Definition

Noun: A wind gap is a geological feature: a notch or pass in a mountain ridge or through a range of hills that was once cut by a stream or river but is now dry, with no water flowing through it. It represents an abandoned water gap.

Usage

The term is used specifically in physical geography and geology to describe a type of mountain pass. - Geologists identified the feature as a wind gap, evidence of an ancient river course. - The trail follows an old wind gap through the Appalachian Mountains.

Advanced Usage

• Formation Context: Wind gaps are often discussed in relation to stream capture or river piracy, where one stream erodes headward and captures the flow of another, leaving the original valley dry.
  • The wind gap was created after stream capture diverted the river to a new channel.

Variants and Related Words

• Water gap (noun): A pass in a ridge where a stream or river actively flows. This is the active counterpart to a wind gap.
  • The Delaware Water Gap is a famous example of an active river cut.

Synonyms

• Dry gap (noun): A less common synonym.
• Abandoned water gap (noun): A descriptive synonym that explains its formation.

Notes on Meaning

This term has a single, specific meaning in earth sciences. It should not be confused with a general mountain pass that is simply windy; the "wind" refers to the air now flowing through it, not to weather conditions.

Noun

1. a pass in a mountain ridge with no stream flowing through it