rimrocks
Rock ledge outcrops
Rimrocks are the rocky outcrops or cliffs that form the edge of a plateau or mesa, typically in arid Western landscapes.
The term describes the exposed rock formations that cap elevated terrain, creating a natural rim: We hiked along the rimrocks overlooking the valley.
The word appears frequently in place names throughout the American West.
Steep slope dividing elevations
- bluffCalculated false front
- outcropSurfacing native stone
- ledgeProjecting horizontal surface
- overhangSection projecting beyond support
precipice · crag · cliff · butte · mesa · palisade · promontory · tor
Cemented grain sediment
- limestoneCarbonate sedimentary rock
- shaleCompacted clay sediment
- sedimentaryFormed from deposited material
- strataParallel geological layers
weathering · erosion · deposition · talus · scree · caprock · bedrock · formation
escarpment
Steep slope dividing elevations
overhang · precipice · crag · cliff · butte · mesa · palisade · promontory · tor · pinnacle
sandstone
Cemented grain sediment
- limestoneCarbonate sedimentary rock
- shaleCompacted clay sediment
- sedimentaryFormed from deposited material
strata · weathering · erosion · deposition · talus · scree · caprock · bedrock · formation · layering
granite
Igneous rock, quartz-rich
- basaltFine-grained volcanic stone
- quartziteMetamorphic silica-rich stone
- igneousFormed from cooled magma
metamorphic · boulders · cobble · silicate · mineral · gneiss · schist · conglomerate · dolomite · mudstone
rimrocksvalley floors
Low terrain between heights
lowlands · basins · floodplains · bottomlands · arroyos
rimrocksflatlands
Level, unvarying terrain
plains · prairies · meadows · open range · tablelands
rimrocksvalley floor
Bottom of depression between hills
canyon bottom · riverbed · lowlands · floodplain · bottomland