A mesa is an isolated, steep-sided, flat-topped landform that characterizes certain arid geological regions. These formations are created through a process known as differential erosion, where a layer of hard, resistant rock acts as a cap over softer sedimentary layers. Over vast periods, weathering and erosion gradually wear away the underlying, less durable rock, leaving the more robust, resistant rock layer to stand vertically. The resulting structure possesses a relatively level surface (the plateau) protected by near-vertical cliffs, providing geological evidence of the structural layering and erosional history of the region.