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Types and Examples of Valleys

V-shaped valleys are typically formed by rivers and streams, which cut downwards through the landscape creating steep slopes. The shape of the valley depends on factors like the gradient of the river flowing through it. Shallower rivers produce broader, gentler valleys while steeper mountain rivers cut narrow valleys with steep walls. As a river approaches flat land, it begins to deposit sediment and the valley bottom widens into a floodplain. Examples of prominent V-shaped valleys include the Black Canyon of the Gunnison and gorges within Grand Canyon National Park in North America as well as valleys carved by rivers flowing from the Alps in countries like Austria, Switzerland, and Germany.

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170 views1 page

Types and Examples of Valleys

V-shaped valleys are typically formed by rivers and streams, which cut downwards through the landscape creating steep slopes. The shape of the valley depends on factors like the gradient of the river flowing through it. Shallower rivers produce broader, gentler valleys while steeper mountain rivers cut narrow valleys with steep walls. As a river approaches flat land, it begins to deposit sediment and the valley bottom widens into a floodplain. Examples of prominent V-shaped valleys include the Black Canyon of the Gunnison and gorges within Grand Canyon National Park in North America as well as valleys carved by rivers flowing from the Alps in countries like Austria, Switzerland, and Germany.

Uploaded by

sajal aggarwal
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

A valley is a low area between hills or mountains typically

with a river running through it. In geology, a valley or dale


is a depression that is longer than it is wide. The terms U-
shaped and V-shaped are descriptive terms of geography
to characterize the form of valleys. Most valleys belong to
one of these two main types or a mixture of them, at least
with respect to the cross section of the slopes or hillsides.
[1]

A valley formed by flowing water, called fluvial valley or


river valley, is usually V-shaped. The exact shape will
depend on the characteristics of the stream flowing
through it. Rivers with steep gradients, as in mountain
ranges, produce steep walls and a bottom. Shallower
slopes may produce broader and gentler valleys.
However, in the lowest stretch of a river, where it
approaches its base level, it begins to deposit sediment
and the valley bottom becomes a floodplain.
Some broad V examples are:
 North America: Black Canyon of the Gunnison
National Park, and others in Grand Canyon NP
 Europe:
o Austria: narrow passages of upper Inn valley
(Inntal), affluents of Enns
o Switzerland: Napf region, Zurich Oberland,
Engadin
o Germany: affluents to the middle reaches of
Rhine and Mosel

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