Geo-Eye

Department of Geography & GIS

Article

Geo-Eye

Year: 2026, Volume: 15, Issue: 1, Pages: 32-44

Original Article

Geomorphological and Morphometric Characterization of the Lokapavani River Basin, Mandya District, Karnataka, Using Remote Sensing and GIS Techniques

Received Date:15 July 2026, Accepted Date:07 August 2026

Abstract

An assessment of the Lokapavani River Basin was carried out to analyze various drainage morphometric parameters using Remote Sensing (RS) and Geographic Information System (GIS) techniques. Drainage basin or watershed analysis based on morphometric parameters is crucial for effective watershed management and planning. The delineation of the drainage network was achieved using Digital Elevation Model (DEM) data, specifically Cartosat DEM, processed through ArcGIS software to extract key hydrological parameters of the basin. The Lokapavani River Basin covers an area of approximately 483.69 km² with a perimeter of 122.55 km. The computed morphometric parameters were categorized into three broad aspects: Linear, Areal and Relief. Under the Linear aspects, the highest stream order identified is sixth order, and the mean bifurcation ratio of 4.18 indicates that the basin is in a mature stage of geomorphic evolution. In the Aerial aspects, the drainage density (1.94) suggests a coarse drainage texture, while the stream frequency (2.56) reflects a moderate drainage network. The circularity ratio, form factor, elongation ratio, and shape factor collectively indicate that the basin possesses an elongated shape. Furthermore, the constant of channel maintenance and length of overland flow suggest the basin has a moderate slope and moderate permeability. Within the Relief aspects, the basin relief and relief ratio denote moderate to high relief and moderate slope conditions, while the dissection index value reveals that the basin is moderately dissected. The hypsometric integral value (0.46) further supports that the Lokapavani River Basin is in a mature geomorphic stage. Geomorphologically, the study area comprises pediments, pediplains, valley fills, structural hills, and residual hills. The predominant soil types in the basin include sandy clay, clay, clay loam and sandy clay loam, which influence both infiltration characteristics and run-off behaviour across the basin.

Keywords: Morphometry, Bifurcation Ratio, Drainage Density, Digital Elevation Model (DEM), Hypsometric Integral, Pediments and Pediplains

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Copyright

© 2026 Satishkumar et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

Published By Bangalore University, Bengaluru, Karnataka

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