CE322 Basic Hydrology

Horton's Laws - Example

Jorge A. Ramirez


Obtain estimates of the Bifurcation Ratio, RB, the Length Ratio, RL, and the Area Ratio,
RA, using the data tabulated below. Also, for the same data, a) determine the area of the
basin, b) the total length of streams, c) the drainage density, Dd, and d) the average length
of overland flow, Lo.
Order, umber of
!treams
Average
Length "km)
Average Area
"km
2
)
# $% & '
& #( ' #&
( ) #( *%
* * &% ##%
' # '' ((%

The Horton law of stream numbers states that there exists a geometric
relationship between the number of streams of a given order N

and
the corresponding order, . The parameter of this geometric
relationship is the Bifurcation Ratio, R
B
.
(1)
The Horton law of stream lengths states that there exists a geometric
relationship between the average length of streams of a given order
and the corresponding order, . The parameter of this relationship is
the socalled !ength Ratio, R
L
.
(")
The Horton law of stream areas states that there exists a geometric
relationship between the average area drained b# streams of a given
order and the corresponding order . The parameter of this relationship
is the socalled $rea Ratio, R
A
.
(%)
&n the e'uations above, is the order of the basin, and the overbar
indicates the average value of the corresponding variable.
a. Ta(ing logarithms of each of the above e'uations leads to)
(*)


(+)


(,)
These e'uations are linear in . Thus, estimates of the R
B
, R
L
, and R
A
,
can be obtained b# linear regression of)
,
,
,
respectivel#. -enoting b# m the slopes of the corresponding .ts, the
above estimates are obtained as)
/or the problem at hand)

Order umber of
!treams
Average
Length
Average Area log") log"L) log"A)
# $% & ' #.++,#'# %.(%#%( %.$),)+
& #( ' #& #.##()*( %.$),)+ #.%+)#,#
( ) #( *% %.)'*&*( #.##()*( #.$%&%$
* * &% ##% %.$%&%$ #.(%#%( &.%*#()(
' # '' ((% % #.+*%($( &.'#,'#*
A) Law of !tream umbers and Bifurcation Ratio-
.he linear regression analysis returns a slo/e m 0 1%.*%$,&. .hus, RB 0 &.''#$('.
B) Law of !tream Lengths and Length Ratio-
.he linear regression analysis returns a slo/e m 0 %.(*,%+(. .hus, RL 0 &.&&,,%+.
2) Law of !tream Areas and Area Ratio-
.he linear regression analysis returns a slo/e m 0 %.*$%#(. .hus, RA 0 &.,,*,)*.
3) .he total length of streams can be calculated as-
4sing the above e5uation leads to LT 0 *(+ km.
6) 3rainage density-
.hus, Dd 0 "*(+ km)7"((% km
2
) 0 #.(&*& km
-1
8) Average length of overland flow-
.hus, Lo 0 %.(++'+* km 0 (++.+* m