Escarpment

An escarpment is a steep slope or long cliff that forms as a result of faulting or erosion and separates two relatively level areas having different elevations.

Scarps are generally formed by one of two processes: either by differential erosion of sedimentary rocks, or by movement of the Earth's crust at a geologic fault.

On other Solar System bodies such as Mercury, Mars, and the Moon, the Latin term rupes is used for an escarpment.

The mélange tendencies of escarpments results in varying contacts between a multitude of rock types.

These different rock types weather at different speeds, according to Goldich dissolution series so different stages of deformation can often be seen in the layers where the escarpments have been exposed to the elements.