Analysis of bifurcation characteristics for the Seolmacheon experimental catchment based on variable scale of source basin

Abstract

This study analyzes bifurcation characteristics of the Seolmacheon experimental catchment by extracting the shape variation of channel network due to variable scale of source basin or threshold area. As the area of source basin decreases, a bifurcation process of channel network occurs within the basin of interest, resulting in the elongation of channel network (increase of total channel length) as well as the expansion of channel network (increase of the source number). In the former case, the elongation of channel reaches overwhelms the generation of sources, whereas, in the latter case, the drainage path network tends to fulfill the inner space of the basin of interest reflecting the opposite trend. Therefore, scale invariance of natural channel network could be expressed to be a balanced geomorphologic feature between the elongation of channel network and the expansion of channel network due to decrease of source basin scale. The bifurcation structure of the Seolmacheon experimental catchment can be characterized by the coexistence of the elongation and scale invariance of channel network, and thus a further study is required to find out which factor is more crucial to rainfall transformation into runoff.