Valley

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. Some
valleys are formed through erosion by glacial ice. These glaciers
may remain present in valleys in high mountains 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 Calchaquí Valley in Argentina
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 now taking
place underground rather than at the surface. Rift valleys arise
principally from earth movements, rather than erosion. Many
different types of valleys are described by geographers, using terms
that may be global in use or else applied only locally.

Formation of valleys
Valleys may arise through several different processes. Most U-shaped valley in Glacier National
commonly, they arise from erosion over long periods by moving Park, Montana, United States
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 altitudes, 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. All three processes can contribute to the
development of a valley over geological time. The flat (or relatively Romsdalen in Western Norway has
flat) portion of a valley between its sides is referred to as the valley almost vertical walls.
floor. The valley floor is typically formed by river sediments and
may have fluvial terraces.

River valleys

The development of a river valley is affected by the character of the

bedrock over which the river or stream flows, the elevational
difference between its top and bottom, and indeed the climate.
Typically the flow will increase downstream and the gradient will Fljótsdalur in East Iceland, a rather
decrease. In the upper valley, the stream will most effectively erode flat valley
its bed through corrasion to produce a steep-sided V-shaped valley.
The presence of more resistant rock bands, of geological faults,
fractures, and folds may determine the course of the stream and result in a twisting course with interlocking
spurs.
In the middle valley, as numerous streams have coalesced, the
valley is typically wider, the flow slower and both erosion and
deposition may take place. More lateral erosion takes place in the
middle section of a river's course, as strong currents on the outside
of its curve erode the bank. Conversely, deposition may take place
on the inside of curves where the current is much slacker, the
process leading to the river assuming a meandering character. In the
The Frades Valley in the
lower valley, gradients are lowest, meanders may be much broader mountainous region of Rio de Janeiro
and a broader floodplain may result. Deposition dominates over state, Brazil
erosion.[1][2] A typical river basin or drainage basin will incorporate
each of these different types
of valleys.

Some sections of a stream or river

valleys may have vertically incised
their course to such an extent that
the valley they occupy is best
described as a gorge, ravine, or
canyon. Rapid down-cutting may
result from localized uplift of the
The valley of Halikko River in land surface or rejuvenation of the
Halikko, Finland watercourse as a result for example
of a reduction in the base level to
which the river is eroded, e.g.
lowered global sea level during an ice age. Such rejuvenation may also
result in the production of river terraces.[3] Baemsagol valley of Jirisan,
Korea

Glacial valleys

There are various forms of valleys associated with glaciation. True

glacial valleys are those that have been cut by a glacier which may
or may not still occupy the valley at the present day. Such valleys
may also be known as glacial troughs. They typically have a U-
shaped cross-section and are characteristic landforms of mountain
areas where glaciation has occurred or continues to take place.[4]

The uppermost part of a glacial valley frequently consists of one or

more 'armchair-shaped' hollows, or 'cirques', excavated by the Valley of Palakaria river springing
rotational movement downslope of a cirque glacier. During glacial from Vitosha Mountain, seen in the
periods, for example, the Pleistocene ice ages, it is in these background, in Bulgaria
locations that glaciers initially form and then, as the ice age
proceeds extend downhill through valleys that have previously
been shaped by water rather than ice. Abrasion the movement of
ice and particularly by rock material embedded within it causes the
widening and deepening of the valley to produce the characteristic
U or trough shape with relatively steep, even vertical sides and a
relatively flat bottom. U-shaped valley on the Afon Fathew
near Dolgoch, Wales
Interlocking spurs associated with the development of river valleys
are preferentially eroded to produce truncated spurs, typical of
glaciated mountain landscapes. The upper end of the trough below the ice-contributing cirques may be a
trough-end. Valley steps (or 'rock steps') can result from differing erosion
rates due to both the nature of the bedrock (hardness and jointing for
example) and the power of the moving ice. In places, a rock basin may be
excavated which may later be filled with water to form a ribbon lake or else
by sediments. Such features are found in coastal areas as fjords. The shape
of the valley which results from all of these influences may only become
visible upon the recession of the glacier that forms it.[5] A river or stream
may remain in the valley; if it is smaller than one would expect given the
size of its valley, it can be considered an example of a misfit stream.

Other interesting glacially carved valleys include:

A glaciated valley in the
Mount Hood Wilderness
Yosemite Valley (United States)
showing a characteristic U-
Side valleys of the Austrian river Salzach for their parallel shape, the bottom's rocky
directions and hanging mouths. 'rubble' accretion and the
That of the St. Mary River in Glacier National Park in Montana, broad shoulders
United States.

