Drainage pattern|Relief and drainage| UP-PCS | UPSC| Physical Features |GEOGRAPHY OF INDIA

  Drainage pattern:

Within the drainage basin, the stream makes a certain pattern based on the slope of the land, underlying rock structures such as hard rock or soft rocks, and climatic conditions, which are called drainage patterns.

 Drainage patterns give information about rock structure, rock types, and geological structures in a particular region.

For example:

• Dendrites pattern form in flat topography and uniform bedrock.
• Radial patterns show high land or volcanic mountain.
• The rectangular drainage system developed when the region is faulted and joined.

The following are drainage patterns:

• Dendritic
• Trellis
• Rectangular
• Radial
• Centripetal drainage pattern

A single or combination of drainage patterns may be found in the same drainage basin.

Dendritic drainage pattern:

It is developed where the channel follows the slope of the terrain and forms the branch of a tree pattern.

For examples,
Northern river system for Dendritic drainage pattern, Brahmaputra river is good examples.

Trellis drainage pattern:

Trellis drainage patterns developed when hard and soft rocks lie parallel to each other and the tributaries of the main river make nearly the right angle while joining.

For examples,
The Yamuna flows parallel to Ganga and joined Ganga at the right angle.

Rectangular Drainage Pattern:

A rectangular drainage pattern develops on joint terrain.

For examples,
Vindhya mountain has a rectangular pattern.

Radial drainage pattern:

Radial patterns develop when the river flows in different directions from the central peak structure.

Examples,

• Amarkantak plateau is a central peak and the river originated from hills in all directions from radial patterns.
• Narmada and Tapi originated from the west and southwest of the Amarkantak plateau.
• Son river originated northeast of the Amarkantak plateau.
• Chambal river originated northwest of the Amarkantak plateau.
• Mahanadi river originated east of the Amarkantak plateau

Centripetal drainage system:

Stream from all directions discharging into depression areas such as lakes or oceans is called a centripetal drainage system.

For examples,
Lokatak lake in Manipur

Source: NCERT

Try to solve the following questions:

• How is the drainage pattern determined by the water divide?  (UPSC 2014, 150 words, 10 marks)

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