Morphometric Characterization of a Watershed through SRTM Data and Geoprocessing Technique

Abstract

The aim of this study is to characterize the morphometry of a watershed using radar data Shuttle Radar Topographic Mission (SRTM) and GIS techniques. The study is conducted in the watershed of the Indaiá stream, which is located in the southwestern region of the municipality of Aquidauana, MS, Brazil and has an area of 94.6764 km 2 . A tributary of the Taboco River consequently enters the Pantanal lowlands. Classical morphometric parameters were calculated and specialized through spatial analysis in geographic information systems. The main results of the morphometric characterization were the variables of form factor, drainage density, coefficient of compactness, and maintenance coefficient, as well as the relief parameters found, including the hypsometry, slope, aspect and relief dissection (horizontal and vertical amplitude). The integrated analysis of the variables (morphometric and relief) concludes that the watershed has low susceptibility to flooding but that the morphology of the relief and lithological structure favors the development of erosion processes in the watershed.