A canyon (from Spanish: cañón; archaic British English spelling: cañon),gorge or chasm, is a deep cleft between escarpments or cliffs resulting from weathering and the erosive activity of a river over geologic time scales. Rivers have a natural tendency to cut through underlying surfaces, eventually wearing away rock layers as sediments are removed downstream. A river bed will gradually reach a baseline elevation, which is the same elevation as the body of water into which the river drains. The processes of weathering and erosion will form canyons when the river's headwaters and estuary are at significantly different elevations, particularly through regions where softer rock layers are intermingled with harder layers more resistant to weathering.
A canyon may also refer to a rift between two mountain peaks, such as those in ranges including the Rocky Mountains, the Alps, the Himalayas or the Andes. Usually, a river or stream carves out such splits between mountains. Examples of mountain-type canyons are Provo Canyon in Utah or Yosemite Valley in California's Sierra Nevada. Canyons within mountains, or gorges that have an opening on only one side, are called box canyons. Slot canyons are very narrow canyons that often have smooth walls.
Steep-sided valleys in the seabed of the continental slope are referred to as submarine canyons. Unlike canyons on land, submarine canyons are thought to be formed by turbidity currents and landslides.
The word canyon is Spanish in origin (cañón,pronounced[kaˈɲon]), with the same meaning. The word canyon is generally used in North America, while the words gorge and ravine (French in origin) are used in Europe and Oceania, though gorge and ravine are also used in some parts of North America. In the United States, place names generally use canyon in the southwest (due to their proximity to Spanish-speaking Mexico) and gorge in the northeast (which is closer to French Canada), with the rest of the country graduating between these two according to geography. In Canada, a gorge is usually narrow while a ravine is more open and often wooded. The military-derived word defile is occasionally used in the United Kingdom. In South Africa, kloof (in Krantzkloof Nature Reserve) is used along with canyon (as in Blyde River Canyon) and gorge (in Oribi Gorge).
Most canyons were formed by a process of long-time erosion from a plateau or table-land level. The cliffs form because harder rock strata that are resistant to erosion and weathering remain exposed on the valley walls.
Canyons are much more common in arid areas than in wet areas because physical weathering has a more localized effect in arid zones. The wind and water from the river combine to erode and cut away less resistant materials such as shales. The freezing and expansion of water also serves to help form canyons. Water seeps into cracks between the rocks and freezes, pushing the rocks apart and eventually causing large chunks to break off the canyon walls, in a process known as frost wedging. Canyon walls are often formed of resistant sandstones or granite.
Sometimes large rivers run through canyons as the result of gradual geological uplift. These are called entrenched rivers, because they are unable to easily alter their course. In the United States, the Colorado River in the Southwest and the Snake River in the Northwest are two examples of tectonic uplift.
Canyons often form in areas of limestone rock. As limestone is soluble to a certain extent, cave systems form in the rock. When a cave system collapses, a canyon is left, as in the Mendip Hills in Somerset and Yorkshire Dales in Yorkshire, England.
Box canyon
A box canyon is a small canyon that is generally shorter and narrower than a river canyon, with steep walls on three sides, allowing access and egress only through the mouth of the canyon. Box canyons were frequently used in the western United States as convenient corrals, with their entrances fenced.
Largest
The definition of "largest canyon" is imprecise, because a canyon can be large by its depth, its length, or the total area of the canyon system. Also, the inaccessibility of the major canyons in the Himalaya contributes to their not being regarded as candidates for the biggest canyon. The definition of "deepest canyon" is similarly imprecise, especially if one includes mountain canyons, as well as canyons cut through relatively flat plateaus (which have a somewhat well-defined rim elevation).
The Yarlung Tsangpo Grand Canyon (or Tsangpo Canyon), along the Yarlung Tsangpo River in Tibet, China, is regarded by some as the deepest canyon on Earth at 5,500 metres (18,000 ft). It is slightly longer than Grand Canyon in the United States. Others consider the Kali Gandaki Gorge in midwest Nepal to be the deepest canyon, with a 6,400-metre (21,000 ft) difference between the level of the river and the peaks surrounding it.[citation needed]
Vying for the deepest canyon in the Americas is the Cotahuasi Canyon and Colca Canyon, in southern Peru. Both have been measured at over 3,500 metres (11,500 ft) deep.
