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.

The terms scarp and scarp face are often used interchangeably with escarpment.^{[citation needed]} Some sources differentiate the two terms, with escarpment referring to the margin between two landforms, and scarp referring to a cliff or a steep slope.^[1]^[2] In this usage an escarpment is a ridge which has a gentle slope on one side and a steep scarp on the other side.

More loosely, the term scarp also describes a zone between a coastal lowland and a continental plateau which shows a marked, abrupt change in elevation^[3] caused by coastal erosion at the base of the plateau.

^ Easterbrook, Don J. (1999). Surface Processes and Landforms. Prentice Hall. ISBN 978-0-13-860958-0.^{[page needed]}
^ Summary: Escarpments, US Army Corps of Engineers.
^ "Scarps and Terraces". Physiography. Radford University. Retrieved 24 December 2020.

[Easterbrook-1] Easterbrook, Don J. (1999). Surface Processes and Landforms. Prentice Hall. ISBN 978-0-13-860958-0.^{[page needed]}

[2] Summary: Escarpments, US Army Corps of Engineers.

[3] "Scarps and Terraces". Physiography. Radford University. Retrieved 24 December 2020.

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