scarping
Making cliff faces
Scarping is the process of cutting or forming a steep slope or escarpment, typically in earthwork or fortification.
Military engineers scarp hillsides to create defensive advantages.
In geology, scarping refers to the natural formation of cliff faces through erosion or faulting.
The word also appears in metalworking, where scarping means beveling or chamfering an edge before joining pieces.
Vertical rock wall
- bluffCalculated false front
- precipiceSteep rock face
- cuestaAsymmetrical tilted-rock ridge
- ridgeNarrow raised strip
steep · crag · outcrop · promontory · butte · mesa · plateau · tor
Fortified defensive wall
- earthworkConstructed soil structure
- embankmentRaised earth structure
- ditchShallow excavated channel
- parapetLow wall at edge
defensive · trench · glacis · moat · breastwork · redoubt · bastion · bulwark
Imperfection or blame
- tectonicsStudy of crustal deformation
- strataParallel geological layers
- bedrockSolid stone underground
- outcropSurfacing native stone
geomorphology · sedimentation · orogeny · rift · subsidence · seismology · faulting · uplift
Dividing via sharp edge
- gradingAssigning marks to work
- excavatingRemoving soil to uncover
- steepeningGrowing more sharply angled
- slopingAngled from horizontal
carving · forming · contouring · sculpting · profiling · terracing · leveling · beveling
Atmospheric breakdown of materials
- undercuttingCharging less than rivals
- degradationDecline in condition
- denudationRemoval of surface covering
- wearingHaving clothing on
crumbling · disintegration · attrition · sapping · washing · recession · retreat · corrosion
cliff
Vertical rock wall
ridge · steep · crag · outcrop · promontory · butte · mesa · plateau · tor · pinnacle
rampart
Fortified defensive wall
- earthworkConstructed soil structure
- embankmentRaised earth structure
- ditchShallow excavated channel
parapet · defensive · trench · glacis · moat · breastwork · redoubt · bastion · bulwark · fieldwork
fault
Imperfection or blame
outcrop · geomorphology · sedimentation · orogeny · rift · subsidence · seismology · faulting · uplift · dip
cutting
Dividing via sharp edge
- gradingAssigning marks to work
- excavatingRemoving soil to uncover
- steepeningGrowing more sharply angled
sloping · carving · forming · contouring · sculpting · profiling · terracing · leveling · beveling · angling
weathering
Atmospheric breakdown of materials
- undercuttingCharging less than rivals
- degradationDecline in condition
- denudationRemoval of surface covering
wearing · crumbling · disintegration · attrition · sapping · washing · recession · retreat · corrosion · deterioration