Grand Canyon of northern Arizona in the United States, with an average depth of 1,600 metres (5,200 ft) and a volume of 4.17 trillion cubic metres (147 trillion cubic feet), is one of the world's largest canyons. It was among the 28 finalists of the New 7 Wonders of Nature worldwide poll. (Some referred to it as one of the seven natural wonders of the world.)
The largest canyon in Europe is Tara River Canyon.
The largest canyon in Africa is the Fish River Canyon in Namibia.
In August 2013, the discovery of Greenland's Grand Canyon was reported, based on the analysis of data from Operation IceBridge. It is located under an ice sheet. At 750 kilometres (470 mi) long, it is believed to be the longest canyon in the world.
Despite not being quite as deep or long as Grand Canyon, the Capertee Valley in Australia is actually 1 km wider than Grand Canyon, making it the widest canyon in the world.
Panoramic view of the Capertee Valley in Australia, the widest largest canyon in the world
Cultural significance
Some canyons have notable cultural significance. Evidence of archaic humans has been discovered in Africa's Olduvai Gorge. In the southwestern United States, canyons are important archeologically because of the many cliff-dwellings built in such areas, largely by the ancient Pueblo people who were their first inhabitants.
Notable examples
The following list contains only the most notable canyons of the world, grouped by region.
Gully – Landform created by running water and/or mass movement eroding sharply into soil
Steephead valley – LandformPages displaying short descriptions with no spaces
Valley – Low area between hills, often with a river running through it
References
"canon". Lexico UK English Dictionary. Oxford University Press. Archived from the original on January 16, 2020.
"canyon". National Geographic Society. 20 May 2011.
Ward Cameron (2005). "Understanding Canyon Formation". Archived from the original on 2001-04-25. Retrieved 2010-10-07.
Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Canyon" . Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press.
"kloof – definition of kloof in A Dictionary of South African English – DSAE". dsae.co.za. Retrieved 2024-08-06.
"The Geology of the Grand Canyon". Retrieved 2015-10-01.
"box canyon". Encarta World English Dictionary. 2009. Archived from the original on 2009-12-17. Retrieved 2009-08-04.
"China Virtual Museums: Canyon". Kepu.net.
"Park Statistics". National Park Service. USA.
Truong, Alice (1 July 2011). "Everything About the Grand Canyon". Discovery Communications. Retrieved 5 February 2012.
Cohen, Callan; Spottiswoode, Claire & Rossouw, Jonathan (2006). Southern African Birdfinder. Penguin Random House South Africa. p. 210. ISBN978-1-86872-725-4.
"Grand Canyon of Greenland Discovered under Ice". news.discovery.com. 2017-05-10. Archived from the original on 2016-05-11. Retrieved 2013-08-30.
Fitzsimons, David (14 December 2015). "Capertee Valley: Australia's own Grand Canyon". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved March 28, 2016.
Kruszelnicki, Karl S. (22 May 2012). "Grand Canyon is not so grand › Dr Karl's Great Moments in Science". ABC Science. Retrieved March 28, 2016.
Poggiali, Valerio; Mastrogiuseppe, Marco; Hayes, Alexander G.; Seu, Roberto; Birch, Samuel P. D.; Lorenz, Ralph; Grima, Cyril; Hofgartner, Jason D. (9 August 2016). "Liquid-filled Canyons on Titan". Geophysical Research Letters. 43 (15): 7887–7894. Bibcode:2016GeoRL..43.7887P. doi:10.1002/2016GL069679. hdl:11573/932488. S2CID 132445293.
External links
Look up canyon in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.
