Cliff Totally Explained

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   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's resistant to erosion and weathering. Sedimentary rocks 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.
   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.
   The highest cliff (rock wall, mountain face) in the world, is Nanga Parbat in the Himalayas, that rises 4600 meters above its base.
   According to some sources, the highest cliff in the world, about 1,340 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 1,340 m figure refers to a nearly vertical headwall; adding in a very steep approach brings the total height to over 1,600 m.) The highest sea cliffs, 1,010 m high, are located at Kalaupapa, Hawaii. (This uses a less stringent definition, as the average slope of these cliffs is about 1.7, corresponding to an angle of 60 degrees.)
   Considering a truly vertical drop, Mount Thor on Baffin Island in Arctic Canada is the highest at 1,370 m (4,500 ft) high in total (the top 480 m (1,600 ft) is overhanging). This is said to give it the longest purely vertical drop on Earth at 1,250 m (4,100 ft).
   Given that walking over a cliff could be fatal, the Ordnance Survey distinguish between cliffs (continuous line along the top edge with projections down the face) and outcrops (continuos line along lower edge).

Large and famous cliffs

solar system may be Verona Rupes, an approximately 20 km (12 mile) high fault scarp on Miranda, a moon of Uranus. The following is an incomplete list of cliffs of the world. (see also )

Asia

Masada, Israel, Dead Sea Above Land
Trango Towers, Baltoro Muztagh, Northern Areas, Pakistan
Uli Biaho Towers, Baltoro Glacier, Northern Areas, Pakistan
Baintha Brakk (The Ogre), Panmah Muztagh, Northern Areas, Pakistan
The Latok Group, Panmah Muztagh, Northern Areas, Pakistan
Various cliffs in the Ak-Su Valley of Kyrgyzstan cliffs are high and steep.

Europe

Above Sea

Cape Enniberg, Faroe Islands, 750 m above North Sea

Croaghaun, Achill Island, Ireland, 668 m above Atlantic Ocean

Vixía Herbeira, Northern Galicia, Spain, 621 m above Atlantic Ocean

Preikestolen, Norway, 604 m above Lysefjorden

Slieve League, Ireland, 601 m above Atlantic Ocean

Cabo Girão, Madeira, 589 m above Atlantic Ocean

Conachair, St Kilda, Scotland 427 m above Atlantic Ocean

St John's Head (Hoy Orkney Islands Scotland) at 335m is the most vertical sea cliff in the UK

Hangman cliffs, Devon 318 m above Bristol Channel is the highest sea cliff in England

Dingli Cliffs, Malta, 250 m above Mediterranean sea

Cliffs of Moher, Ireland, 217 m above Atlantic Ocean

Cap de la Nau, Spain, 200 m above Mediterranean sea

Beachy Head, England, 162 m above the English Channel

Møns Klint, Denmark, 143 m above Baltic Sea

White cliffs of Dover, England, 100 m above the Strait of Dover

Strunjan cliff, Slovenia, 80 m above the Jadran sea Above Land

Troll Wall, Norway 1100 m above base

Mięguszowiecki Szczyt north face rises to 1043 m above Morskie Oko lake level, High Tatras, Poland

Kjerag, Norway 984 m.

Mały Kieżmarski Szczyt (north face), Tatra Mountains, Slovakia about 900 m denivelation (vertical rise)

Giewont (north face), Tatra Mountains, Poland, 852 m above Polana Strążyska glade

Kazalnica Mięguszowiecka, Tatra Mountains, Poland 576 m above the Czarny Staw pod Rysami

The six great north faces of the Alps (Cima Grande di Lavaredo, Eiger, Grandes Jorasses, Matterhorn, Petit Dru and Piz Badile)

North America

El Capitan, Yosemite Valley, Sierra Nevada, California, United States; about 900 m (3,000 ft) high

Northwest Face of Half Dome, near El Capitan; 1,340 m (4,400 ft) total, vertical portion about 610 m (2,000 ft)

All faces of Devil's Tower, Wyoming, United States

Various faces of Shiprock, New Mexico, United States

The North Face of North Twin Peak, Rocky Mountains, Alberta, Canada

Mount Thor, Baffin Island, Canada; 1,370 m (4,500 ft) total; top 480 m (1,600 ft) is overhanging. This reputedly gives it the largest purely vertical drop on Earth at 1,250 m (4,100 ft).

Mount Asgard, Baffin Island

Painted Wall in Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, Colorado, United States; 685 m (2,250 ft)

The west face of Notch Peak in southwestern Utah, United States; a limestone cliff of about 670 m (2,200 ft)

All walls of the Stawamus Chief, Squamish, British Columbia, Canada

Calvert Cliffs along the Chesapeake Bay in Maryland

South America

Auyan Tepui (Angel Falls), about 1000 m (the falls are 979 m, the highest in the world)

All faces of Cerro Torre, Patagonia, Chile-Argentina

All faces of Cerro Chalten (Fitz Roy), Patagonia, Argentina-Chile

Various faces of the Torres del Paine group, Patagonia, Chile

Africa

Above Sea

Kogelberg, Western Cape, South Africa, 1289 m above False Bay, Atlantic Ocean

Table Mountain, Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa, 1086 m above Atlantic Ocean

Twelve Apostles, Cape Town, South Africa. A series of 17 precipitous peaks ranging from ca 700m to 1067m above the Atlantic Ocean

Risco de Faneque, Gran Canaria-Canary Islands, Spain, 1027 m above Atlantic Ocean

Guguy's Cliffs, Gran Canaria-Canary Islands, Spain, 725 m above Atlantic Ocean

La Mérica, La Gomera-Canary Islands, Spain, 711 m above Atlantic Ocean

Andén Verde, Gran Canaria-Canary Islands, Spain, 690 m above Atlantic Ocean

Karbonkelberg, Western Cape, South Africa, 653 m above Hout Bay, Atlantic Ocean

La Peña's Cliffs, El Hierro-Canary Islands, Spain, 652 m above Atlantic Ocean

Los Gigantes, Tenerife-Canary Islands, Spain, 637 m above Atlantic Ocean

Chapman's Peak, Cape Town, South Africa, 596 m above Atlantic Ocean

Anaga's Cliffs, Tenerife-Canary Islands, Spain, 592 m above Atlantic Ocean

Risco de Famara, Lanzarote-Canary Islands, Spain, 580 m above Atlantic Ocean

Buenavista's Cliffs, Tenerife-Canary Islands, Spain, 546 m above Atlantic Ocean

Cape Hangklip, Western Cape, South Africa, 453.1 m above False Bay, Atlantic Ocean

Punta Gaviota's Cliff, La Palma-Canary Islands, Spain, 435 m above Atlantic Ocean

The Sentinel, Western Cape, South Africa, 331m above Hout Bay, Atlantic Ocean

Cape Point, Western Cape, South Africa, 249m above Atlantic Ocean. Above Land

Drakensberg Amphitheatre, South Africa 1200 m above base, 5km long. The Tugela Falls, the world's second tallest waterfall, falls 948m over the edge of the cliff face.

Mount Meru, Tanzania Caldera Cliffs, 1500m

Klein Winterhoek, Western Cape, South Africa, 1220m above base.Further Information

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