1 Hamartia: Many people who discuss tragedy often mention the hero's 'fatal' or 'tragic flaw.' However, Aristotle would never accuse a hero of such a personal defect. 2  Instead, he asserted that they were guilty of hamartia, or missing the mark.
Floodplains are landscapes shaped by running water. As streams and their larger forms, rivers, flow across the surface of land, they transport eroded rock and other material. (Erosion is the gradual wearing away of Earth surfaces through the action of wind and water.)
Where the meanders, or loops, of the river reach valley walls, the water may carve bluffs. In fact, a âbluff lineâ defines the outer limits of a riverâs flood plain, and is often another name for valley wall. A flood plainâs bluff lines may be steep and narrow, or they may be wide and gentle. Coastal bluffs are formed through a combination of erosion from wind, sea spray, and crashing waves. These bluffs are often more rugged than their inland counterparts, and are more vulnerable to major erosion.