Scarp (landform)

Scarp is a term in geology and geography with several similar meanings.

• A scarp is a cliff or steep slope.^[1][2] The word is derived from the Italian scarpa, meaning 'shoe'.^[3]
  • The surface of the steep slope is called a scarp face.
• A fault scarp is a steep cliff made by movement along one side of a fault.
• An escarpment is a steep slope or long cliff that occurs from faulting and resulting erosion. It separates two relatively level areas of different height.
  • A cuesta is an asymmetric ridge with an escarpment on one side and a gentle dip slope on the other side.

1. ↑ Easterbrook, D. J. 1999. Surface processes and landforms. 2nd ed, Prentice Hall, New Jersey.
2. ↑ Summary: Escarpments, US Army Corps of Engineers.
3. ↑ scarp - Definition from the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary