![Over Monument Valley, Navajo Nation](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9b/Over_Monument_Valley%2C_Navajo_Nation.jpg)
A mesa is an isolated, flat-topped elevation,
ridge
A ridge or a mountain ridge is a geographical feature consisting of a chain of mountains or hills that form a continuous elevated crest for an extended distance. The sides of the ridge slope away from the narrow top on either side. The line ...
or
hill
A hill is a landform that extends above the surrounding terrain. It often has a distinct Summit (topography), summit.
Terminology
The distinction between a hill and a mountain is unclear and largely subjective, but a hill is universally con ...
, which is bounded from all sides by steep
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 stands distinctly above a surrounding
plain
In geography, a plain is a flat expanse of land that generally does not change much in elevation, and is primarily treeless. Plains occur as lowlands along valleys or at the base of mountains, as coastal plains, and as plateaus or uplands ...
. Mesas characteristically consist of flat-lying soft
sedimentary rock
Sedimentary rocks are types of rock that are formed by the accumulation or deposition of mineral or organic particles at Earth's surface, followed by cementation. Sedimentation is the collective name for processes that cause these particles ...
s capped by a more resistant layer or layers of harder
rock
Rock most often refers to:
* Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids
* Rock music, a genre of popular music
Rock or Rocks may also refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...
, e.g.
shale
Shale is a fine-grained, clastic sedimentary rock formed from mud that is a mix of flakes of clay minerals (hydrous aluminium phyllosilicates, e.g. kaolin, Al2 Si2 O5( OH)4) and tiny fragments (silt-sized particles) of other minerals, especial ...
s overlain by
sandstone
Sandstone is a clastic sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized (0.0625 to 2 mm) silicate grains. Sandstones comprise about 20–25% of all sedimentary rocks.
Most sandstone is composed of quartz or feldspar (both silicates) ...
s. The resistant layer acts as a caprock that forms the flat summit of a mesa. The
caprock
Caprock or cap rock is a more resistant rock type overlying a less resistant rock type,Kearey, Philip (2001). ''Dictionary of Geology'', 2nd ed., Penguin Reference, London, New York, etc., p. 41.. . analogous to an upper crust on a cake that is har ...
can consist of either sedimentary rocks such as sandstone 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 ...
; dissected
lava flow
Lava is molten or partially molten rock (magma) that has been expelled from the interior of a terrestrial planet (such as Earth) or a moon onto its surface. Lava may be erupted at a volcano or through a fracture in the crust, on land or und ...
s; or a deeply eroded
duricrust
Duricrust is a hard layer on or near the surface of soil. Duricrusts can range in thickness from a few millimeters or centimeters to several meters.
It is a general term (not to be confused with duripan) for a zone of chemical precipitation and ...
. Unlike ''
plateau
In geology and physical geography, a plateau (; ; ), also called a high plain or a tableland, is an area of a highland consisting of flat terrain that is raised sharply above the surrounding area on at least one side. Often one or more sides ha ...
'', whose usage does not imply horizontal layers of
bedrock
In geology, bedrock is solid Rock (geology), rock that lies under loose material (regolith) within the crust (geology), crust of Earth or another terrestrial planet.
Definition
Bedrock is the solid rock that underlies looser surface mater ...
, e.g.
Tibetan Plateau
The Tibetan Plateau (, also known as the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau or the Qing–Zang Plateau () or as the Himalayan Plateau in India, is a vast elevated plateau located at the intersection of Central, South and East Asia covering most of the Ti ...
, the term ''mesa'' applies exclusively to the landforms built of flat-lying
strata
In geology and related fields, a stratum ( : strata) is a layer of rock or sediment characterized by certain lithologic properties or attributes that distinguish it from adjacent layers from which it is separated by visible surfaces known as ei ...
. Instead, flat-topped plateaus are specifically known as ''
tablelands''.
[Duszyński, F., Migoń, P. and Strzelecki, M.C., 2019. ''Escarpment retreat in sedimentary tablelands and cuesta landscapes–Landforms, mechanisms and patterns.'' ''Earth-Science Reviews, no. 102890. doi.org/10.1016/j.earscirev.2019.102890][Migoń, P., 2004a. ''Mesa.'' In: Goudie, A.S. (Ed.), ''Encyclopedia of Geomorphology.'' Routledge, London, pp. 668. ][Neuendorf, Klaus K.E. Mehl, James P., Jr. Jackson, Julia A.. (2011). ''Glossary of Geology'' (5th Edition). American Geosciences Institute. ]
Names, definition and etymology
As noted by Bryan in 1922, mesas "...stand distinctly above the surrounding country, as a table stands above the floor upon which it rests".
