scarp
scarp(abbr. of escarpment) A steep slope or cliff found at the margin of a flat or gently sloping area, usually against the dip of the rocks; it may occur with a dip slope to give a cuesta. The gradient of the relatively steep face is maintained by the erosion of a relatively weak stratum which typically underlies the resistant cap rock that maintains the form of the scarp. Erosion may be achieved by spring sapping, sheet-wash, and mass wasting. Many varieties are recognized and distinguished in terms of origin. A ‘fault scarp’ results when a fault displaces the ground surface so that one side stands high. A ‘fault-line scarp’ is produced by erosion on one side of an ancient fault: obsequent and resequent varieties are recognized. A ‘composite fault-line scarp’ results from a combination of erosion and faulting. Erosional scarps result from vertical incision or from the headward enlargement of pediments.
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scarp
