yawiki.org entry for Rock formation

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See "Formation of rocks" for processes by which rocks are formed.
Rock formations as used in this article refers to isolated, scenic, or spectacular surface rock outcrops. These are usually the result of weathering and erosion sculpting the existing rock. Rock formation in general refers to specific sedimentary strata or other rock unit in stratigraphic and petrologic studies.

Geologists classify rocks into three types according to their origin. A rock structure can be created in any rock type or combination:-

Sedimentary rocks are created from bits of rocks that have broken off other rocks by wind or water erosion, and deposited by wind, ice, or water. Erosion later exposes them in their current form. An example is Bryce Canyon National Park in Utah.

Metamorphic rocks are created by rocks that have evolved into another kind of rock, usually by heat and pressure. An example is Mount Rushmore National Monument in South Dakota.

Igneous rocks are created when molten rock cools and solidifies, with or without crystallization. They may be either intrusive bodies or volcanic extrusives. Again, erosive forces sculpt their current forms. An example is Iao Needle in Maui, Hawaii.

Geologists have created a number of terms to describe different rock structures in the landscape that can be formed by natural processes:-

Inselberg is a residual relief feature. It can be an isolated hill, a knob, ridge or small mountain that rises abruptly, like an island, from a gently sloping or virtually level surrounding plain. Inselberg is a German word that means "island mountain". Uluru/Ayers Rock in Australia is a noted example.

Sea cliff

River cliff

    Rock formation
            Oceania
            Asia
            Middle East
                Algeria
                Angola
                Burkina Faso
                Cameroon
                Egypt
                Eritrea
                Kenya
                Libya
                Madagascar
                Malawi
                Mali
                Mauritania
                Morocco
                Namibia
                Niger
                Nigeria
                Seychelles
                South Africa
                Sudan
                Tunisia
                Zimbabwe
                United States of America
                Canada
                Caribbean
                Latin America
            Europe
                Greece
                Italy
                Iceland
                Denmark
                Sweden
                Finland
                Norway
                Malta
                Spain
                Portugal
                Germany
                Switzerland
                Czech Republic
                Slovakia
                Poland
                Romania
                Bulgaria
                Gibraltar
                Latvia
                Estonia
                Lists of rock formations by country

	Source Privacy License Download Contact Us Atlas Scientus.org Dictionary (Yet Another Wiki) RC : 1.39 MIT OpenCourseWare This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License [copyleft]. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Rock formation". link