Caprock Escarpment
This article needs additional citations for verification. (December 2009) |
Caprock Escarpment | |
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Caliche | |
Elevation | 502 m (1,647 ft) |
The Caprock Escarpment is a term used in West Texas and Eastern New Mexico to describe the geographical transition point between the level High Plains of the Llano Estacado and the surrounding rolling terrain.[1]
In Texas, the escarpment stretches around 200 mi (320 km) south-southwest from the northeast corner of the
In New Mexico, a prominent escarpment exists along the northernmost extension of the Llano Estacado, especially to the south of San Jon and Tucumcari, both in Quay County, New Mexico. Along the western edge of the Llano Estacado, the portion of the escarpment that stretches from Caprock to Maljamar, New Mexico, is called the Mescalero Ridge.[2][3]
Description
The escarpment is made of
The overall slight upslope, and in some areas, convergent, terrain of the Caprock is implicated in altering local weather and climate, such as enhancing precipitation and promoting thunderstorm initiation and organization.[4][5]
Parks
Caprock Canyons State Park and Trailway, located near Quitaque, Texas, opened in 1982. A 65-mi (105-km) trail was developed within the park in 1992. Along the trail is Clarity Tunnel, home to a large colony of Mexican free-tailed bats.
See also
References
- ^ a b c Carroll, H.B. "Caprock". Handbook of Texas Online. Retrieved March 1, 2013.
- ^ Price, A.P. 1977. Mescalero Sandhills of Cochran and Yoakum Counties, Texas. Master's thesis, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, 253 pp.
- ^ Henderson, D. 2006. An Introduction to the Mescalero Sands Ecosystem. Master's thesis, Texas A&M University, 42 pp.
- ^ Walter, Kevin R.; C. C. Weiss; A. H.P. Swift (25 Oct 2005). "The Moisture Route of Palo Duro Canyon". 11th Conference on Mesoscale Processes / 32nd Conference on Radar Meteorology. Albuquerque, NM: American Meteorological Society.
- hdl:2346/22163.
External links
- Media related to Caprock Escarpment at Wikimedia Commons
- Caprock from the Handbook of Texas Online
- Public domain images of the Llano Estacado, West Texas, and Eastern New Mexico