Valley Development Formation of Geographical Features

A valley is an extended depression in the Earths surface that is usually bounded by hills or mountains and is normally occupied by a river or stream. Since valleys are usually occupied by a river, they can also slope down to an outlet which can be another river, a lake or the ocean. Valleys are one of the most common landforms on the Earth and they are formed through erosion or the gradual wearing down of the land by wind and water. In river valleys​, for example, the river acts as an erosional agent by grinding down the rock or soil and creating a valley. The shape of valleys varies but they are typically steep-sided canyons or broad plains, however, their form depends on what is eroding it, the slope of the land, the type of rock or soil and the amount of time the land has been eroded. There are three common types of valleys which include V-shaped valleys, U-shaped valleys, and flat-floored valleys. V-Shaped Valleys A V-shaped valley is a narrow valley with steeply sloped sides that appear similar to the letter V from a cross-section. They are formed by strong streams, which over time have cut down into the rock through a process called downcutting. These valleys form in mountainous and/or highland areas with streams in their youthful stage. At this stage, streams flow rapidly down steep slopes. An example of a V-shaped valley is the Grand Canyon in the Southwestern United States. After millions of years of erosion, the Colorado River cut through the  rock of the Colorado Plateau and formed a steep-sided canyon V-shaped canyon known today as the Grand Canyon. U-Shaped Valley A U-shaped valley is a valley with a profile similar to the letter U. They are characterized by steep sides that curve in at the base of the valley wall. They also have broad, flat valley floors. U-shaped valleys are formed by glacial erosion as massive mountain glaciers moved slowly down mountain slopes during the last glaciation. U-shaped valleys are found in areas with a high elevation and in high latitudes, where the most glaciation has occurred. Large glaciers that have formed in high latitudes are called continental glaciers or ice sheets, while those forming in mountain ranges are called alpine or mountain glaciers. Due to their large size and weight, glaciers are able to completely alter topography, but it is the alpine glaciers that formed most of the worlds U-shaped valleys. This is because they flowed down the  pre-existing river or V-shaped valleys during the last glaciation and caused the bottom of the V to level out into a U shape as the ice eroded the valley walls, resulting in a wider, deeper valley. For this reason, U-shaped valleys are sometimes referred to as glacial troughs. One of the worlds most famous U-shaped valleys is Yosemite Valley in California. It has a broad plain that now consists of the Merced River along with granite walls that were eroded by glaciers during the last glaciation. Flat-Floored Valley The third type of valley is called a flat-floored valley and is the most common type in the world. These valleys, like V-shaped valleys, are formed by streams, but they are no longer in their youthful stage  and are instead considered mature. With these streams, as the slope of a streams channel becomes smooth, and begins to exit the steep V or U-shaped valley, the valley floor gets wider. Because the stream gradient is moderate or low, the river begins to erode the bank of its channel instead of valley walls. This eventually leads to a meandering stream across a valley floor. Over time, the stream continues to meander and erode the valleys soil, widening it further. With flood events, the material that is eroded and carried in the stream is deposited which builds up the floodplain and the valley. During this process, the shape of the valley changes from a V or U shaped valley into one with a broad flat valley floor. An example of a flat-floored valley is the Nile River Valley. Humans and Valleys Since the beginning of human development, valleys have been an important place for people because of their presence close to rivers. Rivers enabled easier movement and also provided resources like water, good soils, and food such as fish. The valleys themselves were also helpful in that valley walls often blocked winds and other severe weather if the settlement patterns were positioned correctly. In areas with rugged terrain, valleys also provided a safe place for settlement and made invasions difficult.

Social inequality is a necessary evil of capitalist...

