Calculate bifurcation ratio of a river basin when 2^nd order number of segments are 38 and 3^rd order segments, are 9.

Correct option is C

The correct answer is: (c), 4.22
38÷9 = 4.22
Bifurcation ratio is a dimensionless no. denoting the ratio between the no. of streams of one order and those of the next higher order in a drainage network.
For e.g., if a drainage basin has 7 first order stream, 4 second order stream and 2 third order streams, then to calculate the bifurcation ratio you divide the first order stream by the number of second order stream (7/4=7.5), then divide the no. of second order stream by the no. of third order streams (4/2=2)
You can add together the results (1.75+2=3.75) and divide the total set of values (3.75/2= 1.875)
The drainage basin therefore has a bifurcation of 1.87