Exploring the Formation of Stream Valleys

A stream valley is an elongated depression in the ground with water flowing at the lowest point.

Water, time, and erosion help form a stream valley.

You should observe how fast the water is moving, the direction of the water, and how it has shaped the landscape around the waterway.

Erosion is the movement of broken-down rock or soil from one place to another.

Running water helps move particles from their original location to new areas, contributing to erosion.

A floodplain is the wide and level bottom of a stream valley.

Stream valleys can vary by the depth of the valley, the slope of the sides, and the size of the floodplain.

The three stages of the aging process of a stream valley are youth, maturity, and old age.

Stream valleys in the youth stage are often V-shaped, with steep sides, and they do not have any established floodplain yet. They are also characterized by having interrupted stream flow due to boulders, rapids, and waterfalls.

During the maturity stage, the stream erodes the valley and removes the boulders, rapids, and waterfalls. The valley gets wider and becomes more U-shaped. The valley becomes smoother and has a less steep gradient, which results in more gentle and slower moving water. A mature stream valley is also characterized by a stream with more sloping sides rather than steep sides. This characteristic leads to the formation of a large floodplain where water can escape if the stream becomes flooded.

During old age, a stream valley has a very low flow gradient and has created a floodplain with extremely broad and gently sloping hills. This results in the stream flowing in a very wide formation over the floodplain. Stream valleys that are in the old age stage are more susceptible to floods because they lack physical barriers to direct water flow and because they carry a large amount of sediment and flow slowly.

A stream valley is a depression in the earth with water flowing at the lowest point.

Streams create these valleys due to erosion, which is the movement of broken-down rock or soil from one place to another. The water moves particles from one location to another and changes the land formation around the waterway.

The floodplain is the wide and level bottom of the valley where water can escape if the stream becomes flooded.

Water is powerful and plays a large role in shaping the land around us, as seen in the formation and aging process of stream valleys.