Contours of the Canvas 🎨 EarthCache

These trails wind through 65 acres of steep, forested Appalachian foothills overlooking Huntington, WV. The terrain here is shaped by long-term erosion, seasonal runoff, and the steep relief typical of the region. As you explore, you’ll notice deep hollows, narrow drainages, exposed soil, and sloping hillsides, perfect for observing how water and gravity shape the land.

This EarthCache highlights one of the steep-sided erosional features located along the trail network. Your task is to examine the landform, identify signs of erosion, and determine whether it resembles a gully or a ravine based on the characteristics described below.

Understanding Steep-Sided Landforms

The hills behind the museum are part of the unglaciated Appalachian Plateau, where millions of years of erosion have carved narrow valleys (hollows), V-shaped drainages, and steep hillsides. These features often form without continuous streams, instead created by intense rainfall events and gravity-driven soil movement.

Gully:

• Definition: A narrow, steep-sided channel carved by concentrated storm runoff.
• Size: Typically shallow to moderately deep, and narrow.
• Formation: Forms where water repeatedly flows after heavy rains, gradually deepening the channel and leaving sharp edges.

Ravine:

• Definition: A ravine is a larger, deeper valley-like landform with steep sides.
• Size: Much wider and deeper than a gully; can extend hundreds of feet.
• Formation: Created through long-term erosion, often showing exposed soils, rock layers, and varied vegetation along the slopes.

Key Characteristic

• Both gullies and ravines have steep sides and narrow bottoms, but differ mostly in size.
• Exposed soil, roots, and weathered rock can reveal a landform’s age and stability.
• These features influence local ecosystems by channeling water, shaping soil distribution, and creating unique habitats, even without a consistently flowing stream.

In summary, while both gullies and ravines are products of water-induced erosion, they differ primarily in their size and the extent of their development, with ravines being larger and more mature landforms compared to gullies.

Appearance and Characteristics

Ravines are characterized by their narrow, steep-sided valleys, which are larger than gullies but smaller than canyons. They typically have slopes ranging from 20% to 70% in gradient and can vary in width, often spanning several hundred feet. The cross-sectional shape of a ravine can be either ‘U’ or ‘V’ shaped, depending on factors like the type of soil, vegetation cover, and the intensity of erosional processes. 

Types of Ravines Found in the Region

In the Huntington area, ravines often form in interbedded sandstone and shale. Their shape can reveal clues about erosional processes:

• U-Shaped Ravines: These have a broader base and gentle slopes, often resulting from prolonged erosion in areas with cohesive soil that resists rapid down-cutting.
• V-Shaped Ravines: Characterized by a narrow base and steep slopes, these form in regions where rapid down-cutting occurs, typically in less cohesive soils or areas with intense water flow.