---
title: "Superimposed Drainage: Definition & Examples"
description: "Superimposed drainage is a river pattern formed by younger rocks cutting across older structures, crucial for UPSC GS1 geomorphology studies."
url: "https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/glossary/superimposed-drainage"
---

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Model Diplomat Research Team · Last reviewed June 22, 2026

TL;DR

- Superimposed drainage is a river pattern that originated on an overlying cover of younger rock and was let down onto unrelated underlying structures it now cuts across discordantly.
- How does superimposed drainage differ from antecedent drainage?
- What field evidence identifies a river as superimposed?
- Which Indian rivers are standard examples for the UPSC examination?
- Why does the superimposed-versus-antecedent classification remain disputed for some rivers?

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

Superimposed drainage is a river pattern that originated on an overlying cover of younger rock and was let down onto unrelated underlying structures it now cuts across discordantly.

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Example

In the UPSC GS1 syllabus, the Damodar and Subarnarekha rivers of India's Chotanagpur Plateau are taught as classic superimposed drainage, cutting discordantly across ancient Archaean and Gondwana structures.

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