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A gully is a landform
Landform

In the earth sciences and geology sub-fields a landform or physical feature comprises a geomorphology unit, and is largely defined by its surface form and location in the landscape, as part of the terrain, and as such, is typically an element of topography....
 created by running water
Water

Water is a common chemical substance that is essential for the survival of all known forms of life. In typical usage, water refers only to its liquid form or States of matter, but the substance also has a solid state, ice, and a gaseous state, water vapor or steam....
 eroding
Erosion

For morphological image processing operations, see Erosion 'For use of in dermatopathology, see Erosion Erosion is the removal of solids in the natural environment....
 sharply into soil
Soil

Soil is the naturally occurring, unconsolidated or loose covering on the Earth's surface. Soil is composed of particles of broken rock that have been altered by chemical and environmental processes including weathering and erosion....
, typically on a hill
Hill

A hill is a landform that extends above the surrounding terrain, in a limited area. Hills often have a distinct Summit , although in areas with Escarpment a hill may refer to a particular section of scarp slope without a well-defined summit ....
side. Gullies resemble large ditch
Ditch

A ditch is usually defined as a small to moderate depression created to channel water.In Old English language, the word dic already existed and was pronounced with a hard c in northern England and as ditch in the south....
es or small valley
Valley

In geology, a valley is a Depression with predominant extent in one direction. A very deep river valley may be called a canyon or gorge....
s, but are metres to tens of metres in depth and width. When the gully formation is in process, the water flow rate
Volumetric flow rate

The volumetric flow rate in fluid dynamics and hydrometry, is the volume of fluid which passes through a given surface per unit time Volumetric flow rate should not be confused with volumetric flux, as defined by Darcy's law and represented by the symbol q, with units of m3/, that is, m s-1....
 can be substantial, which causes the significant deep cutting action into soil.

Gullying, or gully erosion, is the process by which gullies are formed.






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Gully Elpasocounty Co Usa
A gully is a landform
Landform

In the earth sciences and geology sub-fields a landform or physical feature comprises a geomorphology unit, and is largely defined by its surface form and location in the landscape, as part of the terrain, and as such, is typically an element of topography....
 created by running water
Water

Water is a common chemical substance that is essential for the survival of all known forms of life. In typical usage, water refers only to its liquid form or States of matter, but the substance also has a solid state, ice, and a gaseous state, water vapor or steam....
 eroding
Erosion

For morphological image processing operations, see Erosion 'For use of in dermatopathology, see Erosion Erosion is the removal of solids in the natural environment....
 sharply into soil
Soil

Soil is the naturally occurring, unconsolidated or loose covering on the Earth's surface. Soil is composed of particles of broken rock that have been altered by chemical and environmental processes including weathering and erosion....
, typically on a hill
Hill

A hill is a landform that extends above the surrounding terrain, in a limited area. Hills often have a distinct Summit , although in areas with Escarpment a hill may refer to a particular section of scarp slope without a well-defined summit ....
side. Gullies resemble large ditch
Ditch

A ditch is usually defined as a small to moderate depression created to channel water.In Old English language, the word dic already existed and was pronounced with a hard c in northern England and as ditch in the south....
es or small valley
Valley

In geology, a valley is a Depression with predominant extent in one direction. A very deep river valley may be called a canyon or gorge....
s, but are metres to tens of metres in depth and width. When the gully formation is in process, the water flow rate
Volumetric flow rate

The volumetric flow rate in fluid dynamics and hydrometry, is the volume of fluid which passes through a given surface per unit time Volumetric flow rate should not be confused with volumetric flux, as defined by Darcy's law and represented by the symbol q, with units of m3/, that is, m s-1....
 can be substantial, which causes the significant deep cutting action into soil.

Gullying, or gully erosion, is the process by which gullies are formed. Hillsides are more prone to gullying when they are cleared of vegetation, through deforestation
Deforestation

Deforestation is the logging or burning of trees in forested areas. There are several reasons for doing so: trees or derived charcoal can be sold as a commodity and are used by humans while cleared land is used as pasture, plantations of commodities and human settlement....
, over-grazing or other means. The eroded soil
Soil

Soil is the naturally occurring, unconsolidated or loose covering on the Earth's surface. Soil is composed of particles of broken rock that have been altered by chemical and environmental processes including weathering and erosion....
 is easily carried by the flowing water after being dislodged from the ground, normally when rainfall falls during short, intense storms such as during thunderstorms. Gullies reduce the productivity of farmland where they incise into the land, and produce sediment
Sediment

Sediment is any particulate matter that can be sediment transport by fluid dynamics, and which eventually is deposited.Sediments are most often transported by water transported by wind and glaciers....
 that may clog downstream waterbodies
Waterbodies

Waterbodies is a Canadian band. Started in 2008 by Shane Turner & Mike McGean.Mike McGean - Vocals & GuitarJosh Korody - Bass & VocalsShane Turner - Percussion & Samples...
. Because of this, much effort is invested into the study of gullies within the scope of geomorphology
Geomorphology

Geomorphology is the scientific study of landforms and the processes that shape them. Geomorphologists seek to understand why landscapes look the way they do: to understand landform history and dynamics, and predict future changes through a combination of field observation, physical experiment, and numerical mathematical model....
, in the prevention of gully erosion, and in restoration of gullied landscapes. The total soil loss from gully formation and subsequent downstream river
River

A river is a natural stream of water, usually freshwater, flowing toward an ocean, a lake, or another stream. In some cases a river flows into the ground or dries up completely before reaching another body of water....
 sedimentation
Sedimentation

Sedimentation describes the motion of molecules in solutions or particle s in suspension in response to an external force such as gravitation, centrifugal force or electromagnetism....
 can be sizable.

