The examples and perspective in this article deal primarily with the Blue Ridge Mountains in the state of Virginia in the United States and do not represent a worldwide view of the subject . You may improve this article , discuss the issue on the talk page , or create a new article , as appropriate. ( October 2019 ) ( Learn how and when to remove this message )

A wind gap (or air gap ) ^[1] is a gap through which a waterway once flowed that is now dry as a result of stream capture . ^[2] A water gap is a similar feature, but one in which a waterway still flows. Water gaps and wind gaps often provide routes which, due to their gently inclined profile, are suitable for trails , roads , and railroads through mountainous terrain.

Examples of wind gaps in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia include Swift Run Gap , Rockfish Gap , and Buford's Gap . The last was the original crossing of the Blue Ridge Mountains near Bedford for the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad , later the Norfolk and Western Railway , a precursor of today's Norfolk Southern Railway system. Another wind gap with substantial importance in U.S. history is the Cumberland Gap near the junction of Kentucky, Virginia, and Tennessee.

Gallery [ edit ]

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  Wind gap Rockfish Gap , Blue Ridge Mountains , Virginia
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  Wind gap opened by an ancient stream on a Karstic terrain in the Ciudad Encantada ( Cuenca province ) in Spain
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  Glacially-carved wind gap in Karu Valley , Ladakh , NW Indian Himalaya

References [ edit ]

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