Analysis of Regional Hypsometric Integral to Identify Landscape Evolution in Kushkarani River Basin

Abstract

This paper aims to find out the regional pattern of hypsometric curve (HC) and hypsometric integral (HI) over the Kushkarani river basin, a Chhottanagpur plateau fringe low relief basin. The paper also attempted to know how far different driving factors control HI. From the result is it found that most of the curves are slightly concave and HI value ranges from 0.35 to 0.55 for the selected sub basins. So, basins are now experiencing mature stage of geomorphic evolution. Such stage will create an equilibrium condition of erosion and transportaion. Fluvial process is mighter than hill slope process. Analysis of the impact of shape, size, hierarchy, elevation, geology, soil erosion, tectonic intensity etc. on HI do not highlight any significant result. Hypsometry of this basin is scale independent as scale effect is almost neglibible. Tectonic influece is not prominent over the basin as indicated by the HI in reference to tectonic index map. Predicted soil erosion is not also high over the areas where HI is high.