Watershed geomorphology

Watershed geomorphology
Morphometry is defined as the measurement of the shape.

Morphometric studies in the field of hydrology were first initiated
by R.E. Horton and A.E. Strahler in the 1940s and 1950s.

The main purpose of this work was to discover holistic stream
properties from the measurement of various stream attributes

One of the first attributes to be quantified was the hierarchy of
stream segmentsaccording to an ordering classification system

In this system, channel segments were ordered numerically from a
stream's headwaters to a point somewhere down stream
Numbering
Numerical ordering begins with the tributaries
at the stream's headwaters being assigned the
value 1. A stream segment that resulted
from the joining of two 1st order segments
was given an order of 2.
Two 2nd order streams formed a 3rd order
stream, and so on
Stream order
Strahler (1957) and modified Horton (1945) method
http://www.fgmorph.com/fg_4_8.php
bifurcation ratio
The ratio between the number of stream
segments in one order and the next, called the
bifurcation ratio,
It was consistently around three.
R.E. Horton called this association the law of
stream numbers
Various Horton laws
Law of stream numbers
law of mean stream lengths
Law of basin areas
Law of total stream lengths
Law of stream gradients

Stream orders Bifurcation Ratio
The order of a stream segment is
designated by u.
The bifurcation ratio (Rb) is defined as


Bifurcation ratio
Order
Number
of
Segments
Bifurcati
on Ratio
1 10
3.33
2 3
3.00
3 1
Stream Numbers
R.E. Horton: The numbers of stream segments of
successively lower orders in a given basin tend to form
a geometric series, beginning with a single segment of
the highest order and increasing according to a
constant bifurcation ratio.
Eg. Bifurcation ratio is 3, the trunk segment is the
sixth order, the number of segments will be 1, 3, 9, 27,
81 and 243.

Stream Numbers
The formula should be




The total numbers of stream segments of the
entire drainage basin should be
Stream Length
The 1st order stream segments have the shortest
length, and the segments become longer as order
increases.
The mean length of stream segments increases by a
length ratio (R1) with each increase in stream order.
Stream Length
R.E. Horton: The cumulative lengths of stream
segments of successive orders tend to form a
geometric series beginning with mean length of the
1
st
order segments and increasing according to a
constant length ratio.
Stream Slopes
Slope is stated as a ratio.
0.01 is a ratio of 1:100. (a drop of 1 metre vertically
in 100 metres horizontally).
Profile a and profile b have
the same slope
Basin Areas
Horton: The mean basin areas of successive stream orders tend
to form a geometric series beginning with mean area of the first-
order basins and increasing according to a constant area ratio.









Usually, the discharge of a stream increases with increasing
drainage area.
Drainage Density
This is found by measuring the total length of all of
the streams within the basin. (km/km
2
)






Drainage density are controlled by several factors, but the
most import control factor is infiltration capacity.
Drainage patterns
Drainage patterns are largely controlled by two
factors
Slopes of the drainage area
Local differences in the resistance of rocks or
geological structures (faults.)

Drainage Patterns
Dendritic Pattern
Rectangular Pattern
Trellised Pattern
Radial Pattern
Centripetal
Dendritic Pattern
Tree-like, random
branching pattern
developed in a
region of uniform or
homogeneous rock.
Rectangular Pattern
It is a rectilinear or grid-
like pattern developed
in a region with strong
marked joint systems or
faults intersecting at
approximately right
angles.
This pattern is largely
controlled by structural
weakness.
Trellised Pattern
It is a rectilinear stream
pattern developed in
region of alternate
layers of resistant and
less resistant rocks
which dip in the same
direction.
The streams join one
another at right angles
Radial Pattern
A radial pattern of
drainage is a stream
pattern developed
on a structure dome,
volcanic cone,
uplifted fault block
or a conical hill.

Centripetal Pattern
It consists of streams drainage from different
directions towards the centre of a depression
or basin.
It is very common in inland drainage system,
where streams terminate in a lake at the
centre.
Streams in intermontane basin or desert
basins often develop this pattern.
River Brahmaputra
Drainage basins formation
The dendritic pattern develops where the river channel follows the slope
of the terrain.
The stream with its tributaries resembles the branches of a tree, thus the
name dendritic.
A river joined by its tributaries, at approximately right angles, develops a
trellis pattern.
A trellis drainage pattern develops where hard and soft rocks exist parallel
to each other.
A rectangular drainage pattern develops on a strongly jointed rocky terrain
The radial pattern develops when streams flow in different directions from
a central peak or dome like structure.

A combination of several patterns may be found in the same drainage basin.
Basin order
The basin order of the catchment is highest
channel order
Basin shape
Numerous symmetrical
and irregular forms of
drainage areas are
encountered in practice

Watershed shape parameters
Form factor < 1 shape factor > 1 elongation ratio circulatory ratio
compactness coefficient approaches 1 as watershed shape approaches circle.
Basin length
A multitude of dimensionless parameter
defined watershed shape. These factors
involves, watershed length, area and
perimeter which can be defined as
Greatest stream line distance between two
points on the perimeter
The greatest distance between outlet and any
point in the catchment
The length of main stream from its source to
outlet