DRAINAGE PATTERN BY-PRASENJIT SIR
he flow of water through well-defined channels is known as drainage
and the network of such channels is called a “drainage system”.
The drainage system of an area is the outcome of the geological
time period, nature and structure of rocks, slope, topography,
amount of water flowing and the periodicity of flow.
The area drained by a single river system (river and its tributaries) is
called its drainage basin.
An elevated area (mountain or an upland) that separates two
drainage basins is called a “water divide”. The world’s largest
drainage basin is of the Amazon river and in India, the river Ganga
has the largest river basin.
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Drainage system
Drainage refers to the flow of water through a definite channel.
Drainage system tells us about origin and evolution of rivers and their
tributaries (Antecedent, Subsequent, Sequent etc).
Drainage pattern tells us about geometrical arrangement/shape which
major rivers and its tributaries make (Dendritic, trellis, radial etc.).
SEQUENT DRAINAGE SYSTEM
Those streams which follow regional slope and adjusted to local
geological structure.
Consequent stream (Dip Stream): Streams whose course is a direct
consequence of original slope of surface upon which it developed, i.e.,
streams that follow slope of land over which they originally formed.
These are also called dip streams. Ex. Godavari & Kaveri rivers of
Peninsular India follow the normal slope of the land and drain into
Bay of Bengal.
Subsequent stream: These streams originated after master
consequent stream and following the axis of anticlines or ridges and
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strikes of beds are called subsequent streams. Ex. Asan River, a
tributary of Yamuna River & Song River, a tributary of Ganga River in
Dehradun valley (in filled alluvial plain) are examples of subsequent
streams while Yamuna and Ganga are master consequents.
Obsequent stream: A stream that flows in the opposite direction to a
consequent stream, often against the direction of dip. They are also
consequents because they also follow the slopes of the ranges. Ex.
Mahabharat Range of Lesser Himalaya has issued several streams
from its northern slopes. These northward flowing streams join
subsequent stream Kosi which runs west to east, as obsequent
streams because these are opposed to directions of master
consequents like Ganga and Yamuna.
Resequent stream: Tributary streams flowing in the direction of
master consequents are called resequents. These are originated at
much later date in comparison to master consequents. Since they are
of recent origin, and hence they are called resequent.
INSEQUENT DRAINAGE SYSTEM
The streams which do not follow the regional slopes and drain across the
geological structures are called insequent or inconsequent streams.
Antecedent and superimposed streams are the best representative
examples of insequent drainage systems:
Superimposed stream: Superimposed stream means a river which,
flowing on a definite geological formation and structure, has inherited
the characteristics of its previous form developed on upper geological
formation of entirely different structural characteristics. Ex. Son River
flowing across Khainjua ridges in southern part of Rewa plateau (Madhya
Pradesh) is a fine example of superimposed river.
Antecedent stream or Inconsequent Drainage System: Antecedent
streams are those which are originated prior to upliftment of land
surface. An antecedent stream is a stream that maintains its original
course and pattern despite the changes in underlying rock topography.
Ex. Indus, Satluj and Brahmaputra rivers have cut transverse gorges
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across the Himalayan mountains. Uplift of Himalayas increased their
gradients, and their increased erosive action was able to maintain their
courses across the mountains.
Types of Drainage System in India
Based on the size of the Catchment Area
Drainage Systems Based on Origin
Based on the Type of Drainage
Based on Orientation to the Sea
Drainage Systems Based on the Size of the Catchment Area
The size of the catchment area of a river is directly proportional to the
size of the river. The catchment area is where the river water is
collected. It is different from the river basin. Let us see the drainage
systems based on the size of the catchment area:
Major river: 20,000 (catchment area in sq km)
Medium river: 20,000 – 2,000 (catchment area in sq km)
Minor river: 2,000 and below (catchment area in sq km)
Drainage System Based on Origin
The origin of the rivers is important because the drainage system
depends on it. The drainage system based on the origin is as follows:
The Himalayan Rivers Drainage System
The Peninsular Rivers Drainage System
Drainage Systems Based on the Drainage
Drainage system can also be classified based on the type of drainage
of the river such as sea, inland, etc. The different types of drainage
based on the drain:
Rivers that drain into the sea.
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Rivers with the inland drainage basin.
Drainage Systems Based on Orientation to the Sea
The drainage systems can also be classified into two categories
based on the sea. The majority of the rivers in India drain into the Bay
of Bengal, and a few of the rivers drain into the Arabian sea. The Bay
of Bengal receives 77% of the country’s drainage. Whereas 23%
goes to the Arabian sea. The major classification based on the
orientation of the sea is:
1. The Bay of Bengal drainage
2. Arabian sea drainage
Drainage Pattern:
It refers to the system of flow of surface water mainly through the
forms of rivers and basins.
