cliffsides
Sheer vertical slopes
The sides or faces of cliffs—the steep, typically rocky vertical surfaces that form the edges of elevated landmasses.
Mountain goats navigated the cliffsides with ease.
Wildflowers clung to the cliffsides above the ocean.
The word emphasizes the slope itself rather than the cliff as a whole.
Ocean's edge
- tidepoolsCoastal rock hollows holding seawater
- surfWaves near shore
- kelpLarge brown marine algae
- cormorantsFish-eating diving seabirds
pelicans · seagulls · sea caves · crabs · starfish · lighthouse · dunes · harbor
Extremely steep, almost vertical
- sheerAbsolute; also diaphanous
- vertiginousInducing a spinning sensation
- escarpmentSteep slope dividing elevations
- bluffCalculated false front
scarp · crags · drop-off · incline · gradient · rugged · pinnacle · heights
Parallel geological layers
- limestoneCarbonate sedimentary rock
- graniteIgneous rock, quartz-rich
- basaltFine-grained volcanic stone
- schistPlaty-mineral metamorphic rock
sandstone · quartzite · outcrop · sedimentary · igneous · metamorphic · fossil · karst
Atmospheric breakdown of materials
- abrasionShallow surface wound
- undercuttingCharging less than rivals
- rockfallCollapsed cliff material
- screeLoose rock debris
landslide · collapse · slumping · retreat · gullying · sediment · creep · subsidence
Unobstructed wide-angle view
- vistaPleasing distant scene
- overlookMiss or commanding view
- viewpointWay of seeing things
- vantagePosition of advantage
horizon · landscape · breathtaking · spectacular · dramatic · picturesque · grandeur · sublime
seashore
Ocean's edge
cormorants · pelicans · seagulls · sea caves · crabs · starfish · lighthouse · dunes · harbor · anchorage
precipitous
Extremely steep, almost vertical
- sheerAbsolute; also diaphanous
- vertiginousInducing a spinning sensation
- escarpmentSteep slope dividing elevations
bluff · scarp · crags · drop-off · incline · gradient · rugged · pinnacle · heights · ledges
strata
Parallel geological layers
- limestoneCarbonate sedimentary rock
- graniteIgneous rock, quartz-rich
- basaltFine-grained volcanic stone
schist · sandstone · quartzite · outcrop · sedimentary · igneous · metamorphic · fossil · karst · tectonics
weathering
Atmospheric breakdown of materials
- abrasionShallow surface wound
- undercuttingCharging less than rivals
- rockfallCollapsed cliff material
scree · landslide · collapse · slumping · retreat · gullying · sediment · creep · subsidence · washout
panorama
Unobstructed wide-angle view
vantage · horizon · landscape · breathtaking · spectacular · dramatic · picturesque · grandeur · sublime · awe-inspiring
cliffsidesflatlands
Level, unvarying terrain
plains · plateaus · level ground · rolling hills · flats
- cliffside trailsRoutes along steep slopes
- cliffside viewsScenery from rocky heights