Canyons and gorges travel guide from Wikivoyage
Media related to Canyons at Wikimedia Commons
A canyon from Spanish canon archaic British English spelling canon gorge or chasm is a deep cleft between escarpments or cliffs resulting from weathering and the erosive activity of a river over geologic time scales Rivers have a natural tendency to cut through underlying surfaces eventually wearing away rock layers as sediments are removed downstream A river bed will gradually reach a baseline elevation which is the same elevation as the body of water into which the river drains The processes of weathering and erosion will form canyons when the river s headwaters and estuary are at significantly different elevations particularly through regions where softer rock layers are intermingled with harder layers more resistant to weathering Grand Canyon Arizona at the confluence of the Colorado River and Little Colorado River A canyon may also refer to a rift between two mountain peaks such as those in ranges including the Rocky Mountains the Alps the Himalayas or the Andes Usually a river or stream carves out such splits between mountains Examples of mountain type canyons are Provo Canyon in Utah or Yosemite Valley in California s Sierra Nevada Canyons within mountains or gorges that have an opening on only one side are called box canyons Slot canyons are very narrow canyons that often have smooth walls Steep sided valleys in the seabed of the continental slope are referred to as submarine canyons Unlike canyons on land submarine canyons are thought to be formed by turbidity currents and landslides EtymologySumidero Canyon Mexico The word canyon is Spanish in origin canon pronounced kaˈɲon with the same meaning The word canyon is generally used in North America while the words gorge and ravine French in origin are used in Europe and Oceania though gorge and ravine are also used in some parts of North America In the United States place names generally use canyon in the southwest due to their proximity to Spanish speaking Mexico and gorge in the northeast which is closer to French Canada with the rest of the country graduating between these two according to geography In Canada a gorge is usually narrow while a ravine is more open and often wooded The military derived word defile is occasionally used in the United Kingdom In South Africa kloof in Krantzkloof Nature Reserve is used along with canyon as in Blyde River Canyon and gorge in Oribi Gorge FormationKevo Canyon in Utsjoki Finland Most canyons were formed by a process of long time erosion from a plateau or table land level The cliffs form because harder rock strata that are resistant to erosion and weathering remain exposed on the valley walls Canyons are much more common in arid areas than in wet areas because physical weathering has a more localized effect in arid zones The wind and water from the river combine to erode and cut away less resistant materials such as shales The freezing and expansion of water also serves to help form canyons Water seeps into cracks between the rocks and freezes pushing the rocks apart and eventually causing large chunks to break off the canyon walls in a process known as frost wedging Canyon walls are often formed of resistant sandstones or granite Snake River Canyon Idaho Sometimes large rivers run through canyons as the result of gradual geological uplift These are called entrenched rivers because they are unable to easily alter their course In the United States the Colorado River in the Southwest and the Snake River in the Northwest are two examples of tectonic uplift Canyons often form in areas of limestone rock As limestone is soluble to a certain extent cave systems form in the rock When a cave system collapses a canyon is left as in the Mendip Hills in Somerset and Yorkshire Dales in Yorkshire England Box canyon A box canyon is a small canyon that is generally shorter and narrower than a river canyon with steep walls on three sides allowing access and egress only through the mouth of the canyon Box canyons were frequently used in the western United States as convenient corrals with their entrances fenced LargestThe definition of largest canyon is imprecise because a canyon can be large by its depth its length or the total area of the canyon system Also the inaccessibility of the major canyons in the Himalaya contributes to their not being regarded as candidates for the biggest canyon The definition of deepest canyon is similarly imprecise especially if