Lavaka

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Lavaka, the Malagasy word for "hole", is a type of gully common in Madagascar. Lavakas appear to form mainly by groundwater sapping, and can erode rapidly producing a sediment yield on the order of 8000 cubic metres over several months. They are most abundant in the central highlands of Madagascar, where there are deep laterites developed on in steep terrain in a monsoonal climate. Lavakas form where hard laterites overlie thick (10s of m) saprolite, on steep (35-55°) slopes, in areas that have a hot dry season and a warm wet season.

More about lavakas

"Team Lavaka" image archive at Williams College

Active lavaka on right, with inactive, largely infilled older lavakas to left

In other languages