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Why do cliff-and-bench landforms occur on the Colorado Plateau?
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Rocky Mountains
Physical features of western North America.
Cliff-and-bench landforms on the Colorado Plateau occur due to the region's alternating sequence of sedimentary rock layers with varying degrees of resistance to erosion.
Resistant rock types, such as limestone and harder sandstone, form the steep, cliff-making units. In contrast, weaker rock types, such as shale and softer sandstone, erode more easily to form low-sloping benches. This differential weathering and erosion of the horizontal sedimentary layers create the characteristic stairstep topography found throughout the plateau region.1