BROWN, Olivia Helen - 2003

Relationships between Drainage Basin Characteristics and Depositional Fan Morphology in Kluane National Park, Yukon Territory, Canada

Depositional fans occur across the globe. They are semi-conical accumulations of sediment radiating downslope from where a confined channel emerges from a drainage basin. Drainage basin characteristics affect fan morphology.

Data were collected by Karen Connolly (1999) from satellite images and digital evaluation models of depositional fan and drainage basin morphology in Kluane National Park, Yukon Territory, Canada. Field work was conducted in Kluane to examine the validity of the satellite data. The satellite data have been used to statistically analyze fan area, fan slope and fan area to basin area ratio in relation to drainage basin characteristics such as area, relief, mean slope, mean evaluation, length and ruggedness. The results of the analysis indicate relationships exist between basin characteristics and fan morphology in Kluane. Basin area was found to be the most influential characteristic on fan area. Other strong relationships are between fan-basin area ratio and basin ruggedness and basin length. Relationships between fan steepness and basin characteristics were weak relative to similar studies.