Hypsometric analysis of watersheds developed on actively deforming Mohand anticlinal ridge,NW Himalaya |
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| Authors: | Tejpal Singh |
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| Institution: | 1. Department of Earth Sciences , Indian Institute of Technology , Roorkee, India geotejpal@yahoo.co.in |
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| Abstract: | Hypsometric analysis describes the elevation distribution across an area of land surface. It is an important tool to assess and compare the geomorphic evolution of various landforms irrespective of the factor that may be responsible for it. The major factors governing the evolution of landscape are tectonics and/or climate and the variation in lithology. The present study takes into consideration the watersheds developed over actively deforming Mohand anticlinal ridge in the frontal part of NW Himalaya. The hypsometric analysis has been used as a morphometric parameter, i.e. hypsometric integral, to deduce its relationship with the area of watersheds. Statistical analysis of these parameters has been carried out by classifying them into different classes based on the natural breaks method. This brings out strong relationships for hypsometric integral classes and area classes with the number of watersheds in respective classes and the total area occupied by respective hypsometric and area classes. It has also been found that stronger relationships exist for watersheds on the southern flank as compared to watersheds of the northern flank. It also highlights the presence of an anomalous watershed on the northern flank that is possibly responsible for the weak statistical relationships on the northern flank. Removal of this anomalous watershed always brings out much stronger relationships for the northern flank. The anomalous watershed has been directly attributed to the difference in geologic structure as it is spatially related to the presence of the Bhimgoda Back Thrust (BBT) present in the area. The results are awe inspiring and very promising as they indicate some statistically strong relationships among the hypsometric integral and area of watersheds that are not apparent in the spatial distribution of these parameters, especially in actively deforming areas. |
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| Keywords: | hypsometry watersheds actively deforming Mohand anticlinal ridge NW Himalaya |
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