The drainage system depends upon factors such as slope of land,
geological structure, amount of volume of water and velocity of water.
Types of Drainage Patterns
1. Dendritic drainage pattern–
2. Parallel drainage pattern-
3. Trellis Drainage Pattern–
4. Rectangular Drainage Pattern–
5. Radial Drainage Pattern–
6. Centripetal Drainage Pattern
7. Deranged Drainage Pattern-
8. Angular Drainage Pattern-
9. Annular Drainage Pattern-
[Link] Drainage Pattern
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[Link] Drainage Pattern:
It is the most common form and resembles the branching pattern of
tree roots.
The dendritic pattern develops where the river channel follows the
slope of the terrain.
The pattern develops in areas where the rock beneath the stream
has no particular structure and can be eroded equally easily in all
directions.
Tributaries join larger streams at acute angles (less than 90°).
E.g. The rivers of the northern
plains; Indus, Ganga and Brahmaputra.
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[Link] drainage pattern-
A pattern of rivers caused by steep slopes with some relief. It is
formed where there is a slope. The tributaries run parallel to
each other in a uniformly sloping region.
Example – Rivers of lesser Himalayas and the small and swift
rivers originating in the Western Ghats that flow into Arabian
Sea.
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[Link] Drainage Pattern:
Trellis drainage develops in folded topography where hard and soft
rocks exist parallel to each other.
Down-turned folds called synclines form valleys in which reside the
main channel of the stream.
Such a pattern is formed when the primary tributaries of main rivers
flow parallel to each other and secondary tributaries join them at
right angles.
E.g. The rivers in the upper part of the Himalayan region; Indus,
Ganga and Brahmaputra.
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4. Rectangular Drainage Pattern:
The rectangular drainage pattern is found in regions that have
undergone
It develops on a strongly joined rocky terrain.
Streams follow the path of least resistance and thus are
concentrated in places where exposed rock is the weakest.
The tributary streams make sharp bends and enter the main
stream at high angles.
E.g. Streams found in the Vindhya mountain
range; Chambal, Betwa and Ken.
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4. Radial Drainage Pattern:
A drainage system in which subsequent streams radiate or diverge
outward from a high center location, similar to the spokes of a
wheel, is called a Radial Drainage Pattern.
On the slopes of a young, unbreached dome structure or a volcanic
cone, it thrives.
A summit's tributaries follow the slope downwards and drain in all
directions.
The rivers that originate from the Amarkantak Mountain give
an excellent example of a radial drainage pattern.
Radial drainage is common in volcanic cones, as long as they are
relatively undamaged.
Erosion to the skeletal stage frequently leaves the plugin great relief,
surrounded by concentric troughs formed by thick layers of ash
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6. Centripetal Drainage Pattern:
It is just the opposite of the radial as streams flow toward a central
depression.
During wetter portions of the year, these streams feed ephemeral
lakes, which evaporate away during dry periods.
Sometimes, salt flats are also created in these dry lake beds as salt
dissolved in the lake water precipitates out of solution and is left
behind when the water evaporates away.
E.g. Loktak lake in Manipur.
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[Link] Drainage Pattern-
These pattern are formed where bedrock joints and faults
intersect at more acute angles.
This pattern is common in Homalayan Foothhill region.
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[Link] Drainage Pattern-
When the upland has a soft outer layer, radial streams form
tributaries that try to follow a circular drainage pattern around the
summit.
South Dakota's Black Hill streams are an example.
In India, this is not a particularly frequent drainage pattern.
However, Pithoragarh (Uttarakhand), the Nilgiri Hills in Tamil
Nadu, and Kerala are examples of this.
When the upland has an outer soft stratum, the radial streams develop
subsequent tributaries which try to follow a circular drainage around the
summit.
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[Link] Drainage Pattern –
Arun River (Nepal), a tributary of the Kosi is a good example of this type
of drainage pattern.
This pattern is developed where the confluence of a tributary with the
main river is characterized by a discordant junction, as if the tributary
intends to flow upstream and not downstream.
It is the result of capture of the main river which completely reverses its
direction of flow, while the tributaries continue to point in the direction of
former flow.
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[Link] Drainage Pattern-
A deranged drainage system is one that exists in drainage basins
where the rivers and lakes do not follow a consistent pattern.
It occurs in regions where there has been a significant geological
disturbance. The Canadian Shield is a classic example.
The topsoil was scraped away during the last ice age, leaving
primarily bare rock.
The melting of the glaciers left terrain with many variations in
height and a lot of water to accumulate in the low areas, which
explains why Canada has so many lakes.
The drainage basins are new, and they are still figuring things out.
The system will eventually settle down.
There is no coherent pattern to the rivers and lakes.
Develop from the disruption of a pre-existing drainage pattern.
Example – the glaciated valleys of Karakoram
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