Pediments and Pediplains
Pediments and pediplains are important landforms resulting from extensive weathering and erosion processes, primarily found in arid and semi-arid environments. Pediments are gently sloping rock surfaces that extend from the base of mountains or steep slopes. They are formed through a combination of lateral erosion by streams and the action of sheet floods where water flows over the land. As erosion occurs, these surfaces gradually retreat, leading to the development of a free face above the pediment.
Pediplains are the result of continuous erosion that degrades the mountain relief, creating large, flat areas where high points have been worn down over time. The process is often characterized as parallel retreat of slopes, leaving isolated remnants known as inselbergs. Thus, pediments contribute significantly to the evolution of pediplains, transforming high relief areas into low featureless plains and indicating the long-term geological processes at play.