Drainage density refers to
A) the thickness of the water in the stream.
B) the number of channels in an area.
C) a measure determined by dividing the length of all the the channels by the area of its drainage basin.
D) the arrangement of channels in a given area.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Drainage density is a quantitative parameter that measures how efficiently a watershed or a drainage basin is able to transport water. It is calculated by dividing the total length of all the channels in a drainage basin by the area of that basin. This gives the average length of channel per unit area, which is an indicator of the extent of channel development or stream frequency. Therefore, option C is the correct answer. Option A is incorrect because the thickness of water in a stream does not refer to drainage density. Option B is incorrect because the number of channels in an area is not an exact measure of drainage density. Option D is incorrect because drainage density does not refer to the arrangement of channels, but rather their length and distribution in a given area.

Drainage Density Refers to