Many tributaries combining before joining the main river is characteristic of which drainage pattern?

The characteristic of many tributaries converging before joining the main river is a hallmark of the dendritic drainage pattern. This type of pattern resembles the branching structure of a tree, where the main river acts as the trunk and the tributaries serve as the branches. Dendritic patterns typically form in landscapes where the underlying rock is relatively uniform and allows for the development of interconnected tributaries, creating a complex network.

In contrast, radial drainage systems occur when rivers flow outward from a central point, such as a mountain or volcano. Trellised patterns arise in areas with alternating layers of hard and soft rock, leading to a grid-like appearance, while parallel drainage lines typically develop in steep landscapes where rivers run alongside each other in a general direction. These distinctions help clarify why the dendritic option most accurately describes the situation of multiple tributaries merging into a single river.