Drainage Patterns
Basins · Topographic Evolution · River Geomorphology
MICRO-REALM 01
Drainage Basin
- CATCHMENT AREA
- COLLECTS ALL SURFACE RUNOFF
- FEEDS A SINGLE RIVER SYSTEM
MICRO-REALM 02
Water Divide
- WATERSHED BOUNDARY
- ELEVATED RIDGE / MOUNTAIN
- SEPARATES TWO DRAINAGE BASINS
MICRO-REALM 03
Dendritic Pattern
- TREE-LIKE BRANCHING
- UNIFORM LITHOLOGY
- COMMON IN NORTHERN PLAINS
MICRO-REALM 04
Trellis Pattern
- RIGHT-ANGLE JUNCTIONS
- ALTERNATING HARD/SOFT ROCK
- FOLDED MOUNTAIN REGIONS
MICRO-REALM 05
Radial Pattern
- CENTRIFUGAL FLOW
- OUTWARD FROM A CENTRAL PEAK
- AMARKANTAK PLATEAU (NARMADA/SON)
MICRO-REALM 06
Centripetal Pattern
- INLAND DRAINAGE
- CONVERGING INTO A DEPRESSION
- LOKTAK LAKE, SAMBHAR LAKE
MICRO-REALM 07
Antecedent Drainage
- OLDER THAN THE MOUNTAINS
- CUTS DEEP GORGES DURING UPLIFT
- INDUS, BRAHMAPUTRA, SUTLEJ
MICRO-REALM 08
Superimposed
- UNRELATED TO UNDERLYING ROCK
- ERODES COVER TO REVEAL OLDER STRUCTURE
- DAMODAR, SUBARNAREKHA
MICRO-REALM 09
Parallel Pattern
- STEEP, UNIFORM SLOPES
- RIVERS FLOW PARALLEL TO SEA
- WESTERN GHATS TO ARABIAN SEA
MICRO-REALM 10
Annular Pattern
- CIRCULAR FLOW
- FOLLOWS SOFTER ROCK AROUND A DOME
- RARE IN INDIA (SOME PENINSULAR DOMES)
MICRO-REALM 11
Stream Ordering
- STRAHLER CLASSIFICATION
- HIERARCHY OF TRIBUTARIES
- INDICATES BASIN COMPLEXITY
MICRO-REALM 12
Confluence (Sangam)
- MEETING OF TWO RIVERS
- ALAKNANDA & BHAGIRATHI (DEVPARAYAG)
- GANGA & YAMUNA (PRAYAGRAJ)