Editing Valley

{{about|the physical-geographic term|places named "Valley"|Valley (disambiguation)}}
{{Redirect|River valley||River Valley (disambiguation){{!}}River Valley}}
{{short description|Low area between hills, often with a river running through it}}
{{more citations needed|date=May 2013}}
[[File:Salta-VallesCalchaquies-P3140151.JPG|thumb|[[Calchaquí Valley]] in [[Argentina]]]]
[[File:Glacier park1.jpg|thumb|U-shaped valley in [[Glacier National Park (U.S.)|Glacier National Park]], [[Montana]], United States]]
[[File:Romsdalen.jpg|thumb|[[Romsdalen]] in [[Western Norway]] has almost vertical walls.]]
[[File:Fljótsdalur.jpg|thumb|[[Fljótsdalur]] in East [[Iceland]], a rather flat valley]]
[[File:Vale dos Frades.jpg|thumb|The Frades Valley in the mountainous region of [[Rio de Janeiro (state)|Rio de Janeiro state]], Brazil]]
[[File:Baemsagol MS3812.JPG|upright|thumb|Baemsagol valley of [[Jirisan]], Korea]]

A '''valley''' is an elongated low area often running between [[Hill|hills]] or [[Mountain|mountains]] and typically containing a [[river]] or [[stream]] running from one end to the other. Most valleys are formed by [[erosion]] of the land surface by rivers or streams over a very long period. Some valleys are formed through erosion by [[glacier|glacial ice]]. These glaciers may remain present in valleys in high mountains or polar areas. 

At lower latitudes and altitudes, these [[glaciation|glacially formed]] valleys may have been created or enlarged during [[ice age]]s but now are ice-free and occupied by streams or rivers. In [[desert]] areas, valleys may be entirely dry or carry a watercourse only rarely. In [[karst|areas of limestone bedrock]], [[dry valley]]s may also result from drainage now taking place [[cave|underground]] rather than at the surface. [[Rift valley]]s arise principally from [[tectonics|earth movements]], rather than erosion. Many different types of valleys are described by geographers, using terms that may be global in use or else applied only locally.

==Formation of valleys==
Valleys may arise through several different processes. Most commonly, they arise from [[erosion]] over long periods by [[fluvial|moving water]] and are known as river valleys. Typically small valleys containing streams feed into larger valleys which in turn feed into larger valleys again, eventually reaching the ocean or perhaps an [[endorheic basin|internal drainage basin]]. In polar areas and at high altitudes, valleys may be eroded by [[glacier]]s; these typically have a U-shaped profile in cross-section, in contrast to river valleys, which tend to have a V-shaped profile. Other valleys may arise principally through tectonic processes such as [[rifting]]. All three processes can contribute to the development of a valley over geological time. The flat (or relatively flat) portion of a valley between its sides is referred to as the valley floor. The valley floor is typically formed by river sediments and may have [[fluvial terrace|fluvial terraces]].

===River valleys {{anchor|River valleys}}=== <!-- {R to section} redirect target, "[[River valley]]" -->
[[File:Halikonjokilaakso.jpg|thumb|left|The valley of Halikko River in [[Halikko]], [[Finland]]]]
[[File:Palakaria-and-Belchin-3.jpg|thumb|right|220px|Valley of Palakaria river springing from [[Vitosha]] Mountain, seen in the background, in [[Geography of Bulgaria|Bulgaria]]]]
The development of a river valley is affected by the character of the bedrock over which the river or stream flows, the elevational difference between its top and bottom, and indeed the climate. Typically the flow will increase downstream and the gradient will decrease. In the upper valley, the stream will most effectively erode its bed through [[corrasion]] to produce a steep-sided V-shaped valley. The presence of more resistant rock bands, of [[fault (geology)|geological faults]], [[fracture (geology)|fractures]], and [[Fold (geology)|folds]] may determine the course of the stream and result in a twisting course with [[interlocking spur]]s.

