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Escarpment

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In geomorphology, an escarpment is a transition zone between different physiogeographic provinces that involves an elevation differential, often involving high cliffs. Most commonly, an escarpment, also called a scarp (from the Italian scarpa^[1]), is a transition from one series of sedimentary rocks to another series of a different age and composition. In such cases, the escarpment usually represents the line of erosional loss of the newer rock over the older (see also Cuesta).

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

Escarpment face of a cuesta, broken by a fault. Cumberland Plateau, Tennessee.

Escarpments are also frequently formed by faults. These are called fault scarps. In some cases land may be lifted to an elevation above the surrounding area by a thrust fault, or the reverse with a normal fault. A strike-slip fault may bring a piece of high ground adjacent to an area of lower ground. The latter is common in California along the San Andreas fault and the many other strike-slip faults in the area. In England, escarpments are found in a diagonal line across the country from the Yorkshire coast on the North Sea to the Hampshire coast on the English Channel. There the features of an escarpment include the scarp slope (the leading edge); the dip slope, dry valleys, coombes (both found in chalk downland), and clay vales occur on the side away from the scarp. There are escarpments on other planets besides Earth. They are believed to be created when the crust contracts; as a result of cooling. More loosely the term is used to describe the zone between coastal lowlands and continental plateau which have a marked change in altitude.