What is characteristic of a radial drainage pattern?

In a radial drainage pattern, streams are organized in such a way that they originate from a central point and flow outward in different directions, resembling the spokes of a wheel. This pattern is typically formed around a prominent topographic feature, such as a volcano or a mountain, where the elevation gives rise to multiple streams that emanate radially.

The characteristic of streams diverging from a central point is crucial because it highlights how topography can influence water flow and landscape formation. This is in contrast to other drainage patterns, such as parallel or rectangular drainage, where the arrangement of streams follows different geometrical configurations. In parallel drainage, streams run alongside each other without a central divergence, and in the case of merging streams, the network appears more centralized rather than radiating outward. Thus, the defining feature of a radial drainage pattern is indeed the outward divergence of streams from a central location.