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Escarpment

October 17, 2023

An escarpment is a steep slope or long cliff that forms as a result of faulting or erosion and separates two relatively level areas having different elevations.

Escarpment face of a cuesta, broken by a fault, overlooking Trenton, Cloudland Canyon State Park, and Lookout Mountain in the U.S. state of Georgia

The terms scarp and scarp face are often used interchangeably with escarpment.[citation needed] Some sources differentiate the two terms, with escarpment referring to the margin between two landforms, and scarp referring to a cliff or a steep slope.[1][2] In this usage an escarpment is a ridge which has a gentle slope on one side and a steep scarp on the other side.

More loosely, the term scarp also describes a zone between a coastal lowland and a continental plateau which shows a marked, abrupt change in elevation[3] caused by coastal erosion at the base of the plateau.

Formation and description Edit

Scarps are generally formed by one of two processes: either by differential erosion of sedimentary rocks, or by movement of the Earth's crust at a geologic fault. The first process is the more common type: the escarpment is a transition from one series of sedimentary rocks to another series of a different age and composition. Escarpments are also frequently formed by faults. When a fault displaces the ground surface so that one side is higher than the other, a fault scarp is created. This can occur in dip-slip faults, or when a strike-slip fault brings a piece of high ground adjacent to an area of lower ground.

 
Schematic cross section of a cuesta, dip slopes facing left, and harder rocklayers in darker colors than softer ones

Earth is not the only planet where escarpments occur. They are believed to occur on other planets when the crust contracts, as a result of cooling. On other Solar System bodies such as Mercury, Mars, and the Moon, the Latin term rupes is used for an escarpment.

 
Shaded and colored image from the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission—shows an elevation model of New Zealand's Alpine Fault running about 500 km (300 mi) long. The escarpment is flanked by a chain of hills squeezed between the fault and the mountains of New Zealand's Southern Alps. Northeast is towards the top.

Erosion Edit

When sedimentary beds are tilted and exposed to the surface, erosion and weathering may occur. Escarpments erode gradually and over geological time. The mélange tendencies of escarpments results in varying contacts between a multitude of rock types. These different rock types weather at different speeds, according to Goldich dissolution series so different stages of deformation can often be seen in the layers where the escarpments have been exposed to the elements.

Significant escarpments Edit

Africa Edit

Antarctica Edit

Asia Edit

Australia and New Zealand Edit

Europe Edit

 
The Sierra Escarpment in California

North America Edit

 
At the Florida Escarpment, seen in the eastern Gulf of Mexico, the sea bed drops precipitously from less than 300 to 3,000 m (1,000 to 10,000 ft) over a short distance.

South America Edit

See also Edit

References Edit

  1. ^ Easterbrook, Don J. (1999). Surface Processes and Landforms. Prentice Hall. ISBN 978-0-13-860958-0.[page needed]
  2. ^ Summary: Escarpments, US Army Corps of Engineers.
  3. ^ "Scarps and Terraces". Physiography. Radford University. Retrieved 24 December 2020.
  4. ^ Lidmar-Bergström, Karna (1988). "Denudation surfaces of a shield area in southern Sweden". Geografiska Annaler. 70 A (4): 337–350. doi:10.2307/521267. JSTOR 521267.
  5. ^ Wörner, Gerhard; Uhlig, Dieter; Kohler, Ingrid; Seyfried, Hartmut (15 February 2002). "Evolution of the West Andean Escarpment at 18°S (N. Chile) during the last 25 Ma: uplift, erosion and collapse through time". Tectonophysics. 345 (1): 183–198. Bibcode:2002Tectp.345..183W. doi:10.1016/S0040-1951(01)00212-8.