Tunnel

A tunnel valley is a large, long, U-shaped valley originally cut

under the glacial ice near the margin of continental ice sheets such A panoramic view of two merging U-
as that now covering Antarctica and formerly covering portions of shaped valleys in Pirin mountain,
[6]
all continents during past glacial ages. Such valleys can be up to Bulgaria
100  km (62  mi) long, 4  km (2.5  mi) wide, and 400  m (1,300  ft)
deep (its depth may vary along its length). Tunnel valleys were
formed by subglacial water erosion. They once served as subglacial drainage pathways carrying large
volumes of meltwater. Their cross-sections exhibit steep-sided flanks similar to fjord walls, and their flat
bottoms are typical of subglacial glacial erosion.

Meltwater

In northern Central Europe, the Scandinavian ice sheet during the various ice ages advanced slightly uphill
against the lie of the land. As a result, its meltwaters flowed parallel to the ice margin to reach the North Sea
basin, forming huge, flat valleys known as Urstromtäler. Unlike the other forms of glacial valleys, these
were formed by glacial meltwaters.
 New Zealand's Hooker Valley at Aoraki / Mount Cook National Park, with Hooker Glacier's terminus at Hooker Lake
in the background

Transition forms and shoulders

Depending on the topography, the rock types, and the

climate, a variety of transitional forms between V-, U-
and plain valleys can form. The floor or bottom of
these valleys can be broad or narrow, but all valleys
have a shoulder. The broader a mountain valley, the
Look from Paria View to a valley in Bryce Canyon,
lower its shoulders are located in most cases. An
Utah, with very striking shoulders
important exception is canyons where the shoulder
almost is near the top of the valley's slope. In the Alps
– e.g. the Tyrolean Inn valley – the shoulders are quite low (100–200 meters above the bottom). Many
villages are located here (esp. on the sunny side) because the climate is very mild: even in winter when the
valley's floor is filled with fog, these villages are in sunshine.

In some stress-tectonic regions of the Rockies or the Alps (e.g. Salzburg), the side valleys are parallel to
each other, and are hanging. Smaller streams flow into rivers as deep canyons or waterfalls.

Hanging tributary

A hanging valley is a tributary valley that is higher than the main valley.
They are most commonly associated with U-shaped valleys, where a
tributary glacier flows into a glacier of larger volume. The main glacier
erodes a deep U-shaped valley with nearly vertical sides, while the tributary
glacier, with a smaller volume of ice, makes a shallower U-shaped valley.
Since the surfaces of the glaciers were originally at the same elevation, the
shallower valley appears to be 'hanging' above the main valley. Often,
waterfalls form at or near the outlet of the upper valley.[7]

Hanging valleys also occur in fjord systems underwater. The branches of

Sognefjord are much shallower than the main fjord. The mouth of
Fjærlandsfjord is about 400 meters deep while the main fjord nearby is Bridal Veil Falls in Yosemite
1200 meters deep. The mouth of Ikjefjord is only 50 meters deep while the National Park flowing from a
main fjord is around 1300 meters at the same point.[8] hanging valley.

Glaciated terrain is not the only site of hanging streams and valleys.
Hanging valleys are also simply the product of varying rates of erosion of the main valley and the tributary
valleys. The varying rates of erosion are associated with the composition of the adjacent rocks in the
different valley locations. The tributary valleys are eroded and
deepened by glaciers or erosion at a slower rate than that of the
main valley floor; thus the difference in the two valleys' depth
increases over time. The tributary valley, composed of more
resistant rock, then hangs over the main valley.[9]

Trough-shaped
Hanging valley, Ibar (lake) valley,
Trough-shaped valleys also form in regions of heavy topographic Rila Mountain, Bulgaria
denudation. By contrast with glacial U-shaped valleys, there is less
downward and sideways erosion. The severe downslope
denudation results in gently sloping valley sides; their transition to the actual valley bottom is unclear.
Trough-shaped valleys occur mainly in periglacial regions and in tropical regions of variable wetness. Both
climates are dominated by heavy denudation.

Box

Box valleys have wide, relatively level floors and steep sides. They are common in periglacial areas and
occur in mid-latitudes, but also occur in tropical and arid regions.[10]

Rift

Rift valleys, such as the Albertine Rift and Gregory Rift are formed by the expansion of the Earth's crust
due to tectonic activity beneath the Earth's surface.

