Clovis sits on top of a "Caprock"

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Caprock is a geological term for a harder or more resistant rock type overlying a weaker or less resistant rock type. Common types of caprock are sandstone and ultramafic rock types. In processes such as scarp retreat, the caprock controls the rate of erosion of the scarp. As the softer rock is cut away, periodically the caprock shears off. Caprock is also found on the top of mesa formations.

The Niagara falls is an example of a scarp or escarpment. The caprock is the riverbed above the falls, and is what prevents the river from eroding the face of the falls very quickly. In the photo, the dark thin layer in the foreground where water is not yet running, is the caprock. The Niagara caprock is made of dolomitic limestone ("dolostone"). An analogy of caprock could be the outer crust on a cake that is a bit harder than the underlying layer.

What this means for people that live on the "Caprock" ( a platform of rock that is substantially higher than the land off of the caprock) is that rain clouds generally pass around us to land in Amarillo or Lubbock. Another name for it is the llano estacado. Our elevation is 4,383 ft. Currently 15% humidity. Very comfortable evenings; we go from 80-90 degrees F during the midday to 65 degrees after the sun goes down.