It is from this appearance the term mesa was adopted from the
Spanish
Spanish might refer to:
* Items from or related to Spain:
**Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain
**Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries
**Spanish cuisine
Other places
* Spanish, Ontario, Cana ...
word ''mesa'' meaning "table".
A mesa is similar to, but has a more extensive summit area than, a
butte
__NOTOC__
In geomorphology, a butte () is an isolated hill with steep, often vertical sides and a small, relatively flat top; buttes are smaller landforms than mesas, plateaus, and tablelands. The word ''butte'' comes from a French word mea ...
. However, there is no agreed size limit that separates mesas from either buttes or plateaus. For example, the flat-topped mountains, which are known as mesas, in the Cockburn Range of
North Western Australia have areas as much as . In contrast, flat topped hills, which are as small as in area, in the
Elbe Sandstone Mountains
The Elbe Sandstone Mountains, also called the Elbe Sandstone Highlands (german: Elbsandsteingebirge; cs, Děčinská vrchovina), are a mountain range straddling the border between the state of Saxony in southeastern Germany and the North Bohemian ...
,
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
, are described as mesas.
Less strictly, a very broad, flat-topped, usually isolated hill or mountain of moderate height bounded on at least one side by a steep cliff or slope and representing an erosion remnant also have been called mesas.
In the English language geomorphic and geologic literature, other terms for mesa have also been used.
For example, in the Roraima region of Venezuela, the traditional name, ''
tepui
A tepui , or tepuy (), is a table-top mountain or mesa found in South America, especially in Venezuela and western Guyana. The word tepui means "house of the gods" in the native tongue of the Pemon, the indigenous people who inhabit the Gran S ...
'', from the local Pomón language, and the term ''table mountains'' have been used to describe local flat-topped mountains.
[Briceño, H.O. and Schubert, C., 1990. ''Geomorphology of the Gran Sabana, Guayana Shield, southeastern Venezuela.'' ''Geomorphology,'' 3(2), pp.125-141.][
Doerr, S.H., 1999. ''Karst-like landforms and hydrology in quartzites of the Venezuelan Guyana shield: Pseudokarst or" real" karst?.'' ''Zeitschrift fur Geomorphologie,'' 43(1), pp.1-17.] Similar landforms in Australia are known as tablehills, table-top hills, tent hills, or jump ups (jump-ups).
[Jack, R.L., 1915. ''The Geology and prospects of the Region to the South of the Musgrave Ranges, and the Geology of the Western Portion of the Great Australian Artesian Basin.'' ''Geol. Survey South Australia Bulletin 5,'' pp. 72.] The German term ''Tafelberg'' has also been used in the English scientific literature in the past.
[King, L.C., 1942. ''South African Scenery. A Textbook of Geomorphology.'' Oliver and Boyd, Edinburgh, London (340 pp.).]
Formation
![HarQatum](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e1/HarQatum.jpg)
Mesas form by
weathering
Weathering is the deterioration of rocks, soils and minerals as well as wood and artificial materials through contact with water, atmospheric gases, and biological organisms. Weathering occurs ''in situ'' (on site, with little or no movement), ...
and
erosion
Erosion is the action of surface processes (such as water flow or wind) that removes soil, rock, or dissolved material from one location on the Earth's crust, and then transports it to another location where it is deposited. Erosion is distin ...
of horizontally layered rocks that have been uplifted by
tectonic
Tectonics (; ) are the processes that control the structure and properties of the Earth's crust and its evolution through time. These include the processes of mountain building, the growth and behavior of the strong, old cores of continents k ...
activity. Variations in the ability of different types of rock to resist weathering and erosion cause the weaker types of rocks to be eroded away, leaving the more resistant types of rocks topographically higher than their surroundings.
This process is called differential erosion. The most resistant rock types include
sandstone
Sandstone is a clastic sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized (0.0625 to 2 mm) silicate grains. Sandstones comprise about 20–25% of all sedimentary rocks.
Most sandstone is composed of quartz or feldspar (both silicates) ...
,
conglomerate,
quartzite
Quartzite is a hard, non- foliated metamorphic rock which was originally pure quartz sandstone.Essentials of Geology, 3rd Edition, Stephen Marshak, p 182 Sandstone is converted into quartzite through heating and pressure usually related to tect ...