In the middle valley, as numerous streams have coalesced, the valley is typically wider, the flow slower and both erosion and deposition may take place. More lateral erosion takes place in the middle section of a river's course, as strong currents on the outside of its curve erode the bank. Conversely, deposition may take place on the inside of curves where the current is much slacker, the process leading to the river assuming a [[meander]]ing character. In the lower valley, gradients are lowest, meanders may be much broader and a broader [[floodplain]] may result. Deposition dominates over erosion.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Monkhouse |first1=F.J. |title=Principles of Physical Geography |date=1971 |publisher=University of London Press Ltd |location=London |isbn=0340090227 |pages=152–157 |edition=Seventh}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Morisawa |first=Marie |url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/2968 |title=Classification of Rivers |publisher=Reinhold Book Corporation |year=1968 |editor-last=Rhodes W. Fairbridge |location=New York |pages=956–957 |oclc=2968 |author-link=Marie Morisawa}}</ref> A typical river basin or [[drainage basin]] will incorporate each of these different types of valleys.

Some sections of a stream or river valleys may have vertically incised their course to such an extent that the valley they occupy is best described as a [[gorge]], [[ravine]], or [[canyon]]. Rapid down-cutting may result from localized uplift of the land surface or rejuvenation of the watercourse as a result for example of a reduction in the base level to which the river is eroded, e.g. lowered global sea level during an [[ice age]]. Such [[river rejuvenation|rejuvenation]] may also result in the production of [[river terrace]]s.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Monkhouse |first1=F.J. |title=Principles of Physical Geography |date=1971 |publisher=University of London Press Ltd |location=London |isbn=0340090227 |pages=161–164 |edition=Seventh}}</ref>

{{for|various lists of river valleys|Category:River valleys}}

===Glacial valleys===
[[File:Tal-y-llyn-valley-Dolgoch-01.jpg|thumb|upright=1.35|U-shaped valley on the [[Afon Fathew]] near [[Dolgoch Falls|Dolgoch]], Wales]]
[[File:Glacial Valley MtHoodWilderness.jpg|thumb|upright|A glaciated valley in the [[Mount Hood Wilderness]] showing a characteristic U-shape, the bottom's rocky 'rubble' accretion and the broad shoulders]]
There are various forms of valleys associated with glaciation. True glacial valleys are those that have been cut by a glacier which may or may not still occupy the valley at the present day. Such valleys may also be known as glacial troughs. They typically have a [[U-shaped valley|U-shaped cross-section]] and are characteristic landforms of mountain areas where glaciation has occurred or continues to take place.<ref>{{cite web |title=Vale of Eden |url=https://www.britannica.com/science/glacial-valley |publisher=Britannica |access-date=20 December 2020}}</ref>

The uppermost part of a glacial valley frequently consists of one or more 'armchair-shaped' hollows, or '[[cirques]]', excavated by the rotational movement downslope of a cirque glacier. During glacial periods, for example, the [[Pleistocene]] ice ages, it is in these locations that glaciers initially form and then, as the [[ice age]] proceeds, extend downhill through valleys that have previously been shaped by water rather than ice. [[Abrasion (geology)|Abrasion]] by rock material embedded within the moving glacial ice causes the widening and deepening of the valley to produce the characteristic U or trough shape with relatively steep, even vertical sides and a relatively flat bottom.

[[Interlocking spur]]s associated with the development of river valleys are preferentially eroded to produce [[truncated spur]]s, typical of glaciated mountain landscapes. The upper end of the trough below the ice-contributing cirques may be a [[U-shaped valley end|trough-end]]. [[Valley step]]s (or 'rock steps') can result from differing erosion rates due to both the nature of the bedrock (hardness and jointing for example) and the power of the moving ice. In places, a rock basin may be excavated which may later be filled with water to form a [[ribbon lake]] or else by sediments. Such features are found in coastal areas as [[fjord]]s. The shape of the valley which results from all of these influences may only become visible upon the recession of the glacier that forms it.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Monkhouse |first1=F.J. |title=Principles of Physical Geography |date=1971 |publisher=University of London Press Ltd |location=London |isbn=0340090227 |pages=230–234 |edition=Seventh}}</ref> A river or stream may remain in the valley; if it is smaller than one would expect given the size of its valley, it can be considered an example of a [[misfit stream]].

