escarpment


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escarpment

or

scarp,

long cliff, bluff, or steep slope, caused usually by geologic faulting (see faultfault,
in geology, fracture in the earth's crust in which the rock on one side of the fracture has measurable movement in relation to the rock on the other side. Faults on other planets and satellites of the solar system also have been recognized.
..... Click the link for more information. ) or by erosion of tilted rock layers. An example of a fault scarp is the north face of the San Jacinto Mts. in California. Examples of erosional escarpments include the Palisades along the Hudson River and the long break separating the coastal region from the inland area in Texas, roughly paralleling the coast.

escarpment

[ə′skärp·mənt]
(geology)
A cliff or steep slope of some extent, generally separating two level or gently sloping areas, and produced by erosion or by faulting. Also known as scarp.
(ordnance)
The ground surrounding a fortified place which has been cut away nearly vertically to prevent an enemy's approach.

escarpment

A steep slope in front of a fortification to impede the approach of an enemy.

escarpment

a. the long continuous steep face of a ridge or plateau formed by erosion; scarp
b. any steep slope, such as one resulting from faulting
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References in periodicals archive ?
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This move was intended to seize the high ground above Queenston on the Niagara Escarpment and establish a strong fortified position that could be used as a springboard for further military action in the spring of 1813.
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