,
basalt
Basalt (; ) is an aphanite, aphanitic (fine-grained) extrusive igneous rock formed from the rapid cooling of low-viscosity lava rich in magnesium and iron (mafic lava) exposed at or very near the planetary surface, surface of a terrestrial ...
,
chert
Chert () is a hard, fine-grained sedimentary rock composed of microcrystalline or cryptocrystalline quartz, the mineral form of silicon dioxide (SiO2). Chert is characteristically of biological origin, but may also occur inorganically as a prec ...
,
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 ...
,
lava flows
Lava is molten or partially molten rock (magma) that has been expelled from the interior of a terrestrial planet (such as Earth) or a moon onto its surface. Lava may be erupted at a volcano or through a fracture in the crust, on land or un ...
and
sills.
Lava flows and sills, in particular, are very resistant to weathering and erosion, and often form the flat top, or
caprock
Caprock or cap rock is a more resistant rock type overlying a less resistant rock type,Kearey, Philip (2001). ''Dictionary of Geology'', 2nd ed., Penguin Reference, London, New York, etc., p. 41.. . analogous to an upper crust on a cake that is har ...
, of a mesa. The less resistant rock layers are mainly made up of
shale
Shale is a fine-grained, clastic sedimentary rock formed from mud that is a mix of flakes of clay minerals (hydrous aluminium phyllosilicates, e.g. kaolin, Al2 Si2 O5( OH)4) and tiny fragments (silt-sized particles) of other minerals, especial ...
, a softer rock that weathers and erodes more easily.
The differences in strength of various rock layers are what give mesas their distinctive shape. Less resistant rocks are eroded away on the surface into valleys, where they collect water drainage from the surrounding area, while the more resistant layers are left standing out.
A large area of very resistant rock, such as a sill, may shield the layers below it from erosion while the softer rock surrounding it is eroded into valleys, thus forming a caprock.
Differences in rock type also reflect on the sides of a mesa, as instead of smooth slopes, the sides are broken into a staircase pattern called "cliff-and-bench topography".
The more resistant layers form the cliffs, or stair steps, while the less resistant layers form gentle slopes, or benches, between the cliffs. Cliffs retreat and are eventually cut off from the main cliff, or
plateau
In geology and physical geography, a plateau (; ; ), also called a high plain or a tableland, is an area of a highland consisting of flat terrain that is raised sharply above the surrounding area on at least one side. Often one or more sides ha ...
, by basal sapping. When the cliff edge does not retreat uniformly but instead is indented by
headward eroding streams, a section can be cut off from the main cliff, forming a mesa.
Basal sapping occurs as water flowing around the rock layers of the mesa erodes the underlying soft shale layers, either as
surface runoff
Surface runoff (also known as overland flow) is the flow of water occurring on the ground surface when excess rainwater, stormwater, meltwater, or other sources, can no longer sufficiently rapidly infiltrate in the soil. This can occur when th ...
from the mesa top or from
groundwater
Groundwater is the water present beneath Earth's surface in rock and soil pore spaces and in the fractures of rock formations. About 30 percent of all readily available freshwater in the world is groundwater. A unit of rock or an unconsolidate ...
moving through permeable overlying layers, which leads to
slumping and flowage of the shale. As the underlying shale erodes away, it can no longer support the overlying cliff layers, which collapse and retreat. When the caprock has caved away to the point where only little remains, it is known as a
butte
__NOTOC__
In geomorphology, a butte () is an isolated hill with steep, often vertical sides and a small, relatively flat top; buttes are smaller landforms than mesas, plateaus, and tablelands. The word ''butte'' comes from a French word mea ...
.
Examples and locations
Australia
![Amadiya - panorama](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/80/Amadiya_-_panorama.jpg)
* Cockburn Range,
Western Australia
Western Australia (commonly abbreviated as WA) is a state of Australia occupying the western percent of the land area of Australia excluding external territories. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to th ...
*
Mount Conner
Mount Conner, also known as Atila, Artilla, or Fool-uru, is a mountain located in the southwest corner of the Northern Territory of Australia, southeast of Lake Amadeus, in the locality of Petermann. It lies within the Curtin Springs cattle ...
,
Northern Territory
The Northern Territory (commonly abbreviated as NT; formally the Northern Territory of Australia) is an states and territories of Australia, Australian territory in the central and central northern regions of Australia. The Northern Territory ...
France
*
Mont Aiguille
Mont Aiguille () is a mountain in the Vercors Massif of the French Prealps, located south of Grenoble, in the commune of Chichilianne, and the département of Isère. The mountain, known as one of the Seven Wonders of Dauphiné, is a relative ...
