A 

valley is an elongated low area often running between hills or mountains, which will typically
contain 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 glacial ice. These glaciers may remain present in valleys in high mountains or polar
areas.
At lower latitudes and altitudes, these glacially formed valleys may have been created or enlarged
during ice ages 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 areas of limestone bedrock, dry valleys may
also result from drainage now taking place underground rather than at the surface. Rift valleys arise
principally from 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[edit]
Valleys may arise through several different processes. Most commonly, they arise from erosion over
long periods by 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 internal drainage basin. In polar areas and at high altitudes, valleys may be
eroded by glaciers; 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 terraces.

River valleys [edit]

The valley of Halikko River in Halikko, Finland

Valley of Palakaria river springing from Vitosha Mountain, seen in the background, in 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 geological faults, fractures, and folds may
determine the course of the stream and result in a twisting course with interlocking spurs.
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 meandering character. In the lower valley, gradients are
lowest, meanders may be much broader and a broader floodplain may result. Deposition dominates
over erosion.[1][2] 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 rejuvenation may also result in the production of river terraces.[3]