hillslope
Quick Summary
A hillslope, also known as a hillside, is the flank of a valley or the edge of an eroding upland area. These slopes are where rock and soil are loosened by weathering and then transported downhill, often to a river channel.12
There are two main types of hillslopes:
* Weathering-limited slopes: Transport processes are very efficient, removing debris faster than weathering can create it. These slopes often have a cliff-like upper section and a lower accumulation slope.2
* Transport-limited slopes: Weathering produces debris efficiently, but transport is slow. These slopes are typically covered in soil and have a sigmoid shape (convex, straight, and concave segments).2
Geomorphology, a branch of geology, studies these surface features and the processes that shape them, including weathering, water erosion, wind, and mass movement.3
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continental landformThe geomorphic concepts of Penck and KingThe separate notion that hillslopes, once developed, retreat laterally to produce a low-inclination surface worthy of a special name (pediment–pediplain) has found more support.
Read MoreThe separate notion that hillslopes, once developed, retreat laterally to produce a low-inclination surface worthy of a special name (pediment–pediplain) has found more support.
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valleyHillslopesHillslopes constitute the flanks of valleys and the margins of eroding uplands. They are the major zones where rock and soil are loosened by weathering processes and then transported down gradient, often to a river channel.
Read MoreHillslopes constitute the flanks of valleys and the margins of eroding uplands. They are the major zones where rock and soil are loosened by weathering processes and then transported down gradient, often to a river channel.
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riverHydraulic geometry…both, of suspended sediment), downstream slope, and channel friction.
Read More…both, of suspended sediment), downstream slope, and channel friction.
Read More- riverErosion in drainage basins
…components of the drainage system—hillslopes and channels—produces sediment. The quantity provided by each, however, will vary during the erosional development of the basin and during changes of the vegetational, climatic, and hydrologic character of the drainage system. Most rivers flow on the upper surface of an alluvial deposit, and…
Read More…components of the drainage system—hillslopes and channels—produces sediment. The quantity provided by each, however, will vary during the erosional development of the basin and during changes of the vegetational, climatic, and hydrologic character of the drainage system. Most rivers flow on the upper surface of an alluvial deposit, and…
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