,
Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes (ARA; ; frp, Ôvèrgne-Rôno-Ârpes; oc, Auvèrnhe Ròse Aups; it, Alvernia-Rodano-Alpi) is a region in southeast-central France created by the 2014 territorial reform of French regions; it resulted from the merger of Au ...
Germany
*
Königstein,
Saxony
Saxony (german: Sachsen ; Upper Saxon: ''Saggsn''; hsb, Sakska), officially the Free State of Saxony (german: Freistaat Sachsen, links=no ; Upper Saxon: ''Freischdaad Saggsn''; hsb, Swobodny stat Sakska, links=no), is a landlocked state of ...
*
Lilienstein, Saxony
*
Papststein
Papststein is a mountain of Saxony, southeastern Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous ...
, Saxony
*
Pfaffenstein
The Pfaffenstein, formerly called the ''Jungfernstein'', is a table hill,[''"Der Pfaffenste ...](_blank)
, Saxony
*
Quirl
The Quirl is a low table hill, 349 metres high, in Saxon Switzerland, west of the River Elbe.
Location and area
The Quirl rises about two kilometres south of Königstein in the so-called Land of Stones (''Gebiet der Steine''), part of Saxon S ...
, Saxony
Iraq
*
Amadiya
Amedi or Amadiya ( ku, ئامێدی, Amêdî, ; Syriac: , Amədya), is a town in the Duhok Governorate of Kurdistan Region of Iraq. It is built on a mesa in the broader Great Zab river valley.
Etymology
According to Ali ibn al-Athir, the name ...
,
Kurdistan Region
Kurdistan Region ( ku, هەرێمی کوردستان, translit=Herêmî Kurdistan; ar, إقليم كردستان), abbr. KRI, is an autonomous region in Iraq comprising the four Kurdish-majority governorates of Erbil, Sulaymaniyah, Duhok, ...
Ireland
* Kings Mountain,
County Sligo
County Sligo ( , gle, Contae Shligigh) is a county in Ireland. It is located in the Border Region and is part of the province of Connacht. Sligo is the administrative capital and largest town in the county. Sligo County Council is the local ...
[Journal of Earth Sciences Royal Dublin Society. (1980). Ireland: The Society.]
*
Knocknarea
Knocknarea (; ) is a large prominent hill west of Sligo town in County Sligo, Ireland, with a height of . Knocknarea is visually striking as it has steep limestone cliffs and stands on the Cúil Irra peninsula overlooking the Atlantic coast. A ...
, County Sligo
*
Knocknashee
Knocknashee ( ga, Cnoc na Sí) is a Marilyn in the Ox Mountains, County Sligo, Ireland.
Geography
The River Moy rises at the foot of Knocknashee.
Geology
Knocknashee hill consists of a limestone top with shales underlying the lower slop ...
, County Sligo
Israel
*
Masada
Masada ( he, מְצָדָה ', "fortress") is an ancient fortification in the Southern District of Israel situated on top of an isolated rock plateau, akin to a mesa. It is located on the eastern edge of the Judaean Desert, overlooking the Dea ...
,
Southern District
* Har Qatum
Italy
*
Monte Santo,
Sardinia
Sardinia ( ; it, Sardegna, label=Italian, Corsican and Tabarchino ; sc, Sardigna , sdc, Sardhigna; french: Sardaigne; sdn, Saldigna; ca, Sardenya, label=Algherese and Catalan) is the second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, after ...
United Kingdom
England
![Ingleborough from Little Ingleborough - geograph](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/33/Ingleborough_from_Little_Ingleborough_-_geograph.org.uk_-_548604.jpg)
*
Castle Folds
Castle Folds or Castlesteads was a Romano-British walled settlement on Great Asby Scar – an area of limestone pavement in the parish of Asby, Cumbria, England. In medieval times, it was used as a shieling – a temporary summer shelter. It ...
,
Cumbria
Cumbria ( ) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in North West England, bordering Scotland. The county and Cumbria County Council, its local government, came into existence in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972. Cumb ...
*
Cross Fell
Cross Fell is the highest mountain in the Pennines of Northern England and the highest point in England outside the Lake District. It is located in the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. It lies within the county of Cumbria and ...
, Cumbria
* Goldsborough Carr,
County Durham
County Durham ( ), officially simply Durham,UK General Acts 1997 c. 23Lieutenancies Act 1997 Schedule 1(3). From legislation.gov.uk, retrieved 6 April 2022. is a ceremonial county in North East England.North East Assembly About North East E ...
