Current Science

Open Access Open Access  Restricted Access Subscription Access

Morphodynamic Changes of Lohit River, NE India:GIS-Based Study


Affiliations
1 Department of Earth Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, Roorkee 247 667, India
2 Department of Earthquake Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, Roorkee 247 667, India
 

The Lohit River is a south bank tributary of the Brahmaputra River. Till 1987, the Lohit River used to meet the Brahmaputra at a place near Bairagi Chapari (27.77°N, 95.44°E). By 1995, the confluence point had shifted about 20 km downstream. One small channel of the Lohit River captured the Dangori River during the 1988 flood. Gradually the Lohit River started flowing along the captured channel. By 1995, it became the trunk channel of the Lohit River and Dibru Saikhowa region became an island. Banklines of Brahmaputra and Lohit rivers have undergone significant changes near their confluence point within the last few decades. By 1987, the south bank of the Brahmaputra near Rohmoria (27.55°N, 95.15°E) shifted about 1.6 km southward from its position in 1973. Interestingly, within the period 1988-90 the south bank shifted about 4.1 km south. This major shifting was the result of capturing of the Dangori River by the Lohit River. However, migration of the rivers towards the south has stopped after 1995. Analysis of SRTM DEM reveals that topographic elevation has played a major role in changing the course of the Lohit River.

Keywords

Banklines, Confluence Point, Morphodynamic Changes, Topographic Elevation, Trunk Channel.
User
Notifications
Font Size

  • Burbank, D. W. and Anderson, R. S., Tectonic Geomorphology, Wiley-Blackwell, West Sussex, UK, 2012, 2nd edn.

  • Coleman, J. M., Brahmaputra River channel processes and sedimentation. Sediment. Geol., 1969, 3, 129–239.

  • Gupta, A., Kale, V. S., Owen, L. A. and Singhvi, A. K., Late Quaternary bedrock incision in the Narmada River at Dardi Falls. Curr. Sci., 2007, 93, 564–567.

  • Holbrook, J. and Schumm, S. A., Geomorphic and sedimentary response of rivers to tectonic deformation: a brief review and critique of a tool for recognizing subtle epeirogenic deformation in modern and ancient settings. Tectonophysics, 1999, 305, 287–306.

  • Jain, V. and Sinha, R., Response of active tectonics on the alluvial Baghmati River, Himalayan foreland basin, Eastern India. Geomorphology, 2005, 70, 339–356.

  • Mehta, J. S. and Sanwal, R., Evidence of active tectonics along oblique transverse normal fault in the Kosi River valley around Betalghat, Kumaun Lesser Himalaya, India. Curr. Sci., 2011, 101, 541–543.

  • Ouchi, S., Response of alluvial rivers to slow active tectonic movement. Geol. Soc. Am. Bull., 1985, 96, 504–515.

  • Sahu, S., Raju, N. J. and Saha, D., Active tectonics and geomorphology in the Sone–Ganga alluvial tract in mid-Ganga Basin, India. Quaternary Int., 2010, 227, 116–126.

  • Schumm, S. A., The Fluvial System, John Wiley, New York, 1977, p. 338.

  • Schumm, S. A., Alluvial river response to active tectonics. In Active Tectonics (Studies in Geophysics), National Research Council, Washington, DC, 1986, p. 280.

  • Schumm, S. A., Dumont, J. F. and Holbrook, J. M., Active Tectonics and Alluvial Rivers, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 2000, p. 276.

  • Singh, I. B. and Rastogi, S. P., Tectonic framework of Gangetic alluvium, with special reference to Ganga River in Uttar Pradesh. Curr. Sci., 1973, 42, 305–307.

  • Valdiya, K. S., Why does river Brahmaputra remain untamed? Curr. Sci., 1999, 76, 1301–1305.

  • Vishwas, S. K., Sengupta, S., Achyuthan, H. and Jaiswal, M. K., Tectonic controls upon Kaveri River drainage, cratonic Peninsular India: Inferences from longitudinal profiles, morphotectonic indices, hanging valleys and fluvial records. Geomorphology, 2014, 227, 153–165.

  • Jain, V. and Sinha, R., Hyperavulsive–anabranching Baghmati river system, North Bihar plains, Eastern India. Z. Geomorphol., NF, 2003, 47, 101–116.

  • Jones, L. S. and Schumm, S. A., Causes of avulsion: an overview. In Fluvial Sedimentology VI (eds Smith, N. D. and Rogers, J.), International Association of Sedimentologist, Special Publication, Blackwell Science, Oxford, UK, 1999, pp. 171–178.

  • Phillips, J. D., Universal and local controls of avulsions in southeast Texas Rivers. Geomorphology, 2011, 130, 17–28.

