The 'watershed boundary' delineated from a DEM is based on the principle that:
Choose the correct answer
Soil type determines catchment boundary
Flow direction from DEM (water flows to lowest neighbour) — boundary = ridge where flow direction diverges to different outlets
Administrative boundary
Rainfall determines watershed area
Correct Answer
B. Flow direction from DEM (water flows to lowest neighbour) — boundary = ridge where flow direction diverges to different outlets
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Watershed delineation: D8 flow direction algorithm assigns each cell a flow direction to one of 8 neighbours (lowest adjacent cell). Flow accumulation counts how many cells drain through each cell (high accumulation = stream). Watershed boundary = divide where flow goes to different outlets. GIS software (ArcGIS, QGIS) automates this using DEM. Fill sinks first (remove artefacts).
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