escarpments

An escarpment is a steep slope or long cliff that marks the edge of a plateau, ridge, or uplifted area. It represents a step in elevation within the landscape, often visible as a prominent front or face that separates higher ground from lower surrounding terrain.

Escarpments form through several processes. Differential erosion, where rock layers of varying hardness wear away at different rates, can leave a resistant cap rock standing while underlying layers erode, creating a cliff. Tectonic uplift and faulting can raise a block of crust relative to adjacent areas, producing a fault escarpment. Erosion by rivers or glaciers can carve down into softer rocks, generating an escarpment at the boundary with more resistant strata. Coastal escarpments are produced when sea cliffs retreat along shorelines due to wave action.

Types of escarpments include tectonic or fault escarpments, erosionally produced plateau or coastal escarpments, and regional escarpments that demarcate large-scale changes in elevation. They occur worldwide and can extend for tens to hundreds of kilometers, often influencing drainage, soil development, and local climate patterns. Notable examples include the Niagara Escarpment in North America and the Drakensberg escarpment in southern Africa, which together illustrate how escarpments define landscapes and habitats.

In addition to their geomorphic significance, escarpments affect human activity by shaping transportation routes, land use, and hazard exposure, such as rockfalls and landslides along steep faces.