[[File:Pirin ezera Pano Chairski ezera.jpg|upright=1.35|A panoramic view of two merging U-shaped valleys in [[Pirin]] mountain, [[Geography of Bulgaria|Bulgaria]]|thumb]]

Other interesting glacially carved valleys include:
* [[Yosemite Valley]] (United States)
* [[Side valley]]s of the Austrian river [[Salzach]] for their parallel directions and hanging mouths.
* That of the [[St. Mary River (Montana-Alberta)|St. Mary River]] in [[Glacier National Park (United States)|Glacier National Park]] in [[Montana]], United States.

====Tunnel====
{{main|Tunnel valley}}
A tunnel valley is a large, long, U-shaped valley originally cut under the glacial ice near the margin of continental ice sheets such as that now covering Antarctica and formerly covering portions of all continents during past glacial ages.<ref name=J>{{Cite journal  | last =   Jørgensen | first =Flemming   |author2=Peter B.E. Sandersen   | title = Buried and open tunnel valleys in Denmark—erosion beneath multiple ice sheets  | journal = Quaternary Science Reviews  | volume = 25  | issue = 11–12  | pages = 1339–1363  | date = June 2006  | doi = 10.1016/j.quascirev.2005.11.006     |bibcode = 2006QSRv...25.1339J }}</ref> Such valleys can be up to {{convert|100|km|mi|abbr=on}} long, {{convert|4|km|mi|abbr=on}} wide, and {{convert|400|m|ft|abbr=on}} deep (its depth may vary along its length). Tunnel valleys were formed by subglacial [[water erosion]]. They once served as subglacial drainage pathways carrying large volumes of meltwater. Their cross-sections exhibit steep-sided flanks similar to fjord walls, and their flat bottoms are typical of subglacial glacial erosion.

====Meltwater====
{{main|Urstromtal}}
In northern Central Europe, the Scandinavian ice sheet during the various ice ages advanced slightly uphill against the lie of the land. As a result, its meltwaters flowed parallel to the ice margin to reach the North Sea basin, forming huge, flat valleys known as [[Urstromtäler]]. Unlike the other forms of glacial valleys, these were formed by glacial meltwaters.

{{Wide image|Hooker Valley in Aoraki-Mount Cook National Park.jpg|650px|New Zealand's Hooker Valley at [[Aoraki / Mount Cook National Park]], with [[Hooker Glacier (New Zealand)|Hooker Glacier]]'s terminus at [[Hooker Lake]] in the background}}

===Transition forms and shoulders===
[[File:Paria View at Bryce Canyon NP.jpg|thumb|upright=1.35|Look from Paria View to a valley in [[Bryce Canyon]], [[Utah]], with very striking shoulders]]
Depending on the [[topography]], the [[rock type]]s, and the [[climate]], a variety of transitional forms between V-, U- and plain{{clarify|date=January 2021}} valleys can form. The floor or bottom of these valleys can be broad or narrow, but all valleys have a shoulder. The broader a mountain valley, the lower its shoulders are located in most cases. An important exception is canyons where the shoulder almost is near the top of the valley's slope. In the Alps – e.g. the [[Tyrol (state)|Tyrolean]] [[Inn River|Inn]] valley – the shoulders are quite low (100–200 meters above the bottom). Many villages are located here (esp. on the sunny side) because the climate is very mild: even in winter when the valley's floor is filled with fog, these villages are in [[sunlight|sunshine]].

In some stress-tectonic regions of the [[Rocky Mountains]] or the Alps (e.g. [[Salzburg]]), the [[side valley]]s are parallel to each other, and are [[hanging valleys|hanging]]. Smaller streams flow into rivers as deep canyons or [[waterfall]]s.

