Quantitative Geomorphological Analysis of a Watershed of Ravi River Basin, H.P. India

Abstract

In the present paper, an attempt has been made to study the quantitative geomorphological analysis of a watershed of Ravi river basin in Himachal Pradesh, India. Authors have evaluated the morphometric characteristics on the basis of Survey of India toposheets at 1:50,000 scale, and CartoSAT-1 DEM data with 2.5m spatial resolutions. For this detailed study, CartoSAT-1 based DEM, and GIS were used in evaluation of linear, areal and relief aspects of morphometric parameters. Watershed boundary, flow accumulation, flow direction, flow length, stream ordering have been prepared using ArcHydro Tool; and contour, slope-aspect, hillshade have been prepared using Surface Tool in ArcGIS-10 software, and DEM. Authors have computed more than 53 morphometric parameter of all aspects. Based on all morphometric parameters analysis; that the erosional development of the area by the streams has progressed well beyond maturity and that lithology has had an influence in the drainage development. This study is very useful for planning rainwater harvesting and watershed management.