Quantitative Morphometric and Morphotectonic Analysis of Pahuj Catchment Basin, Central India

Abstract

In the present work, the morphometric and morphotectonic analysis of the Pahuj basin catchment of the Bundelkhand region of Central India was carried by using remote sensing and GIS techniques. The drainage map, Digital Elevation Model (DEM), density, contour, aspect, and other thematic maps were extracted from ASTER-DEM (30m resolution) data by using geographical information system (GIS) tool. Five order streams have been validated in the study area and an inverse relationship between the stream order and stream number has been established. The high mean bifurcation ratio (Rb=5.12) indicates that the drainage pattern is controlled by geological structures in the impermeable granitic terrain. The stream frequency (2.69) is indicative of the increment of stream population for drainage density. Contrary to this the drainage density (2.08) is suggestive of low to moderate infiltration rate and is showing the thin vegetal cover on the impermeable rocky terrain. The elongation ratio (0.61) and form factor (0.29) infer that the catchment basin is elongated and shows low peak flows. The value of ruggedness and Melton ruggedness number implies that the basin is moderately rugged and debris watershed and is less susceptible to soil erosion. The drainage pattern of basin catchment flowing in diverse lithological and structural terrain (Archean and Palaeoproterozoic age) is exhibiting less influence of active tectonics. The NW-SE, E-W and NNE-SSW trending lineaments resembling the orientation of lower-order streams are suggestive of structural control. The NE-SW trending high order streams flowing in an elongated Pahuj basin catchment and coinciding with the orientation of major NE-SW lineaments are indicative of major tectonic control.