Badlands are regions of small, steep hills and deep gullies mostly worn by water. Flash floods produce the most erosion (wearing away) in badland regions. Such floods commonly wear away large areas. Erosion from small water-cut channels and from the splash of rainfall against hill-slopes also helps shape badlands.
Much of the underlying rock in badlands consists of thick, weakly cemented layers. Soils in badland regions are usually thinly developed. Some regions have no soil at all. As a result, most badlands are used only as grazing lands, wildlife habitats, or scenic areas.
Badlands often form naturally in desert areas or those slightly less dry than a desert. In such areas, flash floods from thunderstorms are common. Few plants grow in these regions. The weak, bare underlying rock is easily affected by rapid erosion and gullying. Badlands can also develop from poor farming or the destruction of vegetation by other means.
Major badland areas in the United States are in the Great Plains and on the Colorado Plateau . Badland areas known for their striking scenery include Badlands National Park in South Dakota and Theodore Roosevelt National Park in North Dakota. Dinosaur Provincial Park in Alberta, Canada, also features badlands.
