Final answer:
Erosional history notably influences cliff profiles, with water and ice sculpting the landscape after the initial mountain formation. Soil erosion and local topography also play roles, affecting soil formation and shaping the land's features.
Step-by-step explanation:
The erosional history significantly affects cliff profiles, shaping the cliff's face and contributing to the overall landscape evolution. When a mountain range is formed, up thrusting of the crust is just the beginning. Over time, erosion by water and ice crafts the mountains' appearance, creating sharp peaks and eroding the rocks. Ice, for example, is an effective sculptor of rock, creating angular and serrated edges on mountains, which would otherwise remain smooth without the presence of these erosive forces. Cliffs and rock formations on coastlines are similarly impacted by weathering and erosion from ocean waves.
Additionally, the rate of soil erosion and the development of soil on slopes is influenced by the local topography. Relief, or the shape and features of the land's surface, can lead to variations in microclimate, erosion rates, and soil formation. South-facing slopes, for instance, tend to be warmer and drier than north-facing slopes, leading to different vegetative cover and thus different patterns of erosion and soil development. These processes contribute to the unique profiles of cliffs and slopes in different environments.