Terms for valleys

There are many terms used for different sorts of valleys. They include:

Cove: A small valley, closed at one or both ends, in the central or southern Appalachian
Mountains which sometimes results from the erosion of a geologic window.
Dell: A small, secluded, and often wooded valley.
Dry valley: A valley not created by sustained surface water flow.
Erosional Valley: A valley formed by erosion.
Hollow: A term used regionally for a small valley surrounded by mountains or ridges. In
Ireland, New England, Appalachia, and the Ozarks of Arkansas and Missouri, a hollow is a
small valley or dry stream bed.
Longitudinal valley: An elongated valley found between two nearly-parallel mountain chains.
Steephead Valley: A deep, narrow, flat-bottomed valley with an abrupt ending.
Strike Valley: A valley typically developed parallel to a cuesta from more readily eroded
strata.
Structural Valley: A valley formed by geologic events such as drop faults or the rise of
highlands.[11]
Similar geographical features such as gullies, chines, and kloofs, are not usually referred to as valleys.

British regional terms for valleys

The terms corrie, glen, and strath are all Anglicisations of Gaelic
terms and are commonly encountered in place-names in Scotland
and other areas where Gaelic was once widespread. Strath signifies
a wide valley between hills, the floor of which is either level or
slopes gently.[12] A glen is a river valley which is steeper and
narrower than a strath.[13] A corrie is a basin-shaped hollow in a
mountain.[14] Each of these terms also occurs in parts of the world Indus River running through the
formerly colonized by Britain. Corrie is used more widely by Kohistan Valley in Pakistan
geographers as a synonym for (glacial) cirque, as is the word cwm
borrowed from Welsh.[15]

The word dale occurs widely in place names in the north of England and, to a lesser extent, in southern
Scotland. As a generic name for a type of valley, the term typically refers to a wide valley, though there are
many much smaller stream valleys within the Yorkshire Dales which are named "(specific name) Dale".[16]
Clough is a word in common use in northern England for a narrow valley with steep sides.[17] Gill is used
to describe a ravine containing a mountain stream in Cumbria and the Pennines.[18] The term combe (also
encountered as coombe) is widespread in southern England and describes a short valley set into a
hillside.[19] Other terms for small valleys such as hope, dean, slade, slack and bottom are commonly
encountered in place-names in various parts of England but are no longer in general use as synonyms for
valley.

The term vale is used in England and Wales to describe a wide river valley, usually with a particularly wide
flood plain or flat valley bottom. In Southern England, vales commonly occur between the outcrops of
different relatively erosion-resistant rock formations, where less resistant rock, often claystone has been
eroded. An example is the Vale of White Horse in Oxfordshire.

Human settlement
Some of the first human complex societies originated in river valleys, such as that of the Nile, Tigris-
Euphrates, Indus, Ganges, Yangtze, Yellow River, Mississippi, and arguably the Amazon. In prehistory, the
rivers were used as a source of fresh water and food (fish and game), as well as a place to wash and a
sewer. The proximity of water moderated temperature extremes and provided a source for irrigation,
stimulating the development of agriculture. Most of the first civilizations developed from these river valley
communities. Siting of settlements within valleys is influenced by many factors, including the need to avoid
flooding and the location of river crossing points.

Notable examples

Africa
Albertine Rift
East African Rift
Ethiopian Rift Valley
Great Rift Valley
 Nile Valley (Egypt/Sudan/Ethiopia/Uganda)
Nugaal Valley (Somalia)
Umba Valley (Tanzania)
Valley of the Kings (Egypt)

Asia
List of valleys in India
List of valleys in Pakistan A view of Orosí, Costa Rica
Beqaa Valley (Lebanon)
Emin Valley (Kazakhstan)
Ihlara, Turkey
Dang Valley (Western Nepal)
Jordan Rift Valley (Jordan - Israel)
Jordan Valley
Kathmandu (Nepal)
Klang Valley (Malaysia)
Mahaweli (Sri Lanka)
Panjshir Valley (Afghanistan)
The Valley of Flowers in
Valleys of China Uttarakhand, India
Baligou Valley
Emin Valley
Heizhu Valley
Insukati Valley
Jiuzhaigou Valley
Mutou Valley

Oceania
Barossa Valley (Australia)
Bulolo Valley (Papua New Guinea)
Cagayan Valley (Philippines)
Capertee Valley (Australia)
Hunter Valley (Australia)
Hutt Valley (New Zealand)
kangaroo Valley (Australia)
Markham Valley (Papua New Guinea) The Harau Valley in West Sumatra,
Strath Taieri (New Zealand) Indonesia

