Strahler Stream Order

returns the Strahler Stream Order based on channel and flow direction matrix

Description

The Strahler Stream Order is a way to classify rivers based on a hierarchy of tributaries. First-order streams don't have tributaries. When two first-order streams come together, they form a second-order stream. When two second-order streams come together, they form a third-order stream. When two streams of different order confluence, they form a stream of maximum order of both.

streamorder returns the Strahler Stream Order based on a single flow direction matrix (M) and channel matrix (W). M is the second output of wflowacc available on the File Exchange (#14504). W is logical matrix and must have the same size as the digital elevation model from which the flow direction matrix has been calculated. It may either contain only channel starts or the the channel network.

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Acknowledgements

The author wishes to acknowledge the following in the creation of this submission:
Flow Accumulation (upslope area)

• MATLAB release: MATLAB 7.5 (R2007b)