North vs. South Facing Hillslopes
North and South facing hillslope morphology is shaped primarily by vegetation and sun exposure. In the Northern Hemisphere, South-facing slopes receive direct sunlight, increasing evapotranspiration, leading to lower surface and groundwater residence times, and thus less plant matter. North-Facing slopes recieve less sunlight, minimizing evapotranspiration, allowing for long surface and groundwater residence times and greater plant growth. The root systems of plants play a major role in the stability of hillslopes, thus a North-facing, vegetated slope will be more staple, and have a thicker soil profile, while a South-facing slope will be less stable, and have a thinner soil profile. Often bedrock will be exposed on South-facing slopes.