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A ravine is a landform that is narrower than a canyon and is often the product of streambank erosion. Ravines are typically classified as larger in scale than gullies, although smaller than valleys.^[1] Ravines may also be called a cleuch, dell, ghout (Nevis), gill or ghyll, glen, gorge, kloof (South Africa), and chine (Isle of Wight)

A ravine is generally a fluvial slope landform of relatively steep (cross-sectional) sides, on the order of twenty to seventy percent in gradient. Ravines may or may not have active streams flowing along the downslope channel which originally formed them; moreover, often they are characterized by intermittent streams, since their geographic scale may not be sufficiently large to support a perennial stream.^[2]

Definition

According to Merriam-Webster, a ravine is "a small, narrow, steep-sided valley that is larger than a gully and smaller than a canyon and that is usually worn by running water".^[1] Some societies and languages do not differentiate between a gully and ravine; in others, there is a distinction, particularly when concerning environmental management.^[3]

Formation

Gullies are often found in hilly or mountainous regions, where water runoff is guided downhill by steep slopes and over time erodes the landscape. A ravine is the final step in gully erosion, formed when a stream has eroded so severely it forms a deep cut in the earth.^[3] A gully can be classified as a ravine after it reaches a large depth, typically in excess of 5 metres (16 ft).^[4]

Environmental impact

Ravine erosion contributes heavily to land loss globally and particularly threatens agricultural lands. Additionally, soil loss contributes to pollution, flooding, and sedimentation of waterways.^[5] The formation of ravine lands can be sped up by deforestation and overgrazing.^[6] In Indian badlands, soil erosion is estimated to exceed a rate of 40 tonnes per hectare (16 long ton/acre; 18 short ton/acre) annually.^[7]

Examples

Hawaii

The shield volcanoes of Hawaii have significant impact on the distribution of ravines across the islands, specifically Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea, the former of which is one the most active shield volcanoes on Earth.^[8] Both of these volcanoes show V-shaped ravines on their flanks, solely where they have been mantled by Pahala ash. Being the older of the two, Mauna Kea displays more pronounced dissection of these ravines. Rainfall and infiltration capacity are critical to valley initiation on the Hawaiian volcanoes. Once these valleys are initiated, their streams incise to form V-shaped ravines. Eventually, they become sufficiently deep ravine systems and expose groundwater activity. The deepest of these incisions are U-shaped, theatre-headed valleys.^[9]

Notable ravines

Babi Yar, Ukraine
Bam Bam Amphitheaters, Gabon
Barranco de Badajoz, Spain
Barranco del Infierno, Spain
Gravina Ravine, Italy
Moola Chotok, Pakistan
Ravenna Park, United States
Rauðfeldsgjá, Iceland
Stuðlagil, Iceland
Taishaku Valley, Japan
Toronto ravine system, Canada

References

Citations

^ ^a ^b "Ravine". Merriam-Webster. Retrieved 2 August 2024.
^ Christopher G. Morris; Academic Press (1992). Academic Press Dictionary of Science and Technology. Gulf Professional Publishing. pp. 1802–. ISBN 978-0-12-200400-1. Retrieved 1 October 2012.
^ ^a ^b Dagar & Singh 2018a, pp. 9–10.
^ Dagar 2018, p. 30.
^ Dagar 2018, p. 20.
^ Dagar 2018, p. 32.
^ Dagar 2018, p. 41.
^ "Shield Volcanoes". U.S. National Park Service. Retrieved 28 May 2024.
^ "Valley - Hawaiian Volcanoes, Erosion, Plateaus". Britannica. Retrieved 28 May 2024.

Bibliography

Dagar, Jagdish Chander; Singh, Anil Kumar, eds. (2018). Ravine Lands: Greening for Livelihood and Environmental Security. Springer Nature Singapore. doi:10.1007/978-981-10-8043-2. ISBN 978-981-10-8043-2. LCCN 2018935227 – via SpringerLink.
- Dagar, Jagdish Chander; Singh, Anil Kumar (2018a). "Chapter 1: Introduction". In Dagar & Singh (2018).
- Dagar, Jagdish Chander. "Chapter 2: Ravines: Formation, Extent, Classification, Evolution and Measures of Prevention and Control". In Dagar & Singh (2018).