ORIGINAL PAPER Spatial regionalisation of morphometric characteristics of mini watershed of Northern Foreland of Peninsular India Sandeep Kumar Yadav 1 & Alok Dubey 1 & Sudhir Kumar Singh 2 & Diwakar Yadav 1 Received: 15 August 2018 /Accepted: 28 April 2020 # Saudi Society for Geosciences 2020 Abstract The morphometric (geomorphic) parameters are reconnaissance tools used to analyse and evaluate the different aspects of a river basin (watershed) such as lithological characteristics, geomorphic landforms, and hydrological behaviour. In this study, a recurrent drought-affected Barua watershed of Tons river basin has been selected for detailed analysis of spatial regionalisation of morphometric characteristics. This mini watershed has been studied using topographic maps (1:50,000 scale), satellite images (CARTOSAT DEM of 1″ or ~ 32-m resolution), extensive field surveys, and generated isopleth maps of morphometric param- eters in GIS environment using ArcGIS 10.2.2. The areal parameters indicate elongated shape of the basin, hilly region, and moderate-to-steeper ground slope. More than 85% of the area have gentle-to-moderate slope (2–10°); steep slope found along the escarpment of the Bhander Plateau; more than half of the area has above 30 m of basin relief. Hypsometric integral (HI) is 0.47, and the shape of hypsometric curve is sigmoidal; it indicate equilibrium stage of the watershed. The correlation matrix enables that the correlation coefficient between drainage attributes (as drainage density, stream frequency, and drainage texture) are reflecting very strong positive correlation and ranges from 0.83 to 0.91, and the basin relief showing very strong positive correlation with dissection index (0.99), moderately positive correlation with average slope and ruggedness number. The HI and length of overland flow (L o ) are show weak correlation with the other variables. It means the high drainage density, stream frequency, and drainage texture are associated with moderately hilly region, less permeable rock, and high run-off, giving less time for infiltration. Hence, hilly and rocky surfaces of the region are identified as poor groundwater-potential zones, while the areas of alluvial valley plain are characterised as better groundwater-potential zones. Keywords Morphometric analysis . Hypsometric curve . Mini watershed . Isopleths . Spatial regionalisation Introduction The term ‘spatial regionalisation’ refers to the interpretation of spatial variability and areal coverage of geomorphic charac- teristics in the watershed through commonly used morpho- metric variables, related isopleth maps, and bar diagrams (Dubey 1990; Kayamkhani 1990; Choudhary 2002). The study of the spatial regionalisation of drainage characteristics and relief aspect of the region within the broad framework of morphometric analysis has become essential to determine the present topographic make-up of the face of the study region and the evolution of the various dynamic environmental pro- cesses instrumental in causing altimetric and planimetric var- iations in the region (Choudhary 2002). The morphometric analysis of a drainage basin is consid- ered the most satisfactory method; this method enable us to find interrelationship among different aspects of the drainage pattern of the basin (Biswas et al. 1999), facilitate a Responsible Editor: Gongwen Wang * Sudhir Kumar Singh sudhirinjnu@gmail.com Sandeep Kumar Yadav sandeepkalld15@gmail.com Alok Dubey alokdubey59@yahoo.co.in Diwakar Yadav diwakaryadav444@gmail.com 1 Department of Geography, University of Allahabad, Prayagraj, U.P. 211002, India 2 K. Banerjee Centre of Atmospheric and Ocean Studies, IIDS, Nehru Science Centre, University of Allahabad, Prayagraj, U.P. 211002, India Arabian Journal of Geosciences (2020) 13:435 https://doi.org/10.1007/s12517-020-05365-z