Hydrological inferences through morphometric analysis of lower Kosi river basin of India for water resource management based on remote sensing data

Abstract

Satellite based remote sensing technology has proven to be an effectual tool in analysis of drainage networks, study of surface morphological features and their correlation with groundwater management prospect at basin level. The present study highlights the effectiveness and advantage of remote sensing and GIS-based analysis for quantitative and qualitative assessment of flood plain region of lower Kosi river basin based on morphometric analysis. In this study, ASTER DEM is used to extract the vital hydrological parameters of lower Kosi river basin in ARC GIS software. Morphometric parameters, e.g., stream order, stream length, bifurcation ratio, drainage density, drainage frequency, drainage texture, form factor, circularity ratio, elongation ratio, etc., have been calculated for the Kosi basin and their hydrological inferences were discussed. Most of the morphometric parameters such as bifurcation ratio, drainage density, drainage frequency, drainage texture concluded that basin has good prospect for water management program for various purposes and also generated data base that can provide scientific information for site selection of water-harvesting structures and flood management activities in the basin. Land use land cover (LULC) of the basin were also prepared from Landsat data of 2005, 2010 and 2015 to assess the change in dynamic of the basin and these layers are very noteworthy for further watershed prioritization.

Morphometric analysis, bedload sediments, and weathering intensity in the Khurar River Basin, central India

“…The morphometric analyses provide information regarding the drainage dynamics and basinal configuration (Nag & Chakraborty, ; Rai et al, ; Rai, Mishra, et al, ; Rai, Mohan, et al, ). Bifurcation ratio falls in the range of 3.0 and 5.0 for stream networks formed on a homogeneous rock with least structural disturbances (Chow, Maidment, & Mays, ; Mekel, ; Thomas et al, ).…”

“…Morphometric analysis of river basins, using satellite‐based remote sensing techniques, has emerged as a powerful tool in recent years (Banerjee, Singh, & Pratap, ; Pareta & Pareta, ; Rai, Chandel, Mishra, & Singh, ; Rai, Mishra, & Mohan, ; Rai, Mohan, Mishra, Ahmad, & Mishra, ; Singh, Thakur, & Singh, ; Sreedevi, Sreekanth, Khan, & Ahmed, ; Thomas, Joseph, & Thrivikramaji, ). This can provide a synoptic view of the large area at one time and is very useful in analysing the drainage morphometry (Prakash, Singh, & Shukla, ; Rudraiah, Govindaiah, & Srinivas, ; Singh et al, ; Singh & Kanhaiya, ).…”

Drainage network characteristics of the Ghaghghar River Basin (GRB), Son Valley, India

“…The mean values of stream length ratio for the GRB is 0.79 (ranging from 1.28 for third/second order to 0.30 for second/first order). Increase in the stream length ratio from lower to higher orders successively reveals geomorphic maturity of the basin (Kanhaiya et al, 2018;Rai et al, 2018;Thomas et al, 2010).…”

“…The low value of stream frequency (Fs) indicates permeable subsoil and gentler gradient of the catchment area (Kanhaiya et al, 2018;Rai et al, 2018;Thomas et al, 2010)…”

“…Morphometry is the measurement and mathematical analysis of the formation of the earth's surface, shape, and dimension of its landforms. Morphometric studies involve area, altitude, shape, size, slope, and profiles of watershed (Kanhaiya, Singh, Singh, Mittal, & Srivastava, 2018;Rai, Chandel, Mishra, & Singh, 2018;Singh & Kanhaiya, 2015;Sreedevi, Subrahmanyam, & Ahmed, 2004, 2005Thomas, Joseph, & Thrivikramaji, 2010). Morphometric analysis could be used for prioritization of sub-watersheds by studying different linear and aerial parameters of the watershed (Biswas et al, 1999).…”