well as the evolution of basin morphology (Jolly, 1982; Adejuwon et al, 1984; Anyadike and Phil-Eze, 1989; Lifton and Chase, 1992; Moglen and Bras, 1995; Chen et al, 2003; Haung and Niemann, 2006). We present and analyze the adopted morphometric parameters with the aim of evaluating the geomorphometric characteristics; in relation to infiltration potential of the basin
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