Definition of bajada

i. A broad, continuous alluvial slope or gently inclined detrital surface extending from the base of mountain ranges out into and around an inland basin, formed by the lateral coalescence of a series of alluvial fans, and having an undulating character due to the convexities of the component fans; it occurs most commonly in semiarid and desert regions, as in the Southwestern United States. A bajada is a surface of deposition, as constrasted with a pediment (a surface of erosion that resembles a bajada in surface form), and its top often merges with a pediment. Etymol: Sp., descent, slope.

Synonym of: bahada, alluvial plain, piedmont plain

Compare with: alluvial slope, alluvial fan

Ref: AGI

ii. See: ladderway

iii. Sp. Compound alluvial fans.

Ref: AGI