6.1.2. Youth

Streams are few during this stage with poor integration and flow over original slopes showing shallow V-shaped valleys with no floodplains or with very narrow floodplains along trunk streams. Streams divides are broad and flat with marshes, swamp and lakes. Meanders, if present, develop over these broad upland surfaces. These meanders may eventually entrench themselves into the uplands. Waterfalls and rapids may exist where local hard rock bodies are exposed.

In the youth stage of landform development, the landscape is still being shaped. At this point, rivers and streams are just beginning to carve into the land, resulting in shallow V-shaped valleys. This means that instead of having wide areas for water to overflow (known as floodplains), the water mainly runs within narrow channels. The area around the streams is mostly flat and might have some marshes or lakes. There are few streams at this early stage, which makes the water flows uneven. Where harder rocks are found, you might notice waterfalls or rapids as the water rushes over them, creating interesting features in the landscape.

Imagine a young child trying to draw. At first, their lines are shaky and loose, and they don't always color within the lines. Over time, as they practice, their drawings become more defined and polished. Similarly, in the youth stage, the streams are starting to draw their paths but have not yet formed the wider valleys and floodplains seen later.

During this stage, valleys begin as small and narrow rills; the rills will gradually develop into long and wide gullies; the gullies will further deepen, widen and lengthen to give rise to valleys.

Initially, the valleys are tiny and shallow, created by small streams called rills. As water continues to flow, these rills erode the soil and rock, leading to the development of wider and deeper channels known as gullies. With ongoing erosion, these gullies evolve into larger valleys. This process showcases how active water flow reshapes the landscape over time.

Think of how a pencil creates a mark on paper. A single, light stroke won't leave a significant impact, but if you press harder and draw repeatedly over the same line, it creates a deep groove. In the same way, the continuous flow of water deepens and widens these initial small channels into significant valleys.

In the youth stage, streams are few during this stage with poor integration. The streams flow over original slopes showing shallow V-shaped valleys with no floodplains or with very narrow floodplains along trunk streams.

During the youth stage, river systems are not yet fully developed. The streams lack a strong connection to each other, which means they don’t combine into larger rivers readily. This limited network leads to the development of narrow, V-shaped valleys without significant floodplains. Floodplains are regions that might typically overflow with water during floods, but in this stage, the rivers are too narrow for that to happen.

Consider a group of toddlers playing in a small backyard. Each child is playing in their own area, not creating a larger game together. They might twitch and turn, but they aren’t collaborating yet. Similarly, the youth stage of rivers shows individual streams working on their own without forming larger systems until they grow older.

Waterfalls and rapids may exist where local hard rock bodies are exposed.

In areas where the underlying rock is particularly tough, such as granite or basalt, water flowing over these rocks will create more dramatic features like waterfalls and rapids. These features occur because the river's water accelerates over the hard rock, creating strong flows and significant changes in elevation that characterize youthfulness in the stream systems.

Think of a steep slide at a playground; when a child goes down this slide, they zip down quickly, similar to how water flows rapidly over a waterfall. The more abrupt the drop on the slide, the more exhilarating the ride, just like the sudden drop of a waterfall creates excitement in the water flow.

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