Pot Holes

Potholes are round/oval shaped holes in the bedrock of a river bed.

Potholes on the River Ure, close to Ayesgarth Falls.

They are formed when sediment and other material carried by a river scour the bed. Where depressions exist in the channel floor turbulent flow can cause pebbles to spin around and erode hollows through abrasion/corraision. As the holes get bigger even bigger debris can become trapped in the pothole and this material further supports erosion.

The video above shows the formation of a pothole

The video above shows potholes in the bed of the River Ure close to Aysgarth Falls.