Formation
Some rocks (usually softer ones) erode more rapidly than others. For example, shale most frequently erodes faster than limestone. In situations like this, an entire layer of the easily erodible rock can be weathered away while a layer of a more durable rock will remain largely unchanged. This results in a nearly flat surface created by the top of the more durable layer. When this happens to beds that are not tilted mesas are formed. With tilted beds, structures called cuestas and hogbacks are formed. Mesas will have a flat top, while cuestas and hogbacks will look like ridges, with one side that is a dip slope and a steeper escarpment on the other.
Dip slopes can also be formed by igneous structures such as sills. Any generally planar geological structure can form dip slopes, when it is tilted away from horizontal.
Read more about this topic: Dip Slope
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