Published Paper Details:

Remote sensing technique has emerged as an effective tool for systematic survey, analysis, and better management of natural resources and understanding the morphological changes and terrain analysis. Morphological analysis of a watershed provides a quantitative description of the drainage system which is an important aspect of the characterization of watersheds (Strahler, 1964). Morphometric analysis requires measurement of linear features, areal aspects, gradient of channel network and contributing ground slopes of the drainage basin (Nautiyal, 1994). The remote sensing technique is a convenient method for morphometric analysis as the satellite images provide a synoptic view of a large area and is very useful in the analysis of drainage basin morphometry. The surface configuration of the Alaknanda Basin-Uttarkashi-Gangotri area can be analyzed with the help of different morphometric techniques like relative relief, dissection index, drainage density, drainage frequency and average slope, nature of long profile, sinuosity index etc. to find out the characteristics of Uttarkashi-Gangotri terrain. Alaknanda valley and Bhagirathi valley presents a well-developed watershed in which snow, glaciers, running water and mass gravity movements are the important factors in sculpturing surface geometry.