Hanging valley
Encyclopedia : H : HA : HAN : Hanging valley
A
hanging valley is a
tributary valley with the floor at a higher relief than the main channel into which it flows. They are most commonly associated with
glacial valleys when 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, if water is flowing through the upper glacial valley, a waterfall will form.
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