inselberg
Lone rock outcrop
An inselberg is an isolated hill or small mountain rising abruptly from a relatively flat plain.
The term comes from German for "island mountain," which captures the visual effect—a steep rocky outcrop surrounded by level terrain like an island in a sea of grassland or desert.
Uluru in Australia is a famous example.
Igneous rock, quartz-rich
- gneissFoliated metamorphic rock
- batholithLarge underground igneous mass
- plutonSubterranean cooled magma body
- kopjeSmall rocky hill
monadnock · tor · outcrop · bedrock · dome · nubbin · relict · residual
Isolated flat-topped hill
- mesaFlat-topped steep-sided elevation
- kopjeSmall rocky hill
- torHigh rocky outcrop
- cragSteep rugged outcrop
pinnacle · monolith · dome · knob · hill · mound · prominence · rise
Existing alone, apart
- isolatedSeparated from others
- remoteDistant or controller
- prominentEasily noticed or distinguished
- conspicuousClearly visible, attention-grabbing
landmark · singular · detached · freestanding · abrupt · rising · towering · sentinel
Tropical grassland, sparse trees
- outbackRemote interior wilderness
- veldAfrican open grassland
- steppeTreeless Eurasian grassland
- plateauFlat highland area
plain · desert · scrubland · bushveld · Kalahari · Sahel · Namib · African plains
Atmospheric breakdown of materials
- exfoliationShedding surface skin cells
- sheetingWide fabric for covers
- denudationRemoval of surface covering
- talusAnkle's main bone
scree · regolith · sediment · decomposition · abrasion · chemical weathering · stripping
granite
Igneous rock, quartz-rich
- gneissFoliated metamorphic rock
- batholithLarge underground igneous mass
- plutonSubterranean cooled magma body
kopje · monadnock · tor · outcrop · bedrock · dome · nubbin · relict · residual · crystalline
butte
Isolated flat-topped hill
crag · pinnacle · monolith · dome · knob · hill · mound · prominence · rise · eminence
solitary
Existing alone, apart
conspicuous · landmark · singular · detached · freestanding · abrupt · rising · towering · sentinel · unmistakable
savanna
Tropical grassland, sparse trees
plateau · plain · desert · scrubland · bushveld · Kalahari · Sahel · Namib · African plains · arid
weathering
Atmospheric breakdown of materials
- exfoliationShedding surface skin cells
- sheetingWide fabric for covers
- denudationRemoval of surface covering
talus · scree · regolith · sediment · decomposition · abrasion · chemical weathering · stripping
inselbergvalley
Low ground between heights
depression · basin · dene · hollow · lowland
inselbergmountain range
Series of connected peaks
mountain chain · cordillera · ridge · escarpment · plateau