butte
oxford
views updated May 08 2018butte Small, isolated, flat-topped hill resulting from the erosion of near-horizontal strata. The diameter of the caprock is less than the height of the land-form above the surrounding country. Buttes are commonly found in semi-arid regions dominated by
duricrust horizons. See also
MESA.
A Dictionary of Earth Sciences AILSA ALLABY and MICHAEL ALLABY