===Hanging tributary{{anchor|Hanging_valleys}}===
[[File:Closeup of Bridalveil Fall seen from Tunnel View in Yosemite NP.JPG|thumb|upright|Bridal Veil Falls in [[Yosemite National Park]] flowing from a hanging valley]]
[[File:Ибърско езеро.jpg|thumb|Hanging valley, [[Ibar (lake)]] valley, [[Rila]] Mountain, [[Bulgaria]]]]

A hanging valley is a [[tributary]] valley that is higher than the main valley. They are most commonly associated with U-shaped valleys, where 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, waterfalls form at or near the outlet of the upper valley.<ref>{{cite web| title =Glossary of Glacier Terminology| publisher =U.S. Geological Survey| date =May 28, 2004| url =http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2004/1216/h/h.html| access-date = 2007-05-24 }}</ref>

Hanging valleys also occur in [[fjord]] systems underwater. The branches of [[Sognefjord]] are much shallower than the main fjord. The mouth of [[Fjærlandsfjord]] is about {{Convert|400|m|sp=us}} deep while the main fjord nearby is {{Convert|1200|m|sp=us}} deep. The mouth of [[Ikjefjord]] is only {{Convert|50|m|sp=us}} deep while the main fjord is around {{Convert|1300|m|sp=us}} at the same point.<ref>Nesje, A., & Whillans, I. M. (1994). Erosion of Sognefjord, Norway. ''Geomorphology'', 9(1), 33-45.</ref>

Glaciated terrain is not the only site of hanging streams and valleys. Hanging valleys are also simply the product of varying rates of erosion of the main valley and the tributary valleys. The varying rates of erosion are associated with the composition of the adjacent rocks in the different valley locations. The tributary valleys are eroded and deepened by glaciers or erosion at a slower rate than that of the main valley floor; thus the difference in the two valleys' depth increases over time. The tributary valley, composed of more resistant rock, then hangs over the main valley.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www4.uwsp.edu/geo/faculty/lemke/alpine_glacial_glossary/landforms/hangingvalley.html |title=Illustrated Glossary of Alpine Glacial Landforms - Hanging Valley |publisher=.uwsp.edu |access-date=2011-10-03}}</ref>

===Trough-shaped===
Trough-shaped valleys also form in regions of heavy topographic [[denudation]]. By contrast with glacial U-shaped valleys, there is less downward and sideways erosion. The severe downslope denudation results in gently sloping valley sides; their transition to the actual valley bottom is unclear. Trough-shaped valleys occur mainly in [[periglacial]] regions and in [[tropical]] regions of variable wetness. Both climates are dominated by heavy denudation.<ref>{{Citation |last1=Rowley |first1=Taylor |title=Chapter 13 - Periglacial Processes and Landforms in the Critical Zone |date=2015-01-01 |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780444633699000136 |volume=19 |pages=397–447 |editor-last=Giardino |editor-first=John R. |access-date=2023-10-19 |publisher=Elsevier |last2=Giardino |first2=John R. |last3=Granados-Aguilar |first3=Raquel |last4=Vitek |first4=John D. |series=Developments in Earth Surface Processes |doi=10.1016/B978-0-444-63369-9.00013-6 |isbn=978-0-444-63369-9 |editor2-last=Houser |editor2-first=Chris|url-access=subscription }}</ref>

===Box===
Box valleys have wide, relatively level floors and steep sides. They are common in periglacial areas and occur in mid-latitudes, but also occur in tropical and arid regions.<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UHRU_6nUSR4C |title=Encyclopedia of Geomorphology |publisher=Psychology Press |year=2004 |editor-last=Goudie |editor-first=Andrew |pages=98|isbn=9780415327381 }}</ref>

===Rift===
{{main|Rift valley}}
Rift valleys, such as the [[Albertine Rift]] and [[Gregory Rift]] are formed by the expansion of the [[Earth]]'s crust due to [[Plate tectonics|tectonic]] activity beneath the Earth's surface.

