Five Killer Quora Answers On What Are U Shaped Valleys

what are u shaped valleys (Highwave blog post)?

A U-shaped Valley is a geological formation that has steep, high sides as well as a flat or rounded valley bottom. These valleys are formed by glaciation. They often contain lakes or rivers, sandtraps along a golf courses, kettle lakes (water hazards) or other natural features.

Glacial erosion creates sectionals u shaped-shaped valleys when the rocks are removed from the sides and the bottom of the valley. These valleys are found in mountainous regions all over the globe.

Glaciers are responsible for the formation of them.

Glaciers are huge bodies of ice that form on the tops of mountains and then slide down them. When they degrade the landscape, they form U-shaped valleys with flat floors and steep sides. These are different from river valleys which typically have the shape of the shape of a V. Although glacial erosion can occur everywhere, these valleys tend to be more prevalent in mountainous areas. In fact, they are so distinctive that you can determine if the landscape was formed by glaciers or rivers.

The formation of a U-shaped gorge begins with an existing V-shaped river valley. As the glacier erodes the landscape it encroaches on the V-shaped river valley and creates an inverted U shape. The ice also scrubbing the surface of land creating straight and high walls on the sides of valley. This process is referred to as glaciation and requires the strength of a lot to scour the earth this manner.

As the glacier continues to erode the landscape it also makes the valley deeper and wider. The glacier's ice is less frictional than the rocks. As the glacier moves down the valley, it causes friction on the rock surfaces and pulls the weaker rocks away from the valley wall in a process known as plucking. These processes are combined to widen, deepen and smooth the U-shaped valley.

These processes also cause a small side valley to hang' above the main valley. This valley can sometimes be filled with ribbon lakes, which are formed when water rushes through the glacier. The valley is also marked by striations, ruts, and till on the sides, as well as moraines and till on the floor.

U-shaped valleys are found everywhere in the world. Most commonly, they are located in mountainous regions like the Andes Mountains, Alps Mountains, Himalaya Mountains, Caucasus Mountains, and Rocky Mountains. In the United States, they are often located in national parks. Examples include the Nant Ffrancon valley in Wales and Glacier National Park in Montana. In some instances these valleys extend to coastal locations and become Fjords. This is natural process that occurs when the glacier melts and it could take tens of thousands of years to get these valleys formed.

They are deep

U-shaped valleys have steep sides that slop in at the base and wide, flat valley floors. They are created by river valleys that have been filled with glaciers during the Ice Age. The glaciers erode valley floors via the process of abrasion and ploughing which causes the valley to widen and deepen more evenly than with rivers. These features are found around the globe in mountainous regions which include the Andes, Alps, Himalayas, Rocky Mountains, and New Zealand.

The erosion of a river valley may transform it into a u-shaped valley, expanding and deepening it. The force of the glacier's erosion can also create smaller side valleys, which are often identified by waterfalls, to hang above the main valley. These are referred to as "hanging valleys", because they are hung over the main valley, as the glacier recedes.

These valleys are often enclosed by forests and contain lakes. Some valleys are dry and used for farming, whereas others are flooded and may be visited as part of a kayaking or hiking trip. Many of these valleys are in Alaska in the region where melting glaciers are the most evident.

Valley glaciers are massive streams of ice that resemble rivers and slowly creep down mountain slopes during a glaciation. They can reach depths over 1000 feet and are the most prevalent form in the alpine regions of valley erosion. They devour the rock on the bottom of the valley, leaving behind depressions or holes that are then filled with water. The lakes that result are long and narrow and are found on the peaks of certain mountains.

Another kind of valley, a glacial trough is a U-shaped trough that extends into saltwater and forms a Fjord. These are typical in Norway and are known as fjords. However, they are also found in other parts of the world. These are formed by melting ice and can be seen on maps of the world. They are characterized by steep sides and rounded sides that form the U-shape. The trough walls are usually constructed from granite.

The slopes are steep.

A U-shaped valley is a geomorphological feature that has steep sides, high sides and a flat base. They are common in mountainous regions and are usually carved by glaciers. This is due to glaciers being slow-moving rivers of ice that travel downhill, scouring the land as they move. Scientists used to believe that glaciers could not create valleys because they were so soft. But now, we know that they are able to.

Glaciers create distinctive u-shaped valleys through the techniques of plucking and abrasion. Through erosion these processes can widen, steepen, and deepen V shaped river valleys. The valley's slopes bottom are also altered. These changes occur at the front of the glacier when it moves into the valley. This is why the top of U-shaped valleys is usually larger than the bottom.

Sometimes, U-shaped valleys can be filled with lakes. The kettle lakes are formed in hollows eroded by the glacier, or blocked by the moraine. The lake can be a temporary feature when the glacier melts, or may remain after the glacier recedes. They are often located in conjunction with cirques.

A flat-floored Valley is a different kind of valley. This is a valley formed by streams that degrade the soil, however it doesn't have the same slope as an u shaped armchair-shaped valley. They are usually found in mountainous areas and can be older than other kinds of valleys.

There are different kinds of valleys across the globe. Each has its own distinctive appearance. The most popular is a V-shaped one, however, other forms include U-shaped valleys and the rift valleys. A rift valley occurs when the earth's surface is breaking into two. These are typically narrow valleys that have steep sides. The Nant Ffrancon valley in Snowdonia, Wales is a good example of this.

They are wide

In contrast to V-shaped valleys U-shaped valleys have broad bases. They are most often found in mountains and are formed by glaciers. Glaciers are massive blocks of ice and snow that erode landscapes as they move downward. They cause valleys to be eroded by friction and erosion. This erosion is known as scouring. As they erode the landscape, glaciers create distinct shapes that resemble an u shaped leather sofa-shaped letter. These valleys, also known as U-shaped Valleys, can be found in many locations around the globe.

The formation of these valleys occurs when glaciers alter existing river valleys. The weight of the glacier and its slow motion erodes the valley floor and sides creating a unique u shaped sectional leather-shaped shape. This process is known as glacial erosion, and has produced some of the most breathtaking landscapes on Earth.

These valleys can also be called trough valleys or glacial troughs. They are common throughout the globe, and are especially found in areas with glaciers and mountains. They range in size from a couple of meters to hundreds of kilometers. They also differ in depth and length. The deeper the valley is, the greater the variation of temperature will be.

If a U-shaped gorge is filled with water, it forms a ribbon lake or fjord. The ribbon lakes form in depressions where glaciers cut away less resistant rock. They can also develop in valleys where the glacier was stopped by a moraine wall.

U-shaped valleys could also include other glacial features like hanging valleys, moraine dams, and the erratics. Erratics, or huge boulders, are deposited by glaciers as it moves. The erratics are used to define the boundaries between glaciated areas.

These smaller valleys are left 'hanging" above the main valley created by the glacier. These valleys contain less ice and are not as deep. They are created by tributary glaciers and are often capped by waterfalls.