The Beaver Valley is a valley located at the southern tip of Georgian Bay. The Beaver River flows north through the valley and empties into Georgian Bay at Thornbury.
It is a significant land formation originating over millions of years. The flats and slopes are used for apple crops and mixed farming. It also contains one of Ontario's best-preserved swamp ecosystems – the Beaver Valley Lowlands.
The Bruce Trail follows the perimeter of the valley passing several natural landmarks including Old Baldy, the Duncan Crevice Caves, and Eugenia Falls. The exposed cliffs at Old Baldy show that the soft rocks have fallen away from the harder caprock leaving a cliff or escarpment.
The Beaver Valley has formed over a period of several thousand years as the Beaver River cuts into the Niagara Escarpment. Today, the river continues to cut into the bedrock at Eugenia Falls.
The valley ranges in width from approximately 30 metres at the south end to 13 kilometres at the north end. The valley is marked by several rock outcrops. The limestone cliffs tower above the lowlands. Lookouts on Old Baldy, the south rim, and at Epping give a view of the vastness of this valley.
To log this Earthcache: 1. Optional log requirement: Take a photo of yourself or group at the given coordinates and attach it to your log. Email me the answers for the next 3 questions. Do not post your answers with your log. 2. Which kind of valley is it using the descriptions below? 2. Why have several cliffs formed along the rim? 3. What has caused the massive, tumbling rock formations immediately to the north? (May require some Wikipedia research.)
A valley is an extended depression in the Earth's surface that is usually bounded by hills or mountains and is normally occupied by a river or stream. Because valleys are usually occupied by a river, they can also slope down to an outlet which can be another river, a lake or the ocean.
Valleys are one of the most common landforms on the Earth and they are formed through erosion or the gradual wearing down of the land by wind and water. In river valleys for example, the river acts as an erosion agent by grinding down the rock or soil and creating a valley. The shape of valleys varies but they are typically steep-sided canyons or broad plains, however their form depends on what is eroding it, the slope of the land, the type of rock or soil and the amount of time the land has been eroded.
There are three common types of valleys which include V-shaped valleys, U-shaped valleys and flat floored valleys.
V-Shaped Valley
A V-shaped valley, sometimes called a river valley, is a narrow valley with steeply sloped sides that appear similar to the letter "V" from a cross-section. They are formed by strong streams, which over time have cut down into the rock through a process called downcutting. These valleys form in mountainous and/or highland areas with streams in their young stage. At this stage, streams flow rapidly down steep slopes.
U-Shaped Valley
A U-shaped valley is a valley with a profile similar to the letter "U." They are identified by steep sides that curve in at the base of the valley wall. They also have broad, flat valley floors. U-shaped valleys are formed by glacial erosion as massive glaciers moved slowly along. U-shaped valleys are found in areas with high elevation and in high latitudes, where the most glaciation has occurred. Due to their large size and weight, glaciers are able to completely alter topography, but it is the alpine glaciers that formed most of the world's U-shaped valleys. This is because they flowed down pre-existing river or V-shaped valleys during the last glaciation and caused the bottom of the "V" to level out into a "U" shape as the ice eroded the valley walls, resulting in a wider, deeper valley. For this reason, U-shaped valleys are sometimes referred to as glacial troughs.
Flat-Floored Valley
The third type of valley is called a flat-floored valley and is the most common type in the world. These valleys, like V-shaped valleys, are formed by streams, but they are in their mature stage. The valley floor gets wider. Because the stream gradient is moderate or low, the river begins to erode the bank of its channel instead of valley walls. This eventually leads to a meandering stream across a valley floor. Over time, the stream continues to meander and erode the valley's soil, widening it further. With flood events, the material that is eroded and carried in the stream is deposited which builds up the floodplain and the valley. During this process, the shape of the valley changes from a V or U shaped valley into one with a broad flat valley.
Credits: 1.About.com Geography 2.Wikipedia 3.Bruce Trail Guide