Talk:Pothole (landform)

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The article currently seems to be US-centric with a meaning for the term that would not be recognised in Britain for example where schoolchildren learn that a pothole is formed in a rocky river bed by the action water swirling pebbles around a depression in the rock surface and thereby deepening it. Pothole is also widely used in Britain for a vertically developed cave. So either we include these other examples of landforms under this page heading as they are equally valid or perhaps as a better solution, this particular desert-related landform is relabelled, for example, as 'Pothole (desert landform)' and the others as' Pothole (river landform)' and 'Pothole (cave)' and suitably disambiguated from the general Pothole DAB page which also covers other meanings of the term. The simple term Pothole deals with holes in highways - it could be left as is or relabelled as eg 'Pothole (highway)'. The river landform is currently dealt with at Giant's kettle, a term unknown in Britain. Tinaja seems to overlap somewhat with this I think my suggestion would provide more suitable international balance - either way the current distribution of pages around these topics is confusing and potentially misleading. Some input from editors in other regions would be valuable to get a balanced global perspective. cheers Geopersona (talk) 07:26, 11 January 2017 (UTC)


 * I agree that this article is quite confused as it conflates different types of landforms, which are formed by quite different processes and known as "potholes" as can be seen in the latest American Geological Institute's "Glossary of Geology", which lists 6 different types of landforms known as "potholes." Potholes are a classic example of equifinality, as used in geomorphology, in which similar shaped landforms arise as a result of quite different sets of processes. It might be useful to restrict this type of pothole to those associated with rivers and briefly mention it other uses. The Utah Geological Survey article discusses a type of pothole that is known as a weathering pit as best discussed in another article. Paul H. (talk) 19:32, 7 June 2018 (UTC)

The article doesn't address how a pothole forms
The article doesn't address how a pothole forms, only how it expands (unless that is intentional, which, if so, perhaps should be made explicit). Another editor, Geopersona, has pointed out that students in the UK learn that "a pothole is formed in a rocky riverbed by the action [of] water swirling pebbles around a depression in the rock surface and thereby deepening it." Also, there seems to be evidence that potholes can also form by large rocks, rather than pebbles, being rapidly spun (like a drill) in an energetic current. At any rate, perhaps someone more knowledgeable can edit the main article to address the current understanding of how a pothole forms initially (before it expands). Bob Enyart, Denver KGOV radio host (talk) 17:57, 2 June 2018 (UTC)

Geography
Voice 119.2.125.134 (talk) 23:37, 21 July 2022 (UTC)