[Reading, H. G. (1954) The stratigraphy and structure of the syncline of stainmore, Durham theses,
Durham University. Available at Durham E-Theses Online: http://etheses.dur.ac.uk/9349/
]
*
Ingleborough
Ingleborough () is the second-highest mountain in the Yorkshire Dales, England. It is one of the Yorkshire Three Peaks (the other two being Whernside and Pen-y-ghent), and is frequently climbed as part of the Three Peaks walk. A large part o ...
,
North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire is the largest ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county (lieutenancy area) in England, covering an area of . Around 40% of the county is covered by National parks of the United Kingdom, national parks, including most of ...
*
Pen-y-ghent
Pen-y-ghent or Penyghent is a fell in the Yorkshire Dales, England. It is the lowest of Yorkshire's Three Peaks at ; the other two being Ingleborough and Whernside. It lies east of Horton in Ribblesdale. It has a number of interesting geologic ...
, North Yorkshire
* Shacklesborough, County Durham
Scotland
*
Healabhal Mhòr
Healabhal Mhòr (471 m), is a hill in the north of the Isle of Skye, Scotland. It is also known as MacLeod's Table North, as it lies close the fellow flat-topped hill of Healabhal Bheag, or MacLeod's Table South. Despite its lower height, it ...
,
Isle of Skye
The Isle of Skye, or simply Skye (; gd, An t-Eilean Sgitheanach or ; sco, Isle o Skye), is the largest and northernmost of the major islands in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland. The island's peninsulas radiate from a mountainous hub dominated ...
United States
Arizona
*
Anderson Mesa
Anderson Mesa (Navajo: Hosh Dikʼání) is approximately five mesas long, located 20 miles southeast of Flagstaff, Arizona, United States, east of Lake Mary and north of Mormon Lake, in Coconino County.
This mesa landform, with an elevation bet ...
*
Black Mesa
*
Black Mesa
*
Black Mesa
*
Black Mountain
*
Cummings Mesa
Cummings Mesa is a summit (elevation ) on the Navajo Nation in northern Coconino County, Arizona and southern San Juan, Utah in the western United States, about west-southwest of Navajo Mountain
, photo = NavajoMtn (cropped).jpg
, photo_capti ...
*
First Mesa
First Mesa ( Hopi: Wàlpi) is a census-designated place (CDP) in Navajo County, Arizona, United States, on the Hopi Reservation. As of the 2010 census, the CDP population was 1,555, spread among three Hopi villages atop the 5,700-foot (1,740 m ...
*
Horseshoe Mesa
Horseshoe Mesa is a 5,246-foot-elevation mesa-summit located in the eastern Grand Canyon, in Coconino County, Arizona, Coconino County of northern Arizona, Southwestern United States, US. It is located 1.5 mi south of the Colorado River and G ...
*
Indian Mesa
Indian Mesa is a flat top hill whose sides are steep cliffs. Indian Mesa is located within the Lake Pleasant Regional Park grounds by the shores of Lake Pleasant and Agua Fria River in the Bradshaw Mountain Range. Lake Pleasant Regional Park is w ...
*
Second Mesa
Second Mesa is a census-designated place (CDP) in Navajo County, Arizona, on the Hopi Reservation, atop the 5,700-foot (1,740 m) mesa. As of the 2010 census, the CDP population was 962, spread among three Hopi Indian villages, Musungnuvi (or Mi ...
California
*
Redonda Mesa
Redonda Mesa is a mesa type formation located in the southern Santa Ana Mountains, near the Pacific Ocean in Southern California. It is located in an unincorporated area of southwestern Riverside County.
The highest point of Redonda Mesa is in e ...
Colorado
![Mesa in Colorado](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/92/Mesa_in_Colorado.jpg)
*
Battlement Mesa
Battlement Mesa is a large prominent mesa in western Colorado in the United States. It sits along the Garfield-Mesa county line, between the Colorado River to the north and Plateau Creek to the south.
It is visible south of Interstate 70, visibl ...
*
Grand Mesa
The Grand Mesa is a large mesa in western Colorado in the United States. It is the largest flat-topped mountain in the world. It has an area of about and stretches for about east of Grand Junction between the Colorado River and the Gunniso ...
- largest flat-topped mountain in the world.
*
Green Mountain
Green Mountain is a common name for "The Peak", the highest point on Ascension Island, which has gained some fame for claims that it is one of very few large-scale artificial forests.
History and vegetation
Many early 19th-century accounts, in ...