Hydraulic mining

Artificial gullies are formed during hydraulic mining
Hydraulic mining

Hydraulic mining, or hydraulicking, is a form of mining that employs water to dislodge rock material or move sediment. Previously, the use of a large volume of water had been developed by the Romans to remove overburden and then gold-bearing debris as in Las M?dulas of Spain, and Dolaucothi in Great Britain....
 when jets or steams of water are projected onto soft alluvial deposits to extract gold
Gold

Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and atomic number 79. It is a highly sought-after precious metal, having been used as money, as a store of value, in jewelry, in sculpture, and for ornamentation since the beginning of recorded history....
 or tin ore. The remains of such mining methods are very visible landform features in old goldfield
Goldfield

Goldfield or Goldfields may refer to:* Goldfield, Iowa, a city in Wright County, USA* Goldfield, Nevada, a city in Esmeralda County, USA...
s such as in California
California

California is a U.S. state on the West Coast of the United States of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean. It is bordered by Oregon to the north, Nevada to the east, Arizona to the southeast, and to the south the Mexico state of Baja California....
 and northern Spain
Spain

Spain or the Kingdom of Spain , is a country located in Southern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula.The Spanish constitution does not establish any official denomination of the country, even though Espa?a , Estado espa?ol and Naci?n espa?ola are used interchangeably....
. The badlands at Las Medulas
Las Médulas

Las M?dulas, located near the town of Ponferrada in the region of El Bierzo , used to be the most important gold gold mining in the Roman Empire....
 for example, were created during the Roman period by hushing
Hushing

Hushing is an ancient mining method using a flood or torrent of water to reveal mineral veins. The method was applied in several ways, both in prospecting for ores, and for their exploitation....
 or hydraulic mining
Hydraulic mining

Hydraulic mining, or hydraulicking, is a form of mining that employs water to dislodge rock material or move sediment. Previously, the use of a large volume of water had been developed by the Romans to remove overburden and then gold-bearing debris as in Las M?dulas of Spain, and Dolaucothi in Great Britain....
 of the gold-rich alluvium with water supplied by numerous aqueducts tapping nearby rivers. Each aqueduct
Aqueduct

File:Tomar December 2008-4.jpgAn aqueduct is a water supply or navigable canal constructed to convey water. In modern engineering, the term is used for any system of pipes, ditches, canals, tunnels, and other structures used for this purpose....
 produced large gullies below by erosion of the soft deposits. The effluvium was carefully washed with smaller streams of water to extract the nugget
Nugget

Nugget may refer to:* Nugget Lawrence Lister, New Def Jam Artist* Gold nugget, a piece of gold produced through mining and extraction* Chicken nugget, a lump of breaded or battered chicken...
s and gold dust.

Etymology

The earliest usage of the term is from 1657. It originates from the French
French language

French is a Romance language spoken around the world by around 80 million people as first language, by 190 million as second language, and by about another 200 million people as an acquired tongue, with significant speakers in 54 countries....
 word goulet, a diminutive form of goule which means throat. It is possible that the term was derived from a type of knife
Knife

A knife is a handheld sharp-edged instrument consisting of a handle attached to a blade that is used for cutting. Knives were used at least Stone Age, as evidenced by the Oldowan tools....
 at the time, a gully-knife, because hills that have gullies look as if they are cut open with a sharp knife.

See also


  • Arroyo (creek)
    Arroyo (creek)

    An arroyo , also called a wash or draw, is a usually dry stream bed or gulch that temporarily fills with water after a heavy rain, or seasonally....
  • Canyon
    Canyon

    A canyon, or gorge, is a deep valley between cliffs often carved from the landscape by a river. Most canyons were formed by a process of long-time erosion from a plateau level....
  • Gulch
    Gulch

    A gulch is a deep V-shaped valley formed by erosion. It may contain a small stream or dry Creek bed and is usually larger in size than a gully....
  • Ravine
    Ravine

    A ravine is a very small valley, which is often the product of streamcutting erosion. Ravines are typically classified as larger in scale than gully, although smaller than valleys....
  • Wadi
    Wadi

    Wadi is the Arabic term traditionally referring to a valley; in some cases it may refer to a dry Stream bed that contains water only during times of heavy rain....
  • Lavaka
    Lavaka

    Lavaka, the Malagasy word for "hole", is a type of erosional feature common in Madagascar. They are most abundant in the central highlands of Madagascar, where there are deep laterites developed on in steep terrain in a monsoonal climate....
  • Badlands
    Badlands

    A badlands is a type of arid terrain where softer sedimentary rocks and clay-rich soils have been extensively Erosion by wind and water. It can resemble malpa?s, a terrain of volcanic rocks....