Contrary to what the name might suggest, etchplains are seldom completely flat and usually display some relief, as weathering of the bedrock does not advance uniformly.
This means that weathering is unrelated to the flatness which might be derivative of various other processes of planation including peneplanation and pediplanation.
[2] Generally the topography exposed at a stripped etchplain, that is an etch surface,[3] after erosion of regolith is one with many irregularities as result of structurally defined areas of rock strength.
[6] The rate of stripping must exceed that of regolith production by deep weathering, otherwise deep-seated basal surfaces would not be revealed.
[2] The term 'etchplain' or 'etched peneplain' was originally coined to describe surfaces in East Africa by E. J. Wayland in 1934 and Bailey Willis in 1936.