| 1. | a valley, the lower end of which opens high above a shore, usually caused by the rapid erosion of a cliff. |
| 2. | a tributary valley whose mouth is set above the the floor of the main valley, usually as a result of differences in glacial erosion. |
| hanging valley n. A tributary valley that joins a main valley where the latter has been deepened, usually by glacial erosion, resulting in a steep drop from the floor of the tributary valley to the floor of the main valley. |
hanging valley  (hāng'ĭng) Pronunciation Key
A side valley that enters a main valley at an elevation high above the main valley floor. Hanging valleys are typically formed when the main valley has been widened and deepened by glacial erosion, leaving the side valley cut off abruptly from the main valley below. The steep drop from the hanging valley to the main valley floor usually creates cascading waterfalls. |