---
title: "Dendritic Drainage Pattern: UPSC Geography | Model Diplomat"
description: "A dendritic drainage pattern is a tree-like river network formed on uniform rock, crucial for UPSC GS1 geomorphology studies and understanding river systems."
url: "https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/glossary/dendritic-drainage-pattern"
---

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Model Diplomat Research Team · Last reviewed June 22, 2026

TL;DR

- A dendritic drainage pattern is a tree-like network in which tributaries join the main stream at acute angles, developing over uniform, horizontally bedded rock without structural control.
- How is a dendritic pattern distinguished from a trellis pattern in an examination answer?
- What geological conditions produce a dendritic drainage pattern?
- What is a pinnate pattern and how does it relate to dendritic drainage?
- Can a single river system show more than one drainage pattern?

[Civil Service & Diplomatic Exams](https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/civil-services/glossary)Updated June 22, 2026

A dendritic drainage pattern is a tree-like network in which tributaries join the main stream at acute angles, developing over uniform, horizontally bedded rock without structural control.

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In 1952, Arthur N. Strahler formalised the stream-ordering system used to quantify dendritic networks such as the upper Godavari basin, where tributaries branch tree-like over the Deccan's uniform gneisses.

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