A mesa is an isolated, flat-topped elevation, ridge or hill, which is bounded from all sides by steep escarpments and stands distinctly above a surrounding plain. Mesas characteristically consist of flat-lying soft sedimentary rocks capped by a more resistant layer or layers of harder rock, e.g. shales overlain by sandstones. The resistant layer acts as a caprock that forms the flat summit of a mesa. The caprock can consist of either sedimentary rocks such as sandstone and limestone; dissected lava flows; or a deeply eroded duricrust. Unlike plateau, whose usage does not imply horizontal layers of bedrock, e.g. Tibetan Plateau, the term mesa applies exclusively to the landforms built of flat-lying strata. Instead, flat-topped plateaus are specifically known as tablelands.
Huqiu District belongs to Suzhou City, Jiangsu Province, China. Huqiu District is located on the west side of the ancient city of Suzhou, facing Shihu and Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal to the east, and Youxin Street, Sanyuan Street and Baiyang Bay Street in Suzhou District, bounded by Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal, Huqiu Street in Suzhou District and Huangqiao Street in Xiangcheng District; bordering Yuexi Street, Mudu Town, Zangshu Town and Guangfu Town in Wuzhong District in the south; Taihu Lake in the west and northwest. The north is adjacent to Huangdai Town, Dongqiao Town and Wangting Town in Xiangcheng District; the administrative area covers an area of 332.37 square kilometers and has a resident population of 596100 (at the end of 2017). It has jurisdiction over 4 streets and 2 towns, and the District people's Government is stationed at 58 Kopu Road, Dongzhu Street.