Great vertical escarpments are associated with ________ of sedimentary strata in desert climates.

Question

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Great vertical escarpments are commonly formed by differential erosion, which occurs when rocks of varying resistance to weathering and erosion are exposed to a relatively uniform erosional agent. In desert climates, where sedimentary strata are often composed of layers of varying hardness, wind and water erode different layers at different rates, creating cliffs and steep slopes. Solutions (A) and abrasion (B) can be important agents of erosion in deserts, but they do not specifically lead to the formation of vertical cliffs. Sandblasting (C) is a form of abrasion but does not occur in isolation to lead to escarpment formation. Tectonic upwarping (E) can create relief, but it does not result in the abrupt vertical cliffs typically associated with differential erosion.

Great Vertical Escarpments Are Associated with ________ of Sedimentary Strata