Geomorphic Processes – Streams

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Stone Mountain Falls

    

Rainwater on the rock dome converges into small rills. Sediment and dissolved ions carried by the stream comes into direct contact with the bedrock, carving shallow channels into the bare rock.

 

    When these channels meet an area where the slope briefly decreases, eddies can form and carve potholes.

An eddy at the top of Stone Mountain Falls swirls abrasive sediment, actively carving a pothole into the bedrock.

Sediment eroded from the rock dome collects at the base of Stone Mountain, where the terrain is more level. The flow here is less turbulent due to the reduced slope. At baseflow, most sediment being transported is fine-grained material as suspended load or through saltation. Alluvium shields the bedrock from incision when the stream is at baseflow.