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Understanding Valley Formation

Most valleys form through erosion by rivers or glaciers over long periods of time, creating low-lying areas between hills or mountains. They can have different profiles depending on the erosion process, with river valleys typically V-shaped and glacial valleys U-shaped. Valleys may also form through tectonic movements in the Earth's crust or occur in different types of terrain like deserts or limestone regions. They provide drainage pathways that can eventually feed into larger valleys and waterways or internal drainage basins.

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152 views1 page

Understanding Valley Formation

Most valleys form through erosion by rivers or glaciers over long periods of time, creating low-lying areas between hills or mountains. They can have different profiles depending on the erosion process, with river valleys typically V-shaped and glacial valleys U-shaped. Valleys may also form through tectonic movements in the Earth's crust or occur in different types of terrain like deserts or limestone regions. They provide drainage pathways that can eventually feed into larger valleys and waterways or internal drainage basins.

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A 

valley is an elongated low area often running between hills or mountains, which will typically
contain a river or stream running from one end to the other. Most valleys are formed by erosion of
the land surface by rivers or streams over a very long period of time. Some valleys are formed
through erosion by glacial ice. These glaciers may remain present in valleys in high mountain or
polar areas. At lower latitudes and altitudes, these glacially formed valleys may have been created
or enlarged during ice ages but now are ice-free and occupied by streams or rivers. In desert areas,
valleys may be entirely dry or carry a watercourse only rarely. In areas of limestone bedrock, dry
valleys may also result from drainage taking place underground rather than at the surface. Rift
valleys arise principally from earth movements, rather than erosion. Many different types of valley
are described by geographers, using terms that may be global in use or else applied only locally.
Valleys may arise through several different processes. Most commonly, they arise from erosion over
long periods of time by moving water and are known as river valleys. Typically small valleys
containing streams feed into larger valleys which in turn feed into larger valleys again, eventually
reaching the ocean or perhaps an internal drainage basin. In polar areas and at high altitude, valleys
may be eroded by glaciers; these typically have a U-shaped profile in cross-section, in contrast to
river valleys, which tend to have a V-shaped profile. Other valleys may arise principally through
tectonic processes such as rifting. It is possible for all three processes to contribute to the
development of a valley over geological time. The flat (or relatively flat) portion of a valley between
its sides is referred to as the valley floor and is typically formed by river sediments and may
be terraced.

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