coulees
Western steep-sided valleys
Coulees are deep ravines or gulches, typically dry or carrying only intermittent streams.
The term is used mainly in the American West and Canada for steep-sided valleys carved by water or, in the Pacific Northwest, by catastrophic glacial floods: The coulees of eastern Washington were scoured by ancient floods.
In Louisiana, a coulee is a small stream or bayou.
Deep, narrow valley
- gullyChannel carved by flowing water
- gulchSteep narrow ravine
- arroyoSeasonal desert watercourse
- canyonDeep river-cut gorge
gorge · barranca · draw · wash · badlands · buttes · prairie · plateau
Narrow natural watercourse
- streamSteady continuous flow
- channelPassage for transmission
- streambedRiver's carved floor
- drainageLiquid removal system
tributary · watershed · runoff · intermittent · floodplain · confluence · headwaters · rivulet
Particles settling in liquid
- weatheringAtmospheric breakdown of materials
- runoffExcess water drainage
- scourClean by hard rubbing
- incisionControlled cut into tissue
downcutting · alluvium · deposition · sapping · degradation · geology
Water from melted ice
- moraineGlacier-deposited debris pile
- drumlinStreamlined glacial hill
- tillRegister drawer for money
- outwashGlacier meltwater sediment
esker · spillway · scablands · channeled · erratic · kettle · glaciology
Pleasing distant scene
- panoramaUnobstructed wide-angle view
- landscapeVisible features of terrain
- picturesqueVisually pleasing, paintable
- ruggedTough and uneven
rolling · overlook · vantage · serene · pastoral · wilderness · hiking · photography
ravine
Deep, narrow valley
canyon · gorge · barranca · draw · wash · badlands · buttes · prairie · plateau · mesa
creek
Narrow natural watercourse
drainage · tributary · watershed · runoff · intermittent · floodplain · confluence · headwaters · rivulet · spring-fed
sediment
Particles settling in liquid
- weatheringAtmospheric breakdown of materials
- runoffExcess water drainage
- scourClean by hard rubbing
incision · downcutting · alluvium · deposition · sapping · degradation · geology
meltwater
Water from melted ice
outwash · esker · spillway · scablands · channeled · erratic · kettle · glaciology
vista
Pleasing distant scene
- panoramaUnobstructed wide-angle view
- landscapeVisible features of terrain
- picturesqueVisually pleasing, paintable
rugged · rolling · overlook · vantage · serene · pastoral · wilderness · hiking · photography · sunsets