The role of seepage moisture in soil formation, slope development, and stream initiation

Abstract

A discussion of slope development and stream initiation, with reference to a study of the drainage of podzolized soils in an escarpment of Chatsworth gritstone (Carboniferous) in northern England. It is noted that moisture is concentrated in "seepage lines" which are directly linked to visible drainage lines. Corrosion of the bedrock taking place in the seepage hollows is considered a major factor in headward extension of streams. Moisture accumulation is slow and rock platforms are therefore preserved. Study of the soil mantle on these low-angle slopes failed to establish a simple relation between soil depth, profile, or texture with degree of slope or facet type.