==Terms for valleys==
There are many terms used for different sorts of valleys. They include:

* [[Cove (Appalachian Mountains)|Cove]]: A small valley, closed at one or both ends, in the central or southern [[Appalachian Mountains]] which sometimes results from the erosion of a [[Cove (Appalachian Mountains)|geologic window]].
* [[Dell (landform)|Dell]]: A small, secluded, and often wooded valley.
* [[Dry valley]]: A valley not created by sustained surface water flow.
* Erosional valley: A valley formed by [[erosion]].
* Hollow: A term used regionally for a small valley surrounded by mountains or [[ridge]]s. In [[Ireland]], [[New England]], [[Appalachia]], and the [[Ozarks]] of [[Arkansas]] and [[Missouri]], a hollow is a small valley or dry [[stream bed]]; often called a holler.
* [[Longitudinal valley]]: An elongated valley found between two nearly-parallel mountain chains.
* [[Steephead valley]]: A deep, narrow, flat-bottomed valley with an abrupt ending.
* [[strike and dip|Strike valley]]''':''' A valley typically developed parallel to a [[cuesta]] from more readily eroded strata.
* [[Structural valley]]: A valley formed by geologic events such as drop faults or the rise of highlands.<ref name="NPS">{{cite web|title=Early History, Santa Clara County|url=http://www.nps.gov/nr/travel/santaclara/history.htm|website=National Park Service|access-date=January 16, 2015|quote=Santa Clara Valley is a structural valley, created by mountain building, as opposed to an erosional valley, or one which has undergone the wearing away of the earth's surface by natural agents.}}</ref>

Similar geographical features such as [[gully|gullies]], [[chine]]s, and [[Canyon|kloofs]], are not usually referred to as valleys.

===British regional terms for valleys===
[[File:Indus Kohistan Pakistan.jpg|thumb|[[Indus River]] running through the Kohistan Valley in [[Pakistan]]]]

The terms [[cirque|corrie]], [[glen]], and [[strath]] are all [[Anglicisation]]s of [[Scottish Gaelic|Gaelic]] terms and are commonly encountered in place-names in [[Scotland]] and other areas where Gaelic was once widespread. Strath signifies a wide valley between hills, the floor of which is either level or slopes gently.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Ross |first1=David |title=Scottish Place-names |date=2001 |publisher=Birlinn |location=Edinburgh |isbn=1841581739 |page=203 |edition=First}}</ref> A glen is a river valley which is steeper and narrower than a strath.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Ross |first1=David |title=Scottish Place-names |date=2001 |publisher=Birlinn |location=Edinburgh |isbn=1841581739 |page=99 |edition=First}}</ref> A corrie is a basin-shaped hollow in a mountain.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Ross |first1=David |title=Scottish Place-names |date=2001 |publisher=Birlinn |location=Edinburgh |isbn=1841581739 |page=53 |edition=First}}</ref> Each of these terms also occurs in parts of the world formerly [[British Empire|colonized by Britain]]. ''Corrie'' is used more widely by geographers as a synonym for (glacial) ''[[cirque]]'', as is the word ''[[cwm (landform)|cwm]]'' borrowed from [[Welsh language|Welsh]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Whitten |first1=D.G.A. |last2=Brooks |first2=J.R.V. |title=Dictionary of Geology |date=1972 |publisher=Penguin |location=London |isbn=0140510494 |page=83 |edition=First}}</ref>

