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Vixen Tor Uluru/Ayers Rock, Northern Territory, Australia ghost gum (Eucalyptus papuana) Granite tors (rock outcrops) at Serpentine Hot Springs, south-central Bering Land Bridge National Preserve, western Alaska, U.S. tor
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Vixen Tor
Vixen Tor Vixen Tor in Dartmoor, Devon, Eng.

tor

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Article History

tor, exposed rock mass of jointed and broken blocks. Tors are seldom more than 15 metres (50 feet) high and often occur as residues at the summits of inselbergs and at the highest points of pediments. Tors usually overlie unaltered bedrock and are thought to be formed either by freeze–thaw weathering or by groundwater weathering before exposure. There is often evidence of spheroidal weathering of the squared joint blocks.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Amy Tikkanen.