Side Valley - Basic Facts of Geomorphology

Basic Facts of Geomorphology

However, the term "side valley" is used rather for higher order valleys near the mountains (example above: the Pennines), for the lower valleys often do not show a drastic relief. The reason is a simple one: The "mainstem river" (into which the secondary river flows) passes much more water than its tributaries and therefore

  • has a lower current (see Hydrology)
  • much more fine sediments
  • which are deposed in a more flat matter.

The higher the order of a valley, the steeper usually are the hillsides resp. valley slopes. Looking upstream, the steepest slopes are normally near the source of a brook (with the exception of very hard rocks in downstream direction).

Read more about this topic:  Side Valley

Famous quotes containing the words basic and/or facts:

    Of course I lie to people. But I lie altruistically—for our mutual good. The lie is the basic building block of good manners. That may seem mildly shocking to a moralist—but then what isn’t?
    Quentin Crisp (b. 1908)

    In spite of the air of fable ... the public were still not at all disposed to receive it as fable. I thence concluded that the facts of my narrative would prove of such a nature as to carry with them sufficient evidence of their own authenticity.
    Edgar Allan Poe (1809–1849)