Cliff
Topic: Topographical Maps: Relief Representation and Interpretation · NCERT: Class 11, Ch 5 "Topographical Maps"
Meaning
A cliff is a very steep, almost vertical rock face. It forms where waves, rivers or ice cut sharply into rock, or where the land breaks along a crack. On a topographical map, the contour lines run very close together and finally merge into one line, because many heights sit directly above one another. Cliffs block movement and are dangerous ground, so map readers look out for them.
Example
The Varkala cliffs in Thiruvananthapuram district, Kerala, rise sharply straight from the Arabian Sea beach. On a large-scale map, the contours along this coast bunch up and merge.
Don't confuse with
- Waterfall: here contours also merge, but they merge where they cross a stream. A cliff's contours merge along a face of land, with no river needed.
- Steep slope: its contours are close together but stay separate.