Knowra Escarpment Escarpment An escarpment is a long, steep slope or cliff separating relatively level areas at different elevations. It may form through faulting, erosion, or the unequal resistance of rock layers.
Fault scarp : A steep slope or cliff formed when movement on a fault displaces the ground surface. Fault movement can create an abrupt escarpment between uplifted and lowered terrain.
Fault (geology) : A fracture in Earth's crust along which blocks of rock have moved relative to one another. Movement along a fault can displace terrain and create a fault escarpment.
Niagara Escarpment : A prominent cuesta stretching from New York through Ontario and into Wisconsin and Illinois. Its continuous cliff and ridge illustrate an escarpment shaped by resistant rock layers.
Ridge : A long, narrow elevation of land, commonly with a crest and sloping sides. A ridge rises above land on both sides, unlike an escarpment that separates different elevation levels.
Differential erosion : The uneven wearing away of materials with different resistance to weathering and erosion. Resistant and weak rock layers erode at different rates, exposing steep escarpments.
Stratigraphy : The study of rock layers, their sequence, and their distribution through time and space. Layered rock structure helps explain why some escarpments follow particular strata.
Drakensberg : A high mountain range in southern Africa, forming part of the Great Escarpment. The Drakensberg is a dramatic section of an escarpment marking southern Africa's elevated interior.
Cliff : A steep rock face or slope, often near-vertical and exposed at the surface. A cliff can be a local face, whereas an escarpment is an extended boundary between land levels.
Cuesta : An asymmetrical ridge with a gentle dip slope and a steeper scarp slope, formed in gently tilted rock layers. A cuesta is a common landform whose steep scarp side is an escarpment.
Sedimentary rock : Rock formed from deposited particles, chemical precipitates, or accumulated organic material. Alternating sedimentary layers often differ in resistance and shape escarpment faces.
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