Quantifying the Role of Dyke Networks in Controlling Drainage Patterns Using Morphometric Parameters of Buray River basin in the North Maharashtra

Abstract

This study investigates the structural characteristics of dykes and their geomorphic influence on the drainage morphometry of the Buray River basin, located in the Nandurbar–Dhule dyke swarm of North Maharashtra. The basin covers 1101.39 km² and contains 29 dykes that vary significantly in length, width, and orientation. Dyke trends range from N–S, ENE–WSW, to predominantly E–W, reflecting complex crustal extension patterns associated with regional tectonic forces. Statistical analyses, including power law relationships, regression modelling, and aspect ratio assessment, reveal strong inverse correlations between dyke length and frequency, and a negligible linear relationship between dyke length and thickness. The mean dyke strike of N95° indicates a dominant tectonic stress direction during dyke emplacement. Morphometric evaluation of the drainage basin indicates a seventh-order stream network, moderate drainage density, elongated basin form, high dissection index, and a rugged topographic character. Integration of dyke attributes with drainage parameters demonstrates how dyke intrusions influence stream orientation, drainage texture, channel network development, and surface runoff behaviour. This study contributes to understanding structural–geomorphic interactions in basaltic terrains and highlights the role of dyke swarms in shaping drainage evolution and basin morphology.