We explain what a valley is, the types that exist and which are the valleys of Mexico. Also, what is a valley in physics.
What is a valley?
A valley is a depression between two slopes or moutains. It is a natural channel of the land surface, sloping into a stream, lake, or mass of Water. Valley systems extend through plains, hills and mountain systems.
The valley is one of the most common landforms on the earth's surface and is formed through the erosion gradual terrain caused by wind and water, together with other agents such as the type of I usually, the inclination of the surface or the movement of tectonic plates, which generate depressions with shapes that vary in steepness.
Narrow valleys
Narrow valleys are shaped like a narrow depression, with steeply sloping sides, also called "V" shaped. They usually form in mountain or high altitude areas where streams have currents that flow at high speed down the steep slopes, achieving a strong soil erosion.
Some examples of narrow valleys around the world are:
- Rift Valley (Africa)
- Valle Cabuérniga (Spain)
- Danum Valley (Malaysia)
- Calchaquíes Valleys (Argentina)
- Valles de Valida (Spain)
Wide valleys
Wide valleys are the most common and are characterized by containing streams in their “mature” or calmer current stage, which accompany the gentle slope of the ground depression that extends over a wide or vast base of the valley.
Over time, the meandering stream erodes the surrounding soil in the valley, causing it to spread further.
Some examples of wide valleys around the world are:
- Nile River Valley (Egypt)
- Acari Valley (Peru)
- Aburrá Valley (Colombia)
- Matamorros Valley (Mexico)
Valleys of Mexico
The great valley of Mexico is a plateau surrounded by volcanoes and mountains, located about 3,000 meters above sea level. The soil is characterized by being fertile and the weather It is temperate with abundant rainfall.
The valley encompasses the town of Mexico (one of the populations largest metropolitan companies in the world), in a region in which formerly the aztec civilization.
The contemporary valley of Mexico has taken on an urban and modern look. The metropolitan area (which includes the areas with the highest population density) and the surrounding suburbs have a population of approximately 22 million.
The drainage of the valley is supplied by the Tula and Panuco rivers, which flow into the Gulf of Mexico. In 1951, the drainage system was streamlined with the opening of a tunnel in Tequixquiac that through a system of tunnels allowed the water to be diverted to the Tula River and supplied with drinking water and hydroelectricity to the Federal District.
The Anahuac valley is one of the four that make up the valley system, along with that of Cuautitlán, Apán and Tizayuca. It is often confused with the endorheic basin of Mexico, whose rivers have no fluvial outlet. Through an engineering work, the water is led from the Anáhuac region to the Tula River and manages to flow into the Gulf of Mexico.
The habitat and the biodiversity of the Valley of Mexico are unique, with abundant grasslands, scrub areas and woods of pines and oaks. In this valley there are many animals in danger of extinction (especially various species birds), as well as rabbits, skunks, opossums and lizards.
One of the reasons why environment It is seen more and more degraded is by residual water, a product of the municipalities and the waste of the industries what are polluting rivers and agricultural lands in an accelerated manner. This critical situation is aggravated by the intense deforestation of forests.
Valley in physics
Valleys are the lowest points in the movement of a wave.From the physical, the word "valley" is related to the length, the frequency and period of movement of a wave. The valley is the lowest point of the equilibrium position of a wave. Its opposite, that is, the highest point of the wave, is called the “crest”. Wave motion can occur in water, with a swinging rope, or by a sound.