Research Article
Shafeeullah Shaik, Purandar
Abstract
The variation in elevation profile has significant influence on the Hydrology of any catchment. With the advent of technology the elevation data is captured from the satellites like ASTER, CARTOSAT P5, and the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM). The products of these satellites stored in the form of a raster grid known as a Digital Elevation Model (DEM). The DEM pixel values indicate the height of the pixel above the defined vertical datum. Although the DEM itself describes just the elevation of the land surface, it can be used to derive many interesting and useful data products. These derivatives are used in hydrological, visibility, ecologyand morphological analyses. The present study includes the collection, analysis, evaluation, and interpretation of geographic information on the natural and manmade features of the terrain, combined with other relevant factors, to predict the effect of the terrain on regional hydrology. Terrain analysis of Malaprabha basin, Belagavi district of Karnataka was carried out to understand the variation in hydrological processes. The study indicated that there is a wide variation in runoffcharacteristics and groundwater recharge in various sections of the catchment which is due to change in catchment characteristics, land use/land cover, slope, aspect, convergence index, wetness index and LS factors. The study also showed that the modification of catchment due to population pressure agriculture practices is the prime reasons for such changes in Malaprabha catchment.