Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
Box 16.1 Geological controls on the development of groundwater sapping valleys in the Colorado
Plateau, USA
Parts of the Colorado Plateau exhibit all of the factors required for the development of valleys and scarps via
groundwater seepage erosion processes (see Table 16.3 later). The Plateau has a low overall annual rainfall
(130-380 mm) but seasonal recharge. The most intensively studied valleys attributed to seepage erosion are
Figure 16.2
Diagrammatic representations of valleys developed by seepage erosion in the Colorado Plateau (after Laity and