*
Log Hill Mesa
Log Hill Mesa is a mesa in Ouray County, Colorado. Log Hill Mesa includes part of the southern end of the Uncompahgre Plateau and faces south towards the Sneffels Range.
Recreation
Log Hill Mesa is home to the mountain resort community of Loghi ...
*
North Table Mountain
North Table Mountain is a mesa on the eastern flank of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains of North America. The mesa summit is located in North Table Mountain Park, north by east ( bearing 9°) of downtown Golden, Colorado, United States ...
*
Raton Mesa
Raton Mesa is the collective name of several mesas on the eastern side of Raton Pass in New Mexico and Colorado. The name Raton Mesa or Mesas has sometimes been applied to all the mesas that extend east for along the Colorado-New Mexico border f ...
Nevada
*
Mormon Mesa
Mormon Mesa is a mesa between the Virgin River and the Muddy River in Clark County, southern Nevada.
In the south above the confluence of the Muddy and Virgin Rivers, it rises to a height of 1893 feet (577 meters). It extends northward to the f ...
*
Pahute Mesa
Pahute Mesa or Paiute Mesa is one of four major nuclear test regions within the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS). It occupies in the northwest corner of the NNSS in Nevada. The eastern section is known as Area 19 and the western section as ...
Oklahoma
*
Black Mesa
*
Mesa de Maya The Mesa de Maya is a prominent volcanic tableland rising to above the Great Plains in southeastern Colorado. A narrow finger of the mesa extends eastward through the northeastern corner of New Mexico and a few miles into Oklahoma where it is kno ...
Texas
* Floating Mesa
Utah
*
Checkerboard Mesa
Checkerboard Mesa is an iconic elevation Navajo Sandstone summit located in Zion National Park, in Kane County of southwest Utah, United States. Checkerboard Mesa is situated immediately southwest of the park's east entrance, towering above t ...
*
Crazy Quilt Mesa
Crazy Quilt Mesa is a elevation white Navajo Sandstone summit located in Zion National Park, in Kane County of southwest Utah, United States.
Description
Crazy Quilt Mesa is situated southwest of the park's east entrance, towering 1,000-feet (3 ...
*
Hurricane Mesa
Hurricane Mesa () is a Utah landform near Hurricane, Utah, used for Cold War tests of rocket ejection seats for supersonic aircraft at the Hurricane Supersonic Research Site. The mesa is "flat bedrock of faultless Shinarump conglomerate" above ...
* Sams Mesa
* Smith Mesa
* South Caineville Mesa
* Thompson Mesa
* Wildcat Mesa
* Wingate Mesa
Wisconsin
*
Grandad Bluff
Grandad Bluff (also Granddad Bluff) is a bluff on the east side of La Crosse, Wisconsin. It is approximately above the surrounding land and above sea level. Bliss Road provides access to the bluff.
A park shelter in a fenced-off area atop the b ...
On Mars
![PIA21585 - A Mesa in Noctis Labyrinthus](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/ce/PIA21585_-_A_Mesa_in_Noctis_Labyrinthus.jpg)
A transitional zone on
Mars
Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun and the second-smallest planet in the Solar System, only being larger than Mercury (planet), Mercury. In the English language, Mars is named for the Mars (mythology), Roman god of war. Mars is a terr ...
, known as
fretted terrain
Fretted terrain is a type of surface feature common to certain areas of Mars and was discovered in Mariner 9 images. It lies between two different types of terrain. The surface of Mars can be divided into two parts: low, young, uncratered plains ...
, lies between highly cratered highlands and less cratered lowlands. The younger lowland exhibits steep walled mesas and
knobs. The mesa and knobs are separated by flat lying lowlands. They are thought to form from ice-facilitated mass wasting processes from ground or atmospheric sources. The mesas and knobs decrease in size with increasing distance from the highland escarpment. The relief of the mesas range from nearly to depending on the distance they are from the escarpment.
[Baker, David M. Morphological Analyses of Mesas and Knobs in the Northwest Fretted Terrain of Mars; Constraints on the Presence and Distribution of Ice-Facilitated Mass-Wasting. Ed. Alexander K. Stewart and James W. Head. Vol. 40. Issue 2. pp. 72. United States: Geological Society of America (GSA) : Boulder, CO, United States, 2008.]
See also
*
*
*
*
*
*
* – Group of mountains immediately south of Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada
* – Chinese city named after a local mesa
*
*
*
*
*
*
References
{{Authority control
Erosion landforms
Geography terminology
Slope landforms