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Anescarpmentis a steepslopeor longcliffthat forms as a result offaultingorerosionand separates two relatively level areas having differentelevations.
The termsscarpandscarp faceare often used interchangeably withescarpment.[citation needed]Some sources differentiate the two terms, withescarpmentreferring to the margin between twolandforms,andscarpreferring 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 termscarpalso describes a zone between a coastallowlandand a continentalplateauwhich shows a marked, abrupt change in elevation[3]caused bycoastal erosionat the base of theplateau.
Formation and description
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Scarps are generally formed by one of two processes: either by differentialerosionofsedimentary rocks,or by movement of theEarth's crustat ageologic fault.The first process is the more common type: the escarpment is a transition from one series ofsedimentary rocksto 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, afault scarpis created. This can occur indip-slip faults,or when astrike-slip faultbrings a piece of high ground adjacent to an area of lower ground.
Earthis not the only planet where escarpments occur. They are believed to occur on other planets when thecrustcontracts,as a result of cooling. On otherSolar Systembodies such asMercury,Mars,and theMoon,the Latin termrupesis used for an escarpment.
Erosion
editWhen sedimentary beds are tilted and exposed to the surface,erosionandweatheringmay occur. Escarpments erode gradually and overgeological time.Themélangetendencies of escarpments results in varying contacts between a multitude of rock types. These different rock types weather at different speeds, according toGoldich dissolution seriesso different stages of deformation can often be seen in the layers where the escarpments have been exposed to the elements.
See also
edit- Cuesta– 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 escarpments
References
edit- ^Easterbrook, Don J. (1999).Surface Processes and Landforms.Prentice Hall.ISBN978-0-13-860958-0.[page needed]
- ^Summary: Escarpments,US Army Corps of Engineers.
- ^"Scarps and Terraces".Physiography.Radford University.Retrieved24 December2020.