Pothole
Topic: Landforms and their Evolution: Rivers, Groundwater, Glaciers, Waves and Wind · NCERT: Class 11, Ch 6 "Landforms and their Evolution"
Meaning
A pothole is a round hollow in the rocky bed of a fast hill stream. It forms when the flowing water swirls pebbles and boulders in a circle. These stones drill into the rock like a drill bit. As potholes grow, neighbouring ones join together, which helps the stream deepen its valley.
Example
The Kukadi River at Nighoj, in Ahilyanagar (formerly Ahmednagar) district of Maharashtra, has a rocky bed full of large potholes.
Don't confuse with
- Plunge pool: a plunge pool is a very large, deep pothole found only at the foot of a waterfall.
- Sinkhole: a sinkhole is a funnel-shaped hollow in limestone. It forms when water dissolves the rock, not when stones grind it.