The word [[dale (landform)|dale]] occurs widely in place names in the north of England and, to a lesser extent, in southern Scotland. As a generic name for a type of valley, [[dale (landform)|the term]] typically refers to a wide valley, though there are many much smaller stream valleys within the [[Yorkshire Dales]] which are named "(specific name) Dale".<ref>{{cite web |title=Bing maps |url=https://www.bing.com/maps/ |publisher=Microsoft Bing |access-date=20 December 2020}}</ref> [[Clough (valley)|Clough]] is a word in common use in northern England for a narrow valley with steep sides.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Gelling |first1=Margaret |title=Place-names in the Landscape: the Geographical roots of Britain's place-names |date=1984 |publisher=J M Dent |location=London |isbn=0460860860 |page=88 |edition=First}}</ref> ''[[Gill]]'' is used to describe a ravine containing a mountain stream in [[Cumbria]] and the [[Pennines]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Gelling |first1=Margaret |title=Place-names in the Landscape: the Geographical roots of Britain's place-names |date=1984 |publisher=J M Dent |location=London |isbn=0460860860 |page=99 |edition=First}}</ref> The term [[combe]] (also encountered as ''coombe'') is widespread in southern England and describes a short valley set into a hillside.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |year= 2011 |title= Combe |encyclopedia= Merriam–Webster's Dictionary |publisher=Merriam–Webster |url=http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/combe }}</ref> Other terms for small valleys such as hope, dean, slade, slack and bottom are commonly encountered in place-names in various parts of England but are no longer in general use as synonyms for ''valley''.

The term vale {{Anchor|Vale}} is used in England and Wales to describe a wide river valley, usually with a particularly wide [[flood plain]] or flat valley bottom. In Southern England, vales commonly occur between the outcrops of different relatively erosion-resistant rock formations, where less [[Geological resistance|resistant]] rock, often [[claystone]] has been eroded. An example is the [[Vale of White Horse]] in Oxfordshire.

==Human settlement==
Some of the first human [[complex society|complex societies]] originated in river valleys, such as that of the [[Nile]], [[Tigris–Euphrates river system|Tigris-Euphrates]], [[Indus]], [[Ganges]], [[Yangtze]], [[Yellow River]], [[Mississippi River|Mississippi]], and arguably the [[Amazon River|Amazon]]. In [[prehistory]], the rivers were used as a source of [[fresh water]] and food (fish and game), as well as a place to wash and a sewer. The proximity of water moderated [[temperature]] extremes and provided a source for [[irrigation]], stimulating the development of [[agriculture]]. Most of the [[cradle of civilization|first civilizations]] developed from these river valley communities. Siting of settlements within valleys is influenced by many factors, including the need to avoid flooding and the location of river crossing points.

==Notable examples==
[[File:DirkvdM orosi.jpg|thumb|A view of [[Orosí]], [[Costa Rica]]]]
===Africa===
{{div col|colwidth=30em}}
* [[Albertine Rift]]
* [[East African Rift]]
* [[Ethiopian Rift Valley]]
* [[Great Rift Valley]]
* [[Nile Valley]] (Egypt/Sudan/Ethiopia/Uganda)
* [[Nugaal Valley]] (Somalia)
* [[Umba Valley]] (Tanzania)
* [[Valley of the Kings]] (Egypt)
{{div col end}}

===Asia===
[[File:"Flowers Blossom at Valley of Flowers Chamoli, India" 58.jpg|thumb|The [[Valley of Flowers]] in [[Uttarakhand]], India]]
{{div col|colwidth=30em}}
*[[List of valleys in India]]
*[[List of valleys in Pakistan]]
* [[Beqaa Valley]] (Lebanon)
* [[Inner Terai Valleys of Nepal|Dang Valley]] (Western Nepal)
* [[Emin Valley]] (Kazakhstan)
* [[Ihlara valley|Ihlara]], [[Turkey]]
* [[Jordan Rift Valley]] (Jordan - Israel)
* [[Jordan Valley (Middle East)|Jordan Valley]]
* [[Kathmandu Valley|Kathmandu]] (Nepal) 
* [[Klang Valley]] (Malaysia)
* [[Mahaweli]] (Sri Lanka)
* [[Panjshir Valley]] (Afghanistan)
* Valleys of China
**[[Baligou Valley]]
**[[Emin Valley]]
**[[Heizhu Valley]]
**[[Insukati Valley]]
**[[Jiuzhaigou Valley]]
**[[Mutou Valley]]
{{div col end}}

