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Geological Formations

Cuesta

Erosional and Karst Formations

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A cuesta is a hill or ridge with a gentle slope on one side and a steep slope on the other, formed where a harder layer of sedimentary rock overlies a softer layer and the whole sequence is tilted somewhat from horizontal. The gentle side, called a dip slope, follows the tilt of the resistant caprock, while erosion of the opposite side exposes a steep escarpment, and a landscape built from a series of these ridges is called a scarpland.

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