Etchplain

An etchplain is a plain formed where bedrock has undergone deep subsurface weathering that is later exposed by erosion, a process called etchplanation. During wetter periods weathering works deep into the rock to produce a loose weathered layer called regolith, which is then stripped away by erosion during drier periods. An etchplain only develops where erosion keeps pace with or outpaces this weathering, exposing the irregular etched surface beneath. Because weathering advances unevenly through the rock, an etchplain is rarely truly flat and typically preserves variations that reflect the strength and structure of the underlying bedrock.