Geological resistance is a measure of how well
mineral
In geology and mineralogy, a mineral or mineral species is, broadly speaking, a solid chemical compound with a fairly well-defined chemical composition and a specific crystal structure that occurs naturally in pure form.John P. Rafferty, ed. (2 ...
s resist erosive factors, and is based primarily on
hardness
In materials science, hardness (antonym: softness) is a measure of the resistance to localized plastic deformation induced by either mechanical indentation or abrasion. In general, different materials differ in their hardness; for example hard ...
,
chemical reactivity
In chemistry, reactivity is the impulse for which a chemical substance undergoes a chemical reaction, either by itself or with other materials, with an overall release of energy.
''Reactivity'' refers to:
* the chemical reactions of a single su ...
and
cohesion.
The more hardness, less reactivity and more cohesion a mineral has, the less susceptible it is to erosion. Over time, differences in geological resistance in the same geological formation can lead to the formation of columns and arches, like those in
Moab, Utah
Moab () is the largest city and county seat of Grand County in eastern Utah in the western United States, known for its dramatic scenery. The population was 5,366 at the 2020 census. Moab attracts many tourists annually, mostly visitors to ...
; and of bridges, like Utah's
Rainbow Bridge.
References
Weathering
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