How does a butte form?

Answer 1

A butte is generally formed when material around it is cut away by erosion. Water is good at eroding things, but wind and debris, particularly sand, can wear stuff away over periods of geologic time. Frequently we see the action of both. Alternating periods of flooding and dry, windy weather have created some of the most remarkable landscapes in the world in the western United States and in a few other corners of the world.

This is only the case in certain regions of the US. The Largest majority of Buttes however are created from volcanic activity. Pressure from molten materials beneath the earths crust push materials up through weak points and cause rises in the upper layers of softer rock. Think of it in terms of a clogged pore pushing up on your soft skin and forming a zit. The molten material doesn't break the surface though and leaves behind a sharp rise in in the land scape that you see today. Often times Buttes will consist of much older rock then the outlying area, unless the butte was actively volcanic at one point making it generally darker or black in color compared to the surrounding rock.