Quantitative evaluation of drainage attributes to infer hydrologic and morphological characteristics of upper Beas Basin, Himachal Pradesh: A GIS-based approach

Abstract

Drainage morphometric analysis is a quantitative indexing of linear, areal, and relief attributes of a watershed, which is an essential prerequisite to understand the ongoing geomorphological, geological, and tectonic processes in a watershed that modifies its landscape. The present study is an investigation of the morphometric parameters of upper Beas basin. ALOS PALSAR digital elevation model available at 12.5 m resolution from Alaska Satellite Facility has been used for the study in Arc GIS 10.2 environment. The findings of the study categorize upper Beas as a sixth order drainage basin with a total area of 4958.98 km2. High bifurcation values infer an accelerated state of erosion and underline the mountainous origin and late youthful stage of river Beas and its tributaries. Geometrically, the basin has an elongated shape indicating lower peak flow but for a longer duration making flood management ambiguous. Upper Beas basin has a coarse drainage density and texture, suggesting high infiltration and less surface water availability. Tectonically, studyarea has some prominent faults and thrusts (MBT, MCT, and STD), making the region susceptible to water infiltration. These observations unquestionably indicate a strong tectonic and lithological control over the evolution of drainage patterns in the study area.