This study did not result in answers to these questions. More fieldwork than what was attempted for this study may provide the answers. We propose some possible explanations for the characteristics that were observed in the field. The underlying geology does have a major influence on stream characteristics. Horsepen Run and its tributaries have followed fractures and joints in the rocks.
Meanders occur where the stream finds a barrier of resistant rock and attempts to flow around it.
The gneiss, granitoid dikes and quartz veins are resistant to physical and chemical weathering. Some of the steep slopes and banks that are located in the mapped schist units may have local areas of quartzite, which is more resistant to weathering. Some of the characteristics upstream may be influenced by the presence of clay layers along the stream. Clay acts as a cohesive medium that is more difficult to erode. Other geologic structure may have influenced the steepened slope near the mouth of the stream.