A rectangular drainage pattern where streams follow parallel valleys separated by ridges, connected by short perpendicular tributaries. This pattern develops in areas with alternating bands of hard and soft rock that have been folded or tilted.
From Old French 'trelis' meaning 'lattice' or 'framework,' originally describing garden supports for climbing plants. Geographers adopted the term in the early 20th century because the drainage pattern resembles a garden trellis when viewed from above.
The Appalachian Mountains showcase perfect trellis drainage, where ancient rock layers were folded like accordion pleats, creating parallel valleys that rivers follow like trains on tracks! You can literally read the geological history from the stream patterns.
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