The significance of morphometric analysis of Shimsha River, Karnataka, India to understand the hydrological and morphological characteristics

Abstract

Morphometric analysis is crucial for advancing in various fields, including geomorphology, hydrology, environmental sciences, and geological studies. The objective of the present study is to understand the hydrological and morphological characteristics of the Shimsha River, which flows through the fluvial deltaic plain in the semiarid environment of Karnataka. Remote sensing and geographic information system have been used as mapping and efficient tools for drainage basin morphometry. The emphasis is laid on geological, geomorphological, hydrological, and fluvial features under linear, aerial, shape, relief, geometric, morphotectonic, and social morphometric parameters. The basin area is about 8741 km2, with a dendritic to subdendritic pattern. The sinuosity index is 1.6, which indicates meandering in nature. Areal parameters suggest that the drainage basin has a moderate surface permeability, homogenous lithology, run‐off, erodibility, low relief conditions, infiltration rate, and a well‐developed drainage network. Shape parameter indicates that the basin is subelongated with flatted peak flow and longer duration. Relief factor indicated low relief and intermediate stage of the incision rate. The river has an asymmetry factor is 38.65 and it shows that the channel has shifted southwest. The river shows a perfectly graded profile, with a considerable amount of incision and deposition along its profile showing tectonically unstable, based on the spatial distribution of the potential groundwater zone of about (5260 km2), other waterbody masks covered (285 km2). Standard visual interpretation techniques were applied to recognize and interpret the land use and land cover patterns. A basin rich in clay‐rich soil may lead to a massive flood. Essentially, physiographical and structural conditions controlled the stream order of the basin. The increase in the stream length ratio from lower to a higher order. That indicates a mature geomorphic stage of the study area. Rainfall and local lithology impact the development of segments of the stream.