Understanding Hydrological Characteristics through Morphometric Analysis: A Case Study of Babura Catchment, Sumatra Utara, Indonesia

DOI

10.2991/978-2-38476-499-0_20How to use a DOI?

Keywords

Morphometric Analysis; Hydrology; Babura Catchment; DEMNAS

Abstract

Babura is a tributary of the Deli River Basin, making a significant contribution to regulating the hydrological system of Medan, Sumatra Utara. However, the river basin is increasingly affected by recurrent hydrological issues, particularly flooding and sedimentation. This research focuses on investigating the morphometric properties of the Babura catchment using three key parameters: linear, areal, and relief aspects. GIS-based analysis was used to extract morphometric data from the 8-m spatial resolution DEMNAS digital elevation model. The results show that the Babura catchment reaches stream order five, with an average bifurcation ratio of 1.85, suggesting a moderate degree of stream branching. This indicates that the drainage configuration is primarily governed by topographical variations and the presence of easily erodible lithology, rather than being strongly influenced by structural geological controls. A drainage density of 4.3 km/km² reflects a relatively balanced interaction between runoff and infiltration processes, although it also points to a moderate susceptibility to flooding and erosion. Furthermore, the elongation ratio of 0.34 suggests a delayed hydrological response to rainfall events, which may result in extended peak flow durations. Relief analysis indicates a total basin relief of 333 m, corresponding to moderately steep terrain and a moderate capacity for sediment transport. These morphometric insights are essential for informing sustainable catchment management strategies, particularly in relation to flood mitigation and land use planning in the Babura catchment.

Copyright

© 2025 The Author(s)

Open Access

Open Access This chapter is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits any noncommercial use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license and indicate if changes were made.

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TY  - CONF
AU  - Dwi Wahyuni Nurwihastuti
AU  - Anik Juli Dwi Astuti
AU  - Mufti Sudibyo
AU  - Eni Yuniastuti
PY  - 2025
DA  - 2025/12/12
TI  - Understanding Hydrological Characteristics through Morphometric Analysis: A Case Study of Babura Catchment, Sumatra Utara, Indonesia
BT  - Proceedings of the International Conference on Social Sciences and Interdisciplinary Studies (ICSSIS 2025)
PB  - Atlantis Press
SP  - 252
EP  - 261
SN  - 2352-5398
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2991/978-2-38476-499-0_20
DO  - 10.2991/978-2-38476-499-0_20
ID  - Nurwihastuti2025
ER  -