===Oceania===
[[File:Harau valley.jpg|thumb|The Harau Valley in [[West Sumatra]], [[Indonesia]]]]
{{div col|colwidth=30em}}
* [[Barossa Valley]] (Australia)
* [[Bulolo Valley]] (Papua New Guinea)
* [[Cagayan Valley]] (Philippines)
* [[Capertee Valley]] (Australia)
* [[Hunter Valley]] (Australia)
* [[Hutt Valley]] (New Zealand)
* [[Kangaroo Valley]] (Australia)
* [[Markham Valley]] (Papua New Guinea)
* [[Strath Taieri]] (New Zealand)
* [[Swan Valley, Western Australia|Swan Valley]] (Australia)
{{div col end}}

===Europe===
[[File:Gudbrandsdalen sett nordover fra vegen opp mot Gålå - Gudbrandsdal Valley Norway.JPG|thumb|The [[Gudbrandsdalen]] in Eastern [[Norway]] near [[Gålå]]]]
{{div col|colwidth=30em}}
* [[Bergensdalen]] (Vestland, Norway)
* [[Dalen, Telemark]] (Telemark, Norway)
* [[Danube Valley]] (Eastern Europe)
* [[Evrotas Valley]], [[Sparta, Laconia|Sparta]] (Greece)
* [[Glen Coe]] (Scotland, United Kingdom)
* [[Great Glen]] (Scotland, United Kingdom)
* [[Gudbrandsdalen]] (Oppland, Norway)
* [[Hallingdalen]] (Buskerud, Norway)
* [[Heddal]] (Telemark, Norway)
* [[Iron Gate (Danube)|Iron Gate]] (Romania/Serbia)
* [[Lauterbrunnen Valley]] (Bern, Switzerland)
* [[Loire Valley]] with its famous castles (France)
* [[Midt-Telemark]] (Telemark, Norway)
* [[Nant Ffrancon]] (Wales, United Kingdom)
* [[Numedalen]] (Buskerud, Norway)
* [[Østerdalen]] (Hedmark, Norway)
* [[Po Valley]], (Italy)
* [[Rhone Valley]] from the [[Matterhorn]] to Grenoble and [[Lyon]] (France)
* [[Romsdalen]] (Møre Og Romsdal, Norway)
* [[Setesdal]] (Agder, Norway)
* [[South Wales Valleys]] (Wales, United Kingdom)
* [[Upper Rhine]] Valley or [[Upper Rhine Plain]], an old [[graben]] system. (France and Germany)
* [[Vestfjorddalen]] (Norway)
{{div col end}}

===North America===
[[File:Hells Gate.jpg|thumb|[[Hell's Gate, British Columbia]]]]
{{div col|colwidth=30em}}
* [[Central Valley (California)|Central Valley]] (California)
* [[Coachella Valley]] (California)
* [[Cumberland Valley]] (Maryland/Pennsylvania)
* [[Cuyahoga Valley National Park|Cuyahoga Valley]] (Ohio)
* [[Death Valley]] (California)
* [[Fraser Canyon]] (British Columbia)
* [[Fraser Valley]] (British Columbia)
* [[Grand Canyon]] (Arizona, United States)
* [[Hell's Gate, British Columbia|Hell's Gate]] (British Columbia)
* [[Hudson Valley]] (New York)
* [[Imperial Valley]] (California)
* [[Las Vegas Valley]] (Nevada)
* [[Missouri River Valley]] (Missouri)
* [[Monument Valley]] (Arizona, Utah)
* [[Napa Valley AVA|Napa Valley]] (California)
* [[Okanagan Valley]] (British Columbia)
* [[Ottawa Valley]] (Ontario/Quebec)
* [[Palo Duro Canyon]] (Texas)
* [[Phoenix, Arizona|Valley of the Sun]] (Arizona)
* [[Rio Grande Valley (Texas)|Rio Grande Valley]] (Texas)
* [[Rocky Mountain Trench]] (British Columbia/Montana)
* [[Saint Lawrence River|Saint Lawrence Valley]] (Ontario/Quebec/New York) 
* [[Salt Lake Valley]] (Utah) 
* [[San Fernando Valley]] (California)
* [[Shenandoah Valley]] (Virginia/West Virginia)
* [[Sonoma Valley]] (California)
* [[Toluca Valley]] (Mexico)
* [[Valley of the Gods]] (Utah)
* [[Valley of Mexico]] (Mexico)
* [[Willamette Valley]] (Oregon)
* [[Yosemite Valley]] (California)
{{div col end}}

