Valley

The Moffat Water, Scotland

Small winding stream between green hills

Which came first – the valley or the stream?

A stream called the Moffat Water meanders through a U-shaped valley near Glasgow, Scotland. This is the classic shape for a valley that once contained a glacier. In the millenia since the ice melted, a thin soil layer has formed so that grass can grow.

Header photo is from St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands.