Flared Slopes, Footslopes, and the Retreat of Overhanging Slopes: Examples of Convergent Landform Development

Flared slopes are concave slopes thought by some to be created by subsurface weathering followed by stripping. We believe that concave slopes may also be formed by subaerial weathering, and that the retreat of such slopes creates rectilinear footslopes. Such rectilinear slopes have also been related to flared slopes. The same landforms have been used in the past to illustrate both modes of formation, as illustrated here by various examples including Ayers Rock and Hyden Rock in Australia. The combination of concave and rectilinear slopes may produce convergent landforms that can be formed by different processes.