The Formation of Chalk dry valleys: The Stonehill Valley, Dorset

Abstract

This paper examines the formation of Chalk dry valleys, focusing on the Stonehill Valley in Dorset, Southern England. The author presents evidence of periglacial activity in the valley, including frost-weathered Chalk deposits, which are small in volume. While periglacial processes may have modified the valley slopes, they are not considered to be the cause of the valley's initial formation. The paper dismisses the idea that the valley was carved by meltwater streams flowing over permafrost. Instead, it is suggested that the valley was formed by an earlier, unrecorded process, possibly headward erosion facilitated by rock disintegration along major joint lines due to permafrost. The author concludes that the valley's form is a result of a combination of periglacial and interglacial conditions, influenced by the structure and hydrology of the Chalk.