page_title: River incision
hierarchical_section_title: River incision
caption_attribution_description: English: Ecuador: Andean landscape in the environs of the town of Cayambe. Altitude: 2408 m a.s.l.
context_page_description: River incision is the narrow erosion caused by a river or stream that is far from its base level. River incision is common after tectonic uplift of the landscape. Incision by multiple rivers result in a dissected landscape, for example a dissected plateau. River Incision is the natural process by which a river cuts downward into its bed, deepening the active channel. Though it is a natural process, it can be accelerated rapidly by human factors including land use changes such as timber harvest, mining, agriculture, and road and dam construction. The rate of incision is a function of basal shear-stress. Shear stress is increased by factors such as sediment in the water, which increase its density. Shear stress is proportional to water mass, gravity, and Sw, where t= Shear Stress, g= Weight Density of Water, D = Average water depth, and Sw = Water Surface slope. Increases in slope, depth, or density of water increase the water's potential to cause erosion.
context_section_description: River incision is the narrow erosion caused by a river or stream that is far from its base level. River incision is common after tectonic uplift of the landscape. Incision by multiple rivers result in a dissected landscape, for example a dissected plateau. River Incision is the natural process by which a river cuts downward into its bed, deepening the active channel. Though it is a natural process, it can be accelerated rapidly by human factors including land use changes such as timber harvest, mining, agriculture, and road and dam construction. The rate of incision is a function of basal shear-stress. Shear stress is increased by factors such as sediment in the water, which increase its density (Lague, et al. 2005). Shear stress  is proportional to water mass, gravity, and Sw, where t= Shear Stress (N/m2), g= Weight Density of Water (N/m3, lb/ft ), D = Average water depth (m, ft), and Sw = Water Surface slope (m/m, ft/ft). Increases in slope, depth, or density of water increase the water's potential to cause erosion (Lague 2014).
caption: Incised stream in the Ecuadorian Andes in Cayambe Canton.
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