Friday, June 17, 2011
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
List Of the Cliffs in Asia
Above Sea
- The Cliff of Kurosakitakao, Mikurajima, Tokyo prefecture, Japan 480 m above Pacific Ocean
- Matengai, Oki Islands, Shimane prefecture, Japan 257 m above Sea of Japan
- Senba-kaigai, Minami, Tokushima prefecture, Japan 250 m above Pacific Ocean
- Chibu-sekiheki, Oki Islands, Shimane prefecture, Japan 200 m above Sea of Japan
- Senzoku-dangai, Shinonsen, Hyogo prefecture, Japan 180 m above Sea of Japan
- Yoroinosode, Kami, Hyogo prefecture, Japan 65 m above Sea of Japan
- Sandanbeki, Shirahama, Wakayama prefecture, Japan 60 m above Pacific Ocean
- Tojinbo, Sakai, Fukui prefecture, Japan 25 m above Sea of Japan
Above Land
- Nanga Parbat, Rupal Face, Azad Kashmir, Pakistan, 4600 m
- Ultar Sar southwest face, Karakoram, Northern Areas, Pakistan, 3000 m
- Trango Towers: East Face Great Trango Tower, Baltoro Muztagh, Northern Areas, Pakistan, 1340 m (near vertical)
- Uli Biaho Towers, Baltoro Glacier, Northern Areas, Pakistan
- Baintha Brakk (The Ogre), Panmah Muztagh, Northern Areas, Pakistan, 1600 m
- The Latok Group, Panmah Muztagh, Northern Areas, Pakistan, 1800 m
- Spantik northwest face, Karakoram, Northern Areas, Pakistan, 2000 m
- Shispare Sar southwest face, Karakoram, Northern Areas, Pakistan, 3200 m
- Skamri Sar north face, Karakoram, Northern Areas, Pakistan, 1500 m
- Hunza Peak south face, Karakoram, Northern Areas, Pakistan, 1700 m
- Amin Brakk southeast face, Karakoram, Northern Areas, Pakistan, 1200 m (near vertical)
- Lhotse south face, Mahalangur Himal, Nepal, 2600 m
- Meru Peak, Uttarakhand, India, 1200 m
- Various cliffs in the Ak-Su Valley of Kyrgyzstan are high and steep.
Large and famous cliffs
Given that a cliff need not be exactly vertical, there can be ambiguity about whether a given slope is a cliff or not, and also about how much of a certain slope to count as a cliff. For example, given a truly vertical rock wall above a very steep slope, one could count only the rock wall, or the combination. This makes listings of cliffs an inherently uncertain endeavor.
Some of the largest cliffs on Earth are found underwater. For example, an 8000-meter drop over a 4,250-meter span can be found at a ridge sitting inside the Kermadec Trench.
The highest cliff (rock wall, mountain face) in the world, is Nanga Parbat's Rupal Flank, which rises approximately 4600 meters, or 15,000 feet, above its base. According to other sources, the highest cliff in the world, about 1340 m high, is the east face of Great Trango in the Karakoram mountains of northern Pakistan. This uses a fairly stringent notion of cliff, as the 1340 m figure refers to a nearly vertical headwall; adding in a very steep approach brings the total height to over 1600 m.
The location of the world's highest sea cliffs depends also on the definition of 'cliff' that is used. The Guinness record books claim it is Kalaupapa, Hawaii, at 1010 m high. Another contender is the north face of Mitre Peak, which drops 1683 meters to Milford Sound, New Zealand. These are subject to a less stringent definition, as the average slope of these cliffs at Kaulapapa is about 1.7, corresponding to an angle of 60 degrees, and Mitre Peak is similar. A more vertical drop into the sea can be found at Maujit Qaqarssuasia (also known as the 'Thumbnail') which is situated in the Torssakutak fjord area at the very tip of South Greenland and drops 1560m near-vertically.
Considering a truly vertical drop, Mount Thor on Baffin Island in Arctic Canada is often considered the highest at 1370 m (4500 ft) high in total (the top 480 m (1600 ft) is overhanging), and is said to give it the longest purely vertical drop on Earth at 1250 m (4,100 ft). However, cliffs on Baffin Island, such as Polar Sun Spire, or others in remote areas of Greenland may be higher.
The highest cliff in the solar system may be Verona Rupes, an approximately 20 km (12 mile) high fault scarp on Miranda, a moon of Uranus.
Cliff
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| The Trango Towers in Pakistan |
In geography and geology, a cliff is a significant vertical, or near vertical, rock exposure. Cliffs are formed as erosion landforms due to the processes of erosion and weathering that produce them. Cliffs are common on coasts, in mountainous areas, escarpments and along rivers. Cliffs are usually formed by rock that is resistant to erosion and weathering. Sedimentary rocks are most likely to form sandstone, limestone, chalk, and dolomite. Igneous rocks, such as granite and basalt also often form cliffs.
An escarpment (or scarp) is a type of cliff, formed by the movement of a geologic fault, or a landslide.
Most cliffs have some form of scree slope at their base. In arid areas or under high cliffs, these are generally exposed jumbles of fallen rock. In areas of higher moisture, a soil slope may obscure the talus. Many cliffs also feature tributary waterfalls or rock shelters. Sometimes a cliff peters out at the end of a ridge, with tea tables or other types of rock columns remaining.
The Ordnance Survey distinguishes between cliffs (continuous line along the top edge with projections down the face) and outcrops (continuous lines along lower edge).
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| Europe's tallest cliff, Troll wall in Norway |