2. Social inequality is a necessary evil of capitalist society†. Please comment with the reference of the sociology perspectives being discussed in the lecture and textbook. Social inequality exists in every society, no matter it is capitalist society or communist society. Yet, referring from three of the sociology perspectives, it proves that social inequality is a necessary evil of capitalist society. Capitalism affects the whole situation of different countries on different aspects, examples are economic, gender, education. I totally agree with the point of social inequality is a necessary evil in capitalist countries. In this essay, I am going to focus on the social inequality in Hong Kong in the past decades, discuss why†¦show more content†¦Max Weber suggest that stratification can be investigated from three perspectives, class, status and power. Weberian’s class differs from Marxian’s. The latter one emphasizes production as class can have a clearer classification according to the relationship of production; while Weberian’s class theory focus more on the different dimensions of economics, it emphasizes the relat ionship of individual and market. Classes are classified by its market positions, and the market positions are mainly based on property owned and skills owned. Different types of classes base on different types of market, including capital market, labour market and commodity market. According to different considerations, Weber’s class can be arranged continuum from low to high, and what Weber has mentioned about class are propertied upper class, white collar workers, petty bourgeois and unskilled manual workers. In capitalist society, we always judge people’s social status by their comsumption and lifestyle, like apparel, places that they visited always, level of education, size of their house, etc. Social status means social reputation. It is not hard for us to find some advertisements and soap opera full of beautiful women, golf or private club house. These materials and things force and lead us to chase a higher social status. Status and class are both the main conc ept in social stratification, but the systems are relatively independent and different. Normally, intellectuals inShow MoreRelatedStephen P. Robbins Timothy A. Judge (2011) Organizational Behaviour 15th Edition New Jersey: Prentice Hall393164 Words   |  1573 PagesS4Carlisle Publishing Services Printer/Binder: Courier/Kendallville Cover Printer: Courier/Kendalville Text Font: 10.5/12 ITC New Baskerville Std Credits and acknowledgments borrowed from other sources and reproduced, with permission, in this textbook appear on the appropriate page within text. Copyright  © 2013, 2011, 2009, 2007, 2005 by Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Prentice Hall. All rights reserved. Manufactured in the United States of America. This publication is protected by Copyright

Philosophy of Life Free Essays

Philosophy of Life Life is a river! In human life there are many problems human being cannot face it and take his steps aside, where else a river problem are like pebbles in the way river cannot take a step back like the human they still face their problems and reaches toward with the proud and honor. Human life can be likened to the flowing of a river. The Rived’ in which the theme focuses on this phrase: â€Å"You know a dream is like a river, ever changing as it flows, and he dreamers just a vessel that must follow where it goes; trying to learn from what’s behind you, and never knowing what’s in store, this makes each day a constant battle just to stay between the shore. We will write a custom essay sample on Philosophy of Life or any similar topic only for you Order Now † What is a river? A river is a unique phenomenon of nature. In the river fresh water is being added to the existing water at every moment. The river is constantly moving, and eventually disappears into the evaporation, the lake, or the ocean. Life is constant motion that eventually merges the elements back into the whole. The elements that made the river are the merged, and recycled. The aspects of life either produced the seeds, or continue to affect the still-living through past actions. That is why it is more enjoyable to accept the temporary nature of life. That way is the illusion of permanence, and loss. Your life begins small, in something like the drops of rain which become small streams and eventually great rivers which flow into the ocean. Like these streams and rivers, we encounter obstacles and challenges. The streams and rivers overcome the obstacles by wearing them down or finding a path around or through them. At times there are massive floods and huge waterfalls. Then there are the periods of smooth and peaceful flow of the river. The thing is to note that the flow never stops. It continues until the ocean is reached. The river never passes the same point twice and is only at that point for the precious moment that is there. It flows immediately to the next point of the journey. Those few times it does, it becomes stagnant and brackish. The river goes not struggle and strain, it simply flows on until it reaches its destination. The river at times will change direction because of obstacles encountered, but will continue the journey to reach its goal. When one path is blocked it seeks to find another path. The river is patient, for it knows it will eventually reach its destination. There are many parallels between the river and our lives. As babies and children many small items of input from our outlook on life and influence the way our lives flow. How to cite Philosophy of Life, Papers