dry valley

   1. Valley that lacks a permanent surface stream. Dry valleys are common on carbonate rocks with good primary permeability and occur on other permeable rocks such as sandstone. Dry valleys on cavernous limestone were formed when streams flowed on the surface, either before secondary permeability and cave systems developed, or when caves were blocked by ground ice in periglacial climates. The valleys became dry when underground drains formed or were re-opened, capturing first part and then all of the surface drainage [9].

   2. A valley that lacks a surface water channel; common in the chalk of southern England [10].

   3. Elongated recesses and valleys at the bottom of which are dolines, jamas and caves.

   4. A valley form of fluvial or periglacial origin in which surface drainage is intermittent or totally absent. Fossil, usually with steep scree slopes, it is variously identifiable as a product of nival processes or higher water tables subsequently lowered by allogenic valley [19].

   Synonyms: (French.) vallée sèche; (German.) Trockental; (Greek.) xera kilas; (Italian.) valle morta, valle asciutta; (Russian.) suhaja dolina; (Spanish.) valle seco; (Turkish.) kuru vadi; (Yugoslavian.) suha dolina.