October 17, 2023
escarpment, this, article, needs, additional, citations, verification, please, help, improve, this, article, adding, citations, reliable, sources, unsourced, material, challenged, removed, find, sources, news, newspapers, books, scholar, jstor, july, 2015, lea. This article needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources Escarpment news newspapers books scholar JSTOR July 2015 Learn how and when to remove this template message An escarpment is a steep slope or long cliff that forms as a result of faulting or erosion and separates two relatively level areas having different elevations Escarpment face of a cuesta broken by a fault overlooking Trenton Cloudland Canyon State Park and Lookout Mountain in the U S state of GeorgiaThe terms scarp and scarp face are often used interchangeably with escarpment citation needed Some sources differentiate the two terms with escarpment referring to the margin between two landforms and scarp referring to a cliff or a steep slope 1 2 In this usage an escarpment is a ridge which has a gentle slope on one side and a steep scarp on the other side More loosely the term scarp also describes a zone between a coastal lowland and a continental plateau which shows a marked abrupt change in elevation 3 caused by coastal erosion at the base of the plateau Contents 1 Formation and description 2 Erosion 3 Significant escarpments 3 1 Africa 3 2 Antarctica 3 3 Asia 3 4 Australia and New Zealand 3 5 Europe 3 6 North America 3 7 South America 4 See also 5 ReferencesFormation and description EditScarps are generally formed by one of two processes either by differential erosion of sedimentary rocks or by movement of the Earth s crust at a geologic fault The first process is the more common type the escarpment is a transition from one series of sedimentary rocks to another series of a different age and composition Escarpments are also frequently formed by faults When a fault displaces the ground surface so that one side is higher than the other a fault scarp is created This can occur in dip slip faults or when a strike slip fault brings a piece of high ground adjacent to an area of lower ground nbsp Schematic cross section of a cuesta dip slopes facing left and harder rocklayers in darker colors than softer onesEarth is not the only planet where escarpments occur They are believed to occur on other planets when the crust contracts as a result of cooling On other Solar System bodies such as Mercury Mars and the Moon the Latin term rupes is used for an escarpment nbsp Shaded and colored image from the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission shows an elevation model of New Zealand s Alpine Fault running about 500 km 300 mi long The escarpment is flanked by a chain of hills squeezed between the fault and the mountains of New Zealand s Southern Alps Northeast is towards the top Erosion EditWhen sedimentary beds are tilted and exposed to the surface erosion and weathering may occur Escarpments erode gradually and over geological time The melange tendencies of escarpments results in varying contacts between a multitude of rock types These different rock types weather at different speeds according to Goldich dissolution series so different stages of deformation can often be seen in the layers where the escarpments have been exposed to the elements Significant escarpments EditAfrica Edit Elgeyo escarpment Great Rift Valley Great Escarpment Southern Africa Including the Drakensberg and God s Window in Mpumalanga s Eastern Escarpment Bandiagara Escarpment Mali Zambezi Escarpment Zambia East coast MadagascarAntarctica Edit Usas EscarpmentAsia Edit Alam Kuh Iran Sharon Escarpment Israel Tuwaiq Saudi Arabia Vindhya Range India Western Ghats India Wulian Feng ChinaAustralia and New Zealand Edit Australia Great Escarpment Australia Darling Scarp Dorrigo Plateau Illawarra Escarpment Lake George Escarpment Nullarbor Escarpment New Zealand The western slope of the Southern Alps along the Alpine Fault The Kaimai escarpment above the Hauraki Plains The Paekakariki escarpment between Paekakariki and Pukerua Bay with State Highway 59 and the North Island Main Trunk Europe Edit England Cotswold escarpment Chiltern escarpment North Downs South Downs A common placename denominating an escarpment in England is edge as in Alderley Edge Edge Hill famous as the place of the first battle of the English Civil War Kinver Edge The Lincoln Edge Stanage Edge Wenlock Edge Scotland Quiraing Trotternish Isle of Skye Wales Eglwyseg Black Mountain range Black Mountains Wales Pen y Fan France La Cote d Or is famous for its wines and has given its name to a departement Cote d Or Le Pays de Bray a clay vale enclosed by chalk escarpments Sweden Estonia and Russia Baltic Klint Gotland Saaremaa Klint South Smaland Sub Cambrian escarpment 4 Malta Victoria Lines nbsp The Sierra Escarpment in CaliforniaNorth America Edit nbsp At the Florida Escarpment seen in the eastern Gulf of Mexico the sea bed drops precipitously from less than 300 to 3 000 m 1 000 to 10 000 ft over a short distance Atlantic Seaboard Fall Line Florida Escarpment Gulf of Mexico Sigsbee Escarpment Gulf of Mexico Canada and the United States Manitoba Escarpment Manitoba Saskatchewan Pembina Escarpment Manitoba North Dakota Niagara Escarpment east to west New York Ontario Michigan Wisconsin and Illinois Eardley Escarpment Mattawa Fault Gatineau Park Quebec Onondaga geological formation Ontario and New York Devil s Rock Lake Temiskaming Ontario Scarborough Bluffs Toronto Ontario United States Allegheny Front West Virginia Maryland Pennsylvania Blue Ridge Escarpment North Carolina Virginia Balcones Fault Texas Bergen Hill New Jersey Black River Escarpment Wisconsin Book Cliffs Colorado Utah Caprock Escarpment Texas Catskill Escarpment New York The Chinese Wall Montana Cody Scarp Florida Devil s Slide California Helderberg Escarpment New York Hell s Half Acre Wyoming Knobstone Escarpment Indiana Lewiston Hill Idaho Washington Magnesian Escarpment Wisconsin Mescalero Ridge New Mexico Missouri Escarpment North Dakota Mogollon Rim Arizona Muldraugh Hill Kentucky Pine Ridge Nebraska South Dakota Portage Escarpment Ohio Potrero Hills in California Pottsville Escarpment Kentucky Tennessee The Rimrocks Montana Sierra Nevada eastern slope California The Caribbean Bahamas Escarpment Bahamas South America Edit Brazil Great Escarpment Brazil Serra do Mar Sao Paulo Serra da Mantiqueira Sao Paulo Minas Gerais and Rio de Janeiro Chile West Andean Escarpment 5 See also EditCuesta Hill or ridge with a gentle slope on one side and a steep slope on the other Fall line Meeting point of uplands and coastal plain List of geological features on Mercury Rupes Landform on other planetsReferences Edit Easterbrook Don J 1999 Surface Processes and Landforms Prentice Hall ISBN 978 0 13 860958 0 page needed Summary Escarpments US Army Corps of Engineers Scarps and Terraces Physiography Radford University Retrieved 24 December 2020 Lidmar Bergstrom Karna 1988 Denudation surfaces of a shield area in southern Sweden Geografiska Annaler 70 A 4 337 350 doi 10 2307 521267 JSTOR 521267 Worner Gerhard Uhlig Dieter Kohler Ingrid Seyfried Hartmut 15 February 2002 Evolution of the West Andean Escarpment at 18 S N Chile during the last 25 Ma uplift erosion and collapse through time Tectonophysics 345 1 183 198 Bibcode 2002Tectp 345 183W doi 10 1016 S0040 1951 01 00212 8 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Escarpment amp oldid 1180414967, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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