Stream capture
Stream capture, river capture, or stream piracy is a geomorphological phenomenon occurring when a stream or river drainage system or watershed is diverted from its own bed, and flows instead down the bed of a neighbouring stream. This can happen for several reasons, including:
Tectonic earth movements, where the slope of the land changes, and the stream is tipped out of its former course
Natural damming, such as by a landslide or ice sheet
Erosion, either
-
Headward erosion of one stream valley upwards into another, or
- Lateral erosion of a meander through the higher ground dividing the adjacent streams.
- Within an area of karst topography, where streams may sink, or flow underground (a sinking or losing stream) and then reappear in a nearby stream valley
Headward erosion of one stream valley upwards into another, or
Lateral erosion of a meander through the higher ground dividing the adjacent streams.
Within an area of karst topography, where streams may sink, or flow underground (a sinking or losing stream) and then reappear in a nearby stream valley