What is a "Reentrant"?

Apart from a few geologists, only orienteers regularly use the English word "re-entrant" (or reentrant) to describe a landform.

On an orienteering map, a reentrant appears as a U or V shape in the contour lines, pointing back into a hillside rather than sticking out of one (as would a spur). Physically, a reentrant is a small valley, the center of which would collect water and funnel it downhill if it were raining heavily. The segment of map shown here includes several reentrants, three of which are circled. The west-most one is a small, v-shaped reentrant, while the two eastern examples are broad and somewhat shallower.

These pages were last modified Jul '99 by Conor Creedon.
Comments and suggestions to c.creedon@student.ucc.ie