  • Sinha, R., Sripriyanka, K., Jain, V. and Mukul, M., Avulsion threshold and planform dynamics of the Kosi River in north Bihar (India) and Nepal: a GIS framework. Geomorphology, 2014, 216, 157–170.

  • Goswami, D. C., Brahmaputra River, Assam, India: physiography, basin denudation and channel aggradation. Water Resour. Res., 1985, 21, 959–978.

  • Goswami, D. C., Estimation of bed load transport in the Brahmaputra River, Assam. Indian J. Earth Sci., 1989, 15, 14–26.

  • Goswami, U., Sarma, J. N. and Patgiri, A. D., River channel changes of the Subansiri in Assam, India. Geomorphology, 1999, 30, 227–244.

  • Lahiri, S. K. and Sinha, R., Tectonic controls on the morphodynamics of the Brahmaputra River system in the upper Assam valley, India. Geomorphology, 2012, 169–170, 74–85.

  • Sarma, J. N., A study on palaeochannels from satellite imagery in a part of Upper Assam. In Proceedings of the National Symposium, Indian Society of Remote Sensing, Guwahati, 1993, pp. 74– 83.

  • Sarma, J. N. and Phukan, M. K., Origin and some geomorphological changes of Majuli island of the Brahmaputra River in Assam, India. Geomorphology, 2004, 60, 1–19.

  • Sarma, J. N., Fluvial process and morphology of the Brahmaputra River in Assam, India. Geomorphology, 2005, 70, 226–256.

  • Oldham, R. D., Report on the Great Earthquake of 12 June 1897. Mem. Geol. Surv. India, 1899, 29, 379.

  • Poddar, M. C., The Assam earthquake of 15 August 1950. Indian Miner., 1950, 4, 167–179.

  • Coleman, J. M., Brahmaputra River channel processes and sedimentation. Sediment. Geol., 1969, 3, 129–239.

  • Bristow, C. S., Brahmaputra River: channel migration and deposition. In Recent Development in Fluvial Sedimentology (eds Ethridge, F. G. et al.), Society of Economic Paleontologists and Mineralogists, Special Publication, 1987, vol. 39, pp. 63–74.

  • Sarma, J. N. and Acharjee, S., Bank erosion of the Brahmaputra River and neotectonic activity around Rohmoria Assam, India. Comun. Geol., 2012, 99, 33–38.

  • Kotoky, P., Bezbaruah, D., Baruah, J. and Sarma, J. N., Nature of bank erosion along the Brahmaputra River channel, Assam, India. Curr. Sci., 2005, 88, 634–639.

  • Rodriguez, E., Morris, C. S., Belz, J. E., Chapin, E. C., Martin, J. M., Daffer, W. and Hensley, S., An assessment of the SRTM topographic products. Jet Propulsion Laboratory Publication, 2005, D-31639, p. 143.

  • Narula, P. L., Acharyya, S. K. and Banerjee, J., Seismotectonic Atlas of India and its Environs, Geological Survey of India, 2000, SEISAT-15–17.


Abstract Views: 459

PDF Views: 306




  • Morphodynamic Changes of Lohit River, NE India:GIS-Based Study

Abstract Views: 459  |  PDF Views: 306

Authors

S. Borgohain
Department of Earth Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, Roorkee 247 667, India
J. Das
Department of Earthquake Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, Roorkee 247 667, India
A. K. Saraf
Department of Earth Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, Roorkee 247 667, India
G. Singh
Department of Earth Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, Roorkee 247 667, India
S. Baral
Department of Earth Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, Roorkee 247 667, India

Abstract


The Lohit River is a south bank tributary of the Brahmaputra River. Till 1987, the Lohit River used to meet the Brahmaputra at a place near Bairagi Chapari (27.77°N, 95.44°E). By 1995, the confluence point had shifted about 20 km downstream. One small channel of the Lohit River captured the Dangori River during the 1988 flood. Gradually the Lohit River started flowing along the captured channel. By 1995, it became the trunk channel of the Lohit River and Dibru Saikhowa region became an island. Banklines of Brahmaputra and Lohit rivers have undergone significant changes near their confluence point within the last few decades. By 1987, the south bank of the Brahmaputra near Rohmoria (27.55°N, 95.15°E) shifted about 1.6 km southward from its position in 1973. Interestingly, within the period 1988-90 the south bank shifted about 4.1 km south. This major shifting was the result of capturing of the Dangori River by the Lohit River. However, migration of the rivers towards the south has stopped after 1995. Analysis of SRTM DEM reveals that topographic elevation has played a major role in changing the course of the Lohit River.

Keywords


Banklines, Confluence Point, Morphodynamic Changes, Topographic Elevation, Trunk Channel.

References





DOI: https://doi.org/10.18520/cs%2Fv110%2Fi9%2F1810-1816