- Butte
A butte (IPAEng|bju:t) is an isolated
hill with steep, often vertical sides and a small flat top, smaller thanmesa s,plateau s, and tables. In some regions the word is simply used for any hill. Buttes are prevalent in thewestern United States . The word "butte" comes from a French word meaning "small hill"; its use is prevalent in the western United States except the southwest, where "mesa" is used instead.Distinction from mesa
One standardFact|date=June 2008 holds that a mesa has a surface area over 1,000 square meters, while a butte has a surface area less than 1,000 square meters (11,250 square feet). Geographers use the rule of thumb that a mesa has a top that is wider than its height, while a butte's top is narrower than its height. [cite web
title = Mesa and butte
work =
publisher = Science Clarified
date =
url = http://www.scienceclarified.com/landforms/Faults-to-Mountains/Mesa-and-Butte.html
format =
doi =
accessdate = 2008-06-30]Formation
Buttes are formed by
erosion when a cap of hard rock, often of volcanic origin, covers a layer of softer rock that is easily worn away. The hard rock avoids erosion while the soft rock around it wears down. One example of a noted butte is Chimney Rock. On a much smaller scale, the same process forms hoodoos.Sedona, Arizona
Black Butte, nearSisters, Oregon Big Spring, Texas [Hill, R.T. 1890. A brief description of the Cretaceous rocks of Texas and their economic value. In: Dumble, E.T. (ed.), First Annual Report of the Geological Survey of Texas, 1889. Austin: State Printing Office, pp. 105-141.]ee also
*
Plateau
*Dissected plateau
*Mesa
*Potrero
*Tepui
*Tuya Notes
External links
* [http://www.scsc.k12.ar.us/2002Outwest/NaturalHistory/Projects/WylieT/default.htm "Mesas and Buttes"] photographs and examples
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