Chink (russian: Чинк) is a regional term in

Central Asia Central Asia, also known as Middle Asia, is a subregion, region of Asia that stretches from the Caspian Sea in the west to western China and Mongolia in the east, and from Afghanistan and Iran in the south to Russia in the north. It includes t ...

for steep

chalk Chalk is a soft, white, porous, sedimentary carbonate rock. It is a form of limestone composed of the mineral calcite and originally formed deep under the sea by the compression of microscopic plankton that had settled to the sea floor. Chalk ...

and

limestone Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms whe ...

escarpment An escarpment is a steep slope or long cliff that forms as a result of faulting or erosion and separates two relatively level areas having different elevations. The terms ''scarp'' and ''scarp face'' are often used interchangeably with ''escar ...

s and

cliff In geography and geology, a cliff is an area of rock which has a general angle defined by the vertical, or nearly vertical. Cliffs are formed by the processes of weathering and erosion, with the effect of gravity. Cliffs are common on co ...

s of heights up to 350 m, often around flat-top elevations. They are the result of

denudation Denudation is the geological processes in which moving water, ice, wind, and waves erode the Earth's surface, leading to a reduction in elevation and in relief of landforms and landscapes. Although the terms erosion and denudation are used interch ...

and abrasion during the regressions of the

Caspian Caspian can refer to: *The Caspian Sea *The Caspian Depression, surrounding the northern part of the Caspian Sea *The Caspians, the ancient people living near the Caspian Sea *Caspian languages, collection of languages and dialects of Caspian peopl ...

and AralФАУНА НАЗЕМНЫХ ПОЗВОНОЧНЫХ ВОСТОЧНОГО ЧИНКА ПЛАТО УСТЮРТ
/ref> seas. Most commonly they may be found on the

Mangyshlak Peninsula Mangyshlak or Mangghyshlaq Peninsula ( kk, Маңғыстау түбегі, translit=Mañğystau tübegı; russian: Полуостров Мангышла́к, translit=Poluostrov Mangyshlák) is a large peninsula located in western Kazakhstan. It ...

( Kenderli-Kayasan nature reserve) and

Ustyurt Plateau The Ustyurt or Ust-Yurt (from kk, Үстірт; uz, Ustyurt; tk, Üstyurt; — flat hill, plateau) is a transboundary clay desert shared by Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan. The plateau's semi-nomadic population raises sheep, goats, an ...

( Ust'urt Nature reserve). Chinks may also result from

tectonic uplift Tectonic uplift is the geologic uplift of Earth's surface that is attributed to plate tectonics. While isostatic response is important, an increase in the mean elevation of a region can only occur in response to tectonic processes of crustal thick ...

s. They are usually formed when top hard

rocks In geology, rock (or stone) is any naturally occurring solid mass or aggregate of minerals or mineraloid matter. It is categorized by the minerals included, its chemical composition, and the way in which it is formed. Rocks form the Earth's ...

overlay soft rock layers. Detached chinks are called ''ostantsy'' (останцы) in Russian, literally akin to the word "leftovers". The

is nearly completely bounded by chinks on all sides. In the east it is the former west shore of the Aral Sea, in the south its chink breaks to the Kunya-Darya (Куня-Дарья) alluvial plain and the

Uzboy The Uzboy (sometimes rendered Uzboj) was a distributary of the Amu Darya which flowed through the northwestern part of the Karakum Desert of Turkmenistan until the 17th century, when it abruptly dried up, eliminating the agricultural population t ...

valley, in the west to the Karynyaryk depression and to the North Caspian Sea

Karakum Karakum may refer to: *Karakum Desert, a desert in Central Asia * ''Karakum'' (film), a 1994 Turkmen film *Karakum Canal, Turkmenistan *Karakum District, Turkmenistan See also * Karakoram, a large mountain range spanning the borders of India, Paki ...

sands, and in the north to the

Caspian Depression The Caspian Depression ( kk, Каспий маңы ойпаты, ''Kaspıı mańy oıpaty''; rus, Прикаспи́йская ни́зменность, p=prʲɪkɐˈspʲijskəjə ˈnʲizmʲɪnnəsʲtʲ, Caspian Lowland) or Pricaspian/Peri-Casp ...

. Ustyurt chinks often have multicolored layers, with colors of pale pink, blue, clear white, and others; and can form fancy landscapes.Устюртский заповедник, Западный Казахстан
/ref>

Gallery

File:Kyzylkup site at Ustyurt Nature Reserve.jpg, Kyzylkup File:Урочище Онере, сор Кендирли.jpg, ''Ostantsy'' in Kendirli Lake File:Кокосем.jpg,

Karakiya District Karakiya District ( kk, Қарақия ауданы, Qaraqiia audany, ) is a district of Mangystau Region in south-western Kazakhstan Kazakhstan, officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a transcontinental country located mainly in Centra ...

, Ustyurt File:Меловые горы в Мангистауской области Казахстана.jpg, , Karakiya File:Bozjyra Gorge 50MP Panorama.jpg, Bozzhyra "fangs"

References

{{reflist Erosion landforms Caspian Sea