A hanging valley is a tributary (a stream or river that does not flow directly into the sea or ocean) valley with the floor at a higher place than the main channel into which it flows. They are mostly associated with U-shaped valleys when a tributary glacier flows into a bigger glacier. The main glacier erodes a U-shaped valley with almost vertical sides, while the tributary glacier, makes a shallower U-shaped valley. Since the surfaces of the glaciers were originally at the same height, the shallower valley seems to be ‘hanging’ above the main valley. Often waterfalls form at the hanging valleys.
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