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.
Jinzhong, a prefecture-level city under the jurisdiction of Shanxi Province, is located in the central part of Shanxi Province, with Taihang Mountain in the east, Fenhe River in the west, Taiyuan City in the north, Changzhi City and Linfen City in the south, Yangquan City in the northeast and Luliang City in the southwest. Jinzhong City has 2 municipal districts, 8 counties and 1 county-level city under the jurisdiction of Jinzhong City. The eastern mountains have wide slopes and luxuriant trees. Jinzhong City has a total area of 16391 square kilometers and has a resident population of 3.3656 million in 2017. Jinzhong is rich in tourism resources, dotted with natural and cultural landscapes, and the exploitable tourist attractions account for about 1/10 of Shanxi Province. Jinzhong Industry