Channel (geography)

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Vivari Channel in Albania links Lake Butrint with the Straits of Corfu.

In physical geography, a channel is a type of landform consisting of the outline of a

path of relatively shallow and narrow body of fluid, most commonly the confine of a
river, river delta or strait. The word is cognate to canal, and sometimes takes this
form, e.g. the Hood Canal.

Formation
Channel initiation refers to the site on a mountain slope where water begins to flow
between identifiable banks.[1] This site is referred to as the channel head and it marks
an important boundary between hillslope processes and fluvial processes.[1] The
channel head is the most upslope part of a channel network and is defined by flowing
water between defined identifiable banks.[1] A channel head forms as overland flow
and/or subsurface flow accumulate to a point where shear stress can overcome erosion
resistance of the ground surface.[1] Channel heads are often associated with colluvium,
hollows and landslides.[1]

Overland flow is a primary factor in channel initiation where saturation overland flow
deepens to increase shear stress and begin channel incision.[1] Overland flows
converge in topographical depressions where channel initiation begins. Soil
composition, vegetation, precipitation, and topography dictate the amount and rate of
overland flow. The composition of a soil determines how quickly saturation occurs
and cohesive strength retards the entrainment of material from overland flows.[1]
Vegetation slows infiltration rates during precipitation events and plant roots anchor
soil on hillslopes.[1]

Subsurface flow destabilizes soil and resurfaces on hillslopes where channel heads are
often formed. This often results in abrupt channel heads and landslides. Hollows form
due to concentrated subsurface flows where concentrations of colluvium are in a
constant flux.[1]Channel heads associated with hollows in steep terrain frequently
migrate up and down hillslopes depending on sediment supply and precipitation.