Klinge (landform)

Klingen are small, narrow, steep V-shaped valleys formed by the erosive forces of water and suspended abrasive particles, gravel and pebbles.

Further incision through ablation and headward erosion is mainly caused by the waters of small, steep, fast flowing, streams or becks and their processes are still visible today.

The description klinge for small V-shaped valleys may derive from the noise of the streams when in spate (klingen in German means "ring" "clang" or "jingle").

[2] In the regions of the Swabian and Franconian Jura, klingen are less common than in the hills in front of them in the South German Scarplands.

At the strata boundaries of steep Jurassic rock faces – such as those of the Albtrauf or the Swiss-French Jura – strong permanent or periodic karst springs have scoured out steep, often concave, vertical rock niches, for example: the Teufelsklinge near Heubach (on the Albtrauf of the Ostalb) and the Résurgence in the French Jura (source of the Loue).