===South America===
* [[Aburra Valley]] (Colombia)
* [[Calchaquí Valleys]] (Argentina)
* [[Cauca River|Cauca Valley]] (Colombia)
* [[Ischigualasto]] ''Valley of the Moon'' (Argentina)
* [[Paraíba Valley]] (Brazil)

===Antarctica===
*[[West Antarctic Rift System]]

==Extraterrestrial valleys==
Numerous elongate depressions have been identified on the surface of [[Mars]], [[Venus]], the [[Moon]], and other [[Solar System|planets and their satellites]] and are known as [[vallis (planetary geology)|valles]] (singular: 'vallis'). Deeper valleys with steeper sides (akin to canyons) on certain of these bodies are known as [[chasma]]ta (singular: 'chasma'). Long narrow depressions are referred to as [[Fossa (planetary nomenclature)|fossae]] (singular: 'fossa').<ref>{{cite web |title=Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature, feature types |url=https://planetarynames.wr.usgs.gov/DescriptorTerms |publisher=International Astronomical Union |access-date=20 December 2020}}</ref> These are the [[Latin]] terms for 'valley, 'gorge' and 'ditch' respectively. The German term '[[rille]]' or Latin term 'rima' (signifying 'cleft') is used for certain other elongate depressions on the Moon.<ref>{{cite web |title=Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature, Welcome |url=https://planetarynames.wr.usgs.gov/ |publisher=International Astronomical Union |access-date=20 December 2020}}</ref>

See also:

* [[List of valleys on Mars]]
* [[List of chasmata on Mars]]
* [[List of valleys on the Moon]]
* [[List of largest rifts, canyons and valleys in the Solar System]]

==See also==
{{portal|Geography}}
* {{annotated link|Canyon}}
* {{annotated link|Grass valley}}
* {{annotated link|Gully}}
* {{annotated link|Paleovalley}}
* {{annotated link|Channel (geography)|Stream channel}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [https://physicalgeography.org/stages-of-valley-development/ Valley Development] Four Stages of Valley Development
{{sister project links|wikt=valley|s=The Encyclopedia Americana (1920)/Valleys|auto=y}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20050209040529/http://www.nps.gov/brca/geodetect/Landfroms/valleys.htm NPS.gov], University of Wisconsin
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20070509035527/http://www.uwsp.edu/geo/faculty/lemke/alpine_glacial_glossary/ UWSP.edu], Glossary of Alpine Glacial Landforms
* {{cite web|url= http://www.bgu.ac.il/BIDR/research/phys/remote/Papers/1998-Ichoku_Coherance_IJRS_98.pdf |title=BGU.ac.il }}, SAR interferometry (analysis of valley forms in Fig.2 and 6)
* [http://www.valleys.com/ Valleys.com], Valleys of the World
* [https://www.yourdictionary.com/valley Valley definitions], YourDictionary

===Extraterrestrial valleys===
* [http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/SMART-1/SEMM7R7X9DE_2.html ESA image]: [[Vallis Alpes]], bisecting the Lunar Alps
* [http://www.geoinf.fu-berlin.de/projekte/mars/hrsc152-OphirChasma.php Valles Marineris and Ophir Chasma], [[bilingual]] website ([[English language|English]] and [[German language|German]])

{{Rivers, streams and springs}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Valleys| ]]
[[Category:Erosion landforms]]
[[Category:Fluvial landforms]]
[[Category:Slope landforms]]
[[Category:Bodies of water]]