Abstract
The lateritic region of the Birbhum District of West Bengal is part of the low-level unconsolidated erosional deposits from the eastern Chotanagpur plateau. Topographically, the region is the part of the ‘Rarh Plain’ of western West Bengal. A localized badland, namely ‘Khoai,’ has developed in the west–south to north–east direction on the bank of the River Kopai in this lateritic region. The aim of the present study is to understand the slope, channel profile, and development processes of the rill-gully of Khoai badland topography. Therefore, both quantitative analysis and field investigation have been carried out to fulfill these objectives. To understand the nature of the gullies profiles, a least squares linear regression model as well as Hack’s Stream Length–Gradient Index (SL) has been used in this study. The Soil Conservation Service-Curve Number (SCS-CN) method has been applied for the computation of the rainfall–runoff relationship of the study area. The rate of sediment transportation was calculated on the basis of the J.R. Williams Sediment Delivery Ratio (SDR). It was found that the existing badland topography in this region has been developed mainly by the climatogenetic processes of water erosion. The various water erosion processes, such as rain splash erosion, sheet erosion, and inter-rill erosion, have been very active over a long period. The laterites of this region have been dissected and shaped into numerous rills and gullies by the aforementioned erosion and weathering processes over time. It was also observed that the dominance of lower-order gullies indicates a high rate of soil erosion. Furthermore, it was found that a huge volume of sediment has been transported by surface runoff in this region. It was estimated that the region experiences a high rate of SDR (0.87–1.01).
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Notes
- 1.
Santiniketan is a popular tourist spot of the state of West Bengal. The place is well known for the natural forest, bird sanctuary, and red soil as well as the distinct rural and cultural landscape.
- 2.
Kalbaisakhi normally originate over the Chotanagpur plateau and are carried eastward by the westerly wind. The term ‘Kalbaisakhi’ literally means the black storms or a mass of dark clouds of the month of Vaiasakha.
- 3.
Kinetic energy is determined by the mass of the object and its velocity (Charlton 2008).
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Saha, A., Ghosh, M., Pal, S.C. (2020). Understanding the Morphology and Development of a Rill-Gully: An Empirical Study of Khoai Badland, West Bengal, India. In: Shit, P., Pourghasemi, H., Bhunia, G. (eds) Gully Erosion Studies from India and Surrounding Regions. Advances in Science, Technology & Innovation. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-23243-6_9
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