Swan Valley (Australia)

Europe
Dalen, Telemark (Telemark, Norway)
Bergensdalen (Vestland, Norway)
Danube Valley (Eastern Europe)
Glen Coe (Scotland, United Kingdom)
 Great Glen (Scotland, United Kingdom)
Gudbrandsdalen (Oppland, Norway)
Hallingdalen (Buskerud, Norway)
Heddal (Telemark, Norway)
Iron Gate (Romania/Serbia)
Lauterbrunnen Valley (Bern, Switzerland)
Loire Valley with its famous castles (France)
Midt-Telemark (Telemark, Norway) The Gudbrandsdalen in Eastern
Nant Ffrancon (Wales, United Kingdom) Norway near Gålå
Numedalen (Buskerud, Norway)
Østerdalen (Hedmark, Norway)
Po Valley, (Italy)
Rhone Valley from the Matterhorn to Grenoble and Lyon
(France)
Romsdalen (Møre Og Romsdal, Norway)
Setesdal (Agder, Norway)
South Wales Valleys (Wales, United Kingdom)
Upper Rhine Valley or Upper Rhine Plain, an old graben
system. (France and Germany)
Vestfjorddalen (Norway)

North America
Caguas (Puerto Rico)
Central Valley (California)
Coachella Valley (California)
Cumberland Valley (Maryland/Pennsylvania)
Death Valley (California)
Fraser Canyon (British Columbia)
Fraser Valley (British Columbia)
Grand Canyon (Arizona, United States)
Hell's Gate (British Columbia) Hell's Gate, British Columbia
Hudson Valley (New York)
Imperial Valley (California)
Las Vegas Valley (Nevada)
Missouri River Valley (Missouri)
Monument Valley (Arizona, Utah)
Napa Valley (California)
Okanagan Valley (British Columbia)
Ottawa Valley (Ontario/Quebec)
Palo Duro Canyon (Texas)
Valley of the Sun (Arizona)
Rio Grande Valley (Texas)
Saint Lawrence Valley (Ontario/Quebec/New York)
Salt Lake Valley (Utah)
San Fernando Valley (California)
 Shenandoah Valley (Virginia/West Virginia)
Sonoma Valley (California)
Toluca Valley (Mexico)
Valley of the Gods (Utah)
Valley of Mexico (Mexico)
Willamette Valley (Oregon)
Yosemite Valley (California)

South America
Aburra Valley (Colombia)
Calchaquí Valleys (Argentina)
Paraíba Valley (Brazil)
Cauca Valley (Colombia)
Ischigualasto Valley of the Moon (Argentina)

Antarctica
West Antarctic Rift System

Extraterrestrial valleys
Numerous elongate depressions have been identified on the surface of Mars, Venus, the Moon, and other
planets and their satellites and are known as valles (singular: 'vallis'). Deeper valleys with steeper sides
(akin to canyons) on certain of these bodies are known as chasmata (singular: 'chasma'). Long narrow
depressions are referred to as fossae (singular: 'fossa').[20] These are the Latin terms for 'valley, 'gorge' and
'ditch' respectively. The German term 'rille' or Latin term 'rima' (signifying 'cleft') is used for certain other
elongate depressions on the Moon.[21]

See also:

List of valleys on Mars,

List of chasmata on Mars,
List of valleys on the Moon,
List of largest rifts, canyons and valleys in the Solar System

See also
Geography portal

Canyon – Deep ravine between cliffs

Grass valley – Meadow within a forested and relatively small drainage basin
Stream channel – Type of landform in which part of a body of water is confined to a relatively
narrow but long region
 Gully – Landform created by running water and/or mass movement eroding sharply into soil

