TITLE:
Morphometric Analysis of Kakoi River Watershed for Study of Neotectonic Activity Using Geospatial Technology
AUTHORS:
Francis Sangma, Guru Balamurugan
KEYWORDS:
Morphometric, Geomorphic Indices, Neotectonics, Geospatial Technology
JOURNAL NAME:
International Journal of Geosciences,
Vol.8 No.11,
November
30,
2017
ABSTRACT: Morphometric analysis is defined as the quantitative measurement of landscape
shape. Morphometric studies of a watershed helps the researcher to
compare different landform and calculate the geomorphic indices that may be
useful for identifying a particular characteristic such as the level of neotectonic
activity in a watershed. The present study has been carried out in Kakoi
River Watershed which is a part of Lower Subansiri River Basin in Assam. The
study area is geo-dynamically unstable region characterized by active faults,
continuing crustal movements and complicated structural region which fall
under the seismic zone V of India. In recent century, the Lower Suabsiri River
Basin has gone tremendous morphological changes due to active tectonics activities.
After the Assam Earthquake of 1950, some of the rivers like Subansiri
and its tributaries Dirgha, Kadam and Kakoi suddenly changed their channels
giving birth to new channels. The present study is to examine the neotectonic
domains and the changes of river course. The geomorphic indices such as
Hypsometric Integral (HI), Elongation ratio (Re), Asymmetry Factor (AF),
Stream-length Gradient Index (SI), Mountain Front Sinuosity (Mfs), Basin
shape index (Bs), Ratio of Valley floor width to Valley Height (Vf) and Channel
sinuosity (S) etc. have been studied from remote sensing data. The results
shows that the study area is under active tectonic area based on Vf (0.301), Rl
(0.461), Bs (3.6), Sl (165.73) and other parameters such as S (1.38) and Mfs
(2.02) indicated as moderate active tectonic region. Utilization of geospatial
technology and remote sensing data in the present study becomes more reliable
and helpful in analyzing, monitoring and understanding the landform
changes in a watershed.