rimrock
Canyon's rocky lip
Rimrock is the exposed rock forming the edge of a plateau, mesa, or canyon—the caprock that crowns a cliff face.
Common in the American West, where erosion carves dramatic landscapes: Cattle grazed below the rimrock.
The term appears in place names throughout canyon country.
Vertical rock wall
- escarpmentSteep slope dividing elevations
- ledgeProjecting horizontal surface
- outcropSurfacing native stone
- overhangSection projecting beyond support
bluff · precipice · crag · face · drop-off · edge · lip · brow
Deep river-cut gorge
- mesaFlat-topped steep-sided elevation
- butteIsolated flat-topped hill
- plateauFlat highland area
- badlandsArid, heavily eroded terrain
valley · gorge · gulch · arroyo · desert · scrubland · chaparral · sagebrush
Cemented grain sediment
- basaltFine-grained volcanic stone
- limestoneCarbonate sedimentary rock
- sedimentaryFormed from deposited material
- igneousFormed from cooled magma
strata · weathering · lava flow · volcanic · quartzite · dolomite · conglomerate · shale
Viper with segmented tail noisemaker
- bighorn sheepWild North American ram
- golden eagleLarge brown bird of prey
- falconSwift bird of prey
- raptorHunting bird with talons
nesting · cliff swallow · lizard · marmot · pika · vulture · den · habitat
cliff
Vertical rock wall
- escarpmentSteep slope dividing elevations
- ledgeProjecting horizontal surface
- outcropSurfacing native stone
overhang · bluff · precipice · crag · face · drop-off · edge · lip · brow · vertical wall
canyon
Deep river-cut gorge
badlands · valley · gorge · gulch · arroyo · desert · scrubland · chaparral · sagebrush · high desert
sandstone
Cemented grain sediment
- basaltFine-grained volcanic stone
- limestoneCarbonate sedimentary rock
- sedimentaryFormed from deposited material
igneous · strata · weathering · lava flow · volcanic · quartzite · dolomite · conglomerate · shale · geologic formation
rattlesnake
Viper with segmented tail noisemaker
- bighorn sheepWild North American ram
- golden eagleLarge brown bird of prey
- falconSwift bird of prey
raptor · nesting · cliff swallow · lizard · marmot · pika · vulture · den · habitat · perch
- Southwestmesa, Monument Valley, Arizona, New Mexico, Grand Canyon
- Western Landscapesmesa, butte, canyon, arroyo, sagebrush
- Western Terrainplains, prairies, valleys, peaks, ridges
- Canyon Geologybuttes, mesas, cliffs, canyon walls, slot canyons
- desert geologyslot canyon, slot canyons, dunes, ergs, mesa
- Red Rock Countryred sand, slickrock, hoodoos, arches, slot canyons
rimrockcanyon floor
Base of deep gorge
canyon bottom · valley floor · riverbed · bottomland · lowland
rimrocktalus
Ankle's main bone
scree · alluvium · sediment · debris field · rockfall
rimrockfloodplain
Flood-prone riverside lowland
lowland · meadow · flatland · depression · hollow