Morphometric analysis of a badland affected portion of the Mandakini River sub-watershed, central India

Abstract

Morphometric analysis has evolved as an important tool for basin management and to study the process performing in the basin. The trio of remote sensing, GIS, and morphometric analysis gives the best possible results in investigating, supervising, and understanding the basin. The present study comprises a detailed study of morphometric parameters in a badland affected sub-watershed of the Mandakini River. The sub-watershed is located in the northern foot slope of Vindhyan mountain range. The area consists of many structural and denudational hills, pediment, and pediplain complexes. Geologically soft sedimentary rocks are in the majority in this terrain and the area comprises a diverse range of gullies, in terms of shape and size. The intensity of the study is both macro and micro watershed level (up to the third and fourth sub-watershed level). The analysis is mostly based on derived parameters such as bifurcation ratio (Rb), drainage density (Dt), stream frequency (Fs), drainage texture (Dt), length of overland flow (Lg), and constant of channel maintenance (C), shape parameters such as circularity Ratio (Rc), elongation ratio (Re), form factor (Rf), and in relief parameter ruggedness number (Rn) and dissection index (Di). The analysis shows that low infiltration rate, i.e., a higher value of infiltration number (70.0), triggers high runoff and hence increases drainage density (4.5), drainage frequency (15.16), and drainage texture (25.23) and ultimately from an erosional setup in the sub-watershed and it is gradually deforming the land into a rugged terrain.