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scientific discipline > hydrography > drainage system
geomorphological structure > drainage system

Preferred term

drainage system  

Definition

  • In geomorphology, drainage systems, also known as river systems, are the patterns formed by the streams, rivers, and lakes in a particular drainage basin. They are governed by the topography of land, whether a particular region is dominated by hard or soft rocks, and the gradient of the land. Drainage density is a morphometric attribute of valley networks that has been studied extensively because it is considered to be especially well suited to diagnosing the mode and/or efficiency of fluvial erosion. Drainage density is a measure of how closely spaced streams are in a drainage network. The drainage density D, calculated for a specific drainage basin, is defined as D = Lb/Ab, where Lb is the total length of stream channels within a basin and Ab is the total area of a drainage basin. (Adapted from: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drainage_system_(geomorphology) and T. F. Stepinski & M. L. Collier (2004). Journal of Geophysical Research Atmospheres 109 (E11).)

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http://data.loterre.fr/ark:/67375/QX8-VZVSGQJG-D

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