References
1. Monkhouse, F.J. (1971). Principles of Physical Geography (Seventh ed.). London: University
of London Press Ltd. pp. 152–157. ISBN 0340090227.
2. Morisawa, Marie (1968). Rhodes W. Fairbridge (ed.). Classification of Rivers (https://www.w
orldcat.org/oclc/2968). The Encyclopedia of Geomorphology. New York: Reinhold Book
Corporation. pp. 956–957. OCLC 2968 (https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/2968).
3. Monkhouse, F.J. (1971). Principles of Physical Geography (Seventh ed.). London: University
of London Press Ltd. pp. 161–164. ISBN 0340090227.
4. "Vale of Eden" (https://www.britannica.com/science/glacial-valley). Britannica. Retrieved
20 December 2020.
5. Monkhouse, F.J. (1971). Principles of Physical Geography (Seventh ed.). London: University
of London Press Ltd. pp. 230–234. ISBN 0340090227.
6. Jørgensen, Flemming; Peter B.E. Sandersen (June 2006). "Buried and open tunnel valleys
in Denmark—erosion beneath multiple ice sheets". Quaternary Science Reviews. 25 (11–
12): 1339–1363. Bibcode:2006QSRv...25.1339J (https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2006QS
Rv...25.1339J). doi:10.1016/j.quascirev.2005.11.006 (https://doi.org/10.1016%2Fj.quascirev.
2005.11.006).
7. "Glossary of Glacier Terminology" (https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2004/1216/h/h.html). U.S.
Geological Survey. May 28, 2004. Retrieved 2007-05-24.
8. Nesje, A., & Whillans, I. M. (1994). Erosion of Sognefjord, Norway. Geomorphology, 9(1), 33-
45.
9. "Illustrated Glossary of Alpine Glacial Landforms - Hanging Valley" (http://www4.uwsp.edu/g
eo/faculty/lemke/alpine_glacial_glossary/landforms/hangingvalley.html). .uwsp.edu.
Retrieved 2011-10-03.
10. Goudie, Andrew, ed. (2004). Encyclopedia of Geomorphology (https://books.google.com/boo
ks?id=UHRU_6nUSR4C). Psychology Press. p. 98. ISBN 9780415327381.
11. "Early History, Santa Clara County" (http://www.nps.gov/nr/travel/santaclara/history.htm).
National Park Service. National Park Service. Retrieved January 16, 2015. "Santa Clara
Valley is a structural valley, created by mountain building, as opposed to an erosional valley,
or one which has undergone the wearing away of the earth's surface by natural agents."
12. Ross, David (2001). Scottish Place-names (First ed.). Edinburgh: Birlinn. p. 203.
ISBN 1841581739.
13. Ross, David (2001). Scottish Place-names (First ed.). Edinburgh: Birlinn. p. 99.
ISBN 1841581739.
14. Ross, David (2001). Scottish Place-names (First ed.). Edinburgh: Birlinn. p. 53.
ISBN 1841581739.
15. Whitten, D.G.A.; Brooks, J.R.V. (1972). Dictionary of Geology (First ed.). London: Penguin.
p. 83. ISBN 0140510494.
16. "Bing maps" (https://www.bing.com/maps/). Microsoft Bing. Retrieved 20 December 2020.
17. Gelling, Margaret (1984). Place-names in the Landscape: the Geographical roots of Britain's
place-names (First ed.). London: J M Dent. p. 88. ISBN 0460860860.
18. Gelling, Margaret (1984). Place-names in the Landscape: the Geographical roots of Britain's
place-names (First ed.). London: J M Dent. p. 99. ISBN 0460860860.
19. "Combe" (http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/combe). Merriam–Webster's
Dictionary. Merriam–Webster. 2011.
20. "Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature, feature types" (https://planetarynames.wr.usgs.gov/D
escriptorTerms). International Astronomical Union. Retrieved 20 December 2020.
21. "Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature, Welcome" (https://planetarynames.wr.usgs.gov/).
International Astronomical Union. Retrieved 20 December 2020.

External links
NPS.gov (http://www.nps.gov/brca/geodetect/Landfroms/valleys.htm), University of
Wisconsin
UWSP.edu (https://web.archive.org/web/20070509035527/http://www.uwsp.edu/geo/faculty/l
emke/alpine_glacial_glossary/), Glossary of Alpine Glacial Landforms
"BGU.ac.il" (http://www.bgu.ac.il/BIDR/research/phys/remote/Papers/1998-Ichoku_Coheran
ce_IJRS_98.pdf) (PDF)., SAR interferometry (analysis of valley forms in Fig.2 and 6)
Valleys.com (http://www.valleys.com/), Valleys of the World
Valley definitions (https://www.yourdictionary.com/valley), YourDictionary

Extraterrestrial valleys
ESA image (http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/SMART-1/SEMM7R7X9DE_2.html): Vallis Alpes,
bisecting the Lunar Alps
Valles Marineris and Ophir Chasma (http://www.geoinf.fu-berlin.de/projekte/mars/hrsc152-O
phirChasma.php), bilingual website (English and German)

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