The lengthening of a stream valley upslope as erosion at its uppermost point cuts back into previously unchannelled terrain, extending the drainage network over time. It is a principal mechanism of river piracy, by which one stream's headward growth can intercept and divert the flow of a neighboring drainage basin.
Facts
Process Type Connections
Caused By
Causes
Source Knickpoint Retreat (Wikipedia)
Source River Capture (Wikipedia)
Sources
1. Headward erosion, Wikipedia
Lead section, third sentenceQuote, Lead section, third sentence
Headward erosion is a fluvial process of erosion that lengthens a stream, a valley or a gully at its head and also enlarges its drainage basin.
Knickpoint Retreat (Wikipedia)
River Capture (Wikipedia)
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