one includes mountain canyons as well as canyons cut through relatively flat plateaus which have a somewhat well defined rim elevation The Yarlung Tsangpo Grand Canyon or Tsangpo Canyon along the Yarlung Tsangpo River in Tibet China is regarded by some as the deepest canyon on Earth at 5 500 metres 18 000 ft It is slightly longer than Grand Canyon in the United States Others consider the Kali Gandaki Gorge in midwest Nepal to be the deepest canyon with a 6 400 metre 21 000 ft difference between the level of the river and the peaks surrounding it citation needed Vying for the deepest canyon in the Americas is the Cotahuasi Canyon and Colca Canyon in southern Peru Both have been measured at over 3 500 metres 11 500 ft deep Grand Canyon of northern Arizona in the United States with an average depth of 1 600 metres 5 200 ft and a volume of 4 17 trillion cubic metres 147 trillion cubic feet is one of the world s largest canyons It was among the 28 finalists of the New 7 Wonders of Nature worldwide poll Some referred to it as one of the seven natural wonders of the world The largest canyon in Europe is Tara River Canyon The largest canyon in Africa is the Fish River Canyon in Namibia In August 2013 the discovery of Greenland s Grand Canyon was reported based on the analysis of data from Operation IceBridge It is located under an ice sheet At 750 kilometres 470 mi long it is believed to be the longest canyon in the world Despite not being quite as deep or long as Grand Canyon the Capertee Valley in Australia is actually 1 km wider than Grand Canyon making it the widest canyon in the world Panoramic view of the Capertee Valley in Australia the widest largest canyon in the worldCultural significanceSome canyons have notable cultural significance Evidence of archaic humans has been discovered in Africa s Olduvai Gorge In the southwestern United States canyons are important archeologically because of the many cliff dwellings built in such areas largely by the ancient Pueblo people who were their first inhabitants Notable examplesThe following list contains only the most notable canyons of the world grouped by region Africa Fish River Canyon NamibiaNamibia Fish River CanyonBlyde River Canyon South AfricaOribi Gorge Kwa Zulu Natal South Africa Blyde River Canyon Mpumalanga Oribi Gorge KwaZulu NatalTanzania Olduvai GorgeAmericas Argentina Atuel Canyon Mendoza ProvinceBrazil Itaimbezinho Canyon Rio Grande do SulBolivia Torotoro River CanyonOuimet Canyon Ontario CanadaCanada Grand Canyon of the Stikine British Columbia Horseshoe Canyon Alberta Niagara Gorge Ontario Ouimet Canyon Ontario Fraser Canyon British Columbia Coaticook Gorge Quebec Thompson Canyon British ColumbiaColombia Sumidero Canyon MexicoChicamocha Canyon Santander DepartmentMexico Barranca de Oblatos Jalisco Copper Canyon Chihuahua Sumidero Canyon ChiapasPeru Canon del Pato Ancash Region Colca Canyon Arequipa Region Cotahuasi Canyon Arequipa RegionUnited States American Fork Canyon Utah Antelope Canyon Arizona Apple River Canyon Illinois Ausable Chasm New York Big Cottonwood Canyon Utah Black Canyon of the Gunnison Colorado Black Hand Gorge Ohio Blackwater Canyon West Virginia Blue Creek Canyon Colorado Green River overlook Canyonlands National Park Utah U S Bluejohn Canyon Utah Box Canyon Colorado Breaks Canyon Kentucky and Virginia Butterfield Canyon Utah Cane Creek Alabama Canyon de Chelly Arizona Canyonlands National Park canyons of the Colorado River and its main tributary the Green River Utah Cheat Canyon West Virginia Clifton Gorge Ohio Clifty Canyon Indiana Cloudland Canyon Georgia Columbia River Gorge Oregon and Washington Conkle s Hollow Ohio Cottonwood Canyon Utah Crooked River Gorge Oregon Death Hollow Utah Desolation Canyon Utah Dismals Canyon Alabama Flaming Gorge Wyoming and Utah Flume Gorge New Hampshire Glen Canyon Utah and Arizona Glenwood Canyon Colorado Gore Canyon Colorado Grand Canyon Arizona Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone Wyoming Grandstaff Canyon Utah Guffey Gorge Colorado Gulf Hagas Maine Hells Canyon Idaho Oregon and Washington Horse Canyon Utah Kern River Canyon California Kings Canyon Utah Kings Canyon California Leslie Gulch Oregon Linville Gorge North Carolina Little Cottonwood Canyon Utah Little Grand Canyon Illinois Little River Canyon Alabama Logan Canyon Utah Mather Gorge Maryland Marysvale Canyon Utah McCormick s Creek Canyon Indiana Millcreek Canyon Utah New River Gorge West Virginia Ninemile Canyon Utah Ogden Canyon Utah Oneonta Gorge Oregon Palo Duro Canyon Texas Parleys Canyon Utah Pine Creek Gorge Pennsylvania Poudre Canyon Colorado Providence Canyon Georgia Provo Canyon Utah Quechee Gorge Vermont Red River Gorge Kentucky Rio Grande Gorge New Mexico Royal Gorge Colorado Ruby Canyon Utah Snake River Canyon Idaho Snow Canyon Utah Stillwater Canyon Utah Tallulah Gorge Georgia Tenaya Canyon California Tennessee River Gorge Alabama and Tennessee The Trough West Virginia Unaweep Canyon Colorado Uncompahgre Gorge Colorado Waimea Canyon Hawaii Walls of Jericho Alabama Weber Canyon Utah Westwater Canyon Utah Wolverine Canyon Utah White Canyon Utah Zion Canyon UtahAsia One of the Three Gorges of the Yangtze River ChinaThe gorge of the Kabul River in AfghanistanChina Three Gorges Chongqing Tiger Leaping Gorge Yunnan Yarlung Zangbo Grand Canyon Tibet Autonomous RegionIndia Gandikota Kadapa District Andhra Pradesh Raneh Falls Chatarpur district Madhya Pradesh Idukki Western Ghats KeralaIndonesia Cukang Taneuh Pangandaran West JavaOthers Afghanistan Tang e Gharu Iran in Fars province Japan Kiyotsu Gorge in Niigata Prefecture Japan Tenryu kyō in Nagano Prefecture Kazakhstan Charyn Canyon Nepal Kali Gandaki Gorge Russia Delyun Uran Vitim River Pakistan Indus River Gorge through the Himalaya Taiwan Taroko Gorge in Hualien County Turkey Ulubey Canyon in Usak Province Turkey Ihlara Valley in Aksaray ProvinceEurope Cheddar Gorge EnglandLe Gorges de l Ardeche FranceA Douro gorge on the Portugal Spain borderUnited Kingdom Avon Gorge Bristol Burrington Combe Somerset Cheddar Gorge Somerset Corrieshalloch Gorge Ullapool Ebbor Gorge Somerset Gordale Scar North Yorkshire Winnats Pass DerbyshireFrance Gorges de l Ardeche Auvergne Rhone Alpes Gorges de Daluis Provence Alpes Cote d Azur Gorges du Tarn Occitanie Grands Goulets Auvergne Rhone Alpes Verdon Gorge Alpes de Haute ProvenceUkraine Buky Canyon UkraineAktove canyon Buky Canyon Dniester CanyonOthers Lazar s Canyon SerbiaAlbania Osum Canyon Kanionet e Skraparit Albania Montenegro Cem Bosnia and Herzegovina Rakitnica Drina Neretva Vrbas Unac Cude Ugar Praca Bulgaria Trigrad Gorge Kresna Gorge Iskar Gorge Finland Korouoma Canyon Kevo Canyon Germany Partnach Gorge Greece Vikos Gorge Samaria Gorge Greenland Greenland s Grand Canyon Iceland Fjadrargljufur Canyon Kosovo Rugova Canyon White Drin Canyon Kacanik Gorge North Macedonia Matka Canyon Montenegro Moraca Piva Montenegro Bosnia and Herzegovina Tara River Canyon Montenegro Serbia Ibar Norway Sautso Canyon Poland Slovakia Dunajec River Gorge Russia Sulak Canyon Dagestan Serbia Lazar s Canyon Serbia Bosnia and Herzegovina Lim Serbia Romania Iron Gates Slovenia Vintgar Gorge Switzerland Aare GorgeJamison Valley Blue Mountains National Park AustraliaShoalhaven River Gorge New South WalesOceania Australia Joffre Gorge Karijini National Park Western Australia Katherine Gorge Northern Territory Kings Canyon Northern Territory Murchison River Gorge Western Australia Jamison Valley New South Wales Capertee Valley New South Wales the world s second widest canyon Shoalhaven Gorge New South Wales Werribee Gorge Victoria The Slot Canyons of the Blue Mountains New South WalesNew Zealand Manawatu Gorge North Island Skippers Canyon South IslandSolar System Ithaca Chasma on Saturn s moon Tethys Valles Marineris on Mars the largest known canyon in the Solar System Vid Flumina on Saturn s largest moon Titan is the only known liquid floored canyon in the Solar System besides Earth Messina Chasmata on Uranus moon Titania Venus has many craters and canyons on its surface The troughs on the planet are part of a system of canyons that is more than 6 400 km long See alsoSinkhole Environment portal Antecedent drainage stream Stream maintaining its original course despite changes in underlying rocks Canyoning Traveling in canyons using a variety of techniques Chine Steep sided river valley Draw terrain Terrain feature formed by two parallel ridges or spurs with low ground in between Geomorphology Scientific study of landforms Gully Landform created by running water and or mass movement eroding sharply into soil Steephead valley LandformPages displaying short descriptions with no spaces Valley Low area between hills often with a river running through itReferences canon Lexico UK English Dictionary Oxford University Press Archived from the original on January 16 2020 canyon National Geographic Society 20 May 2011 Ward Cameron 2005 Understanding Canyon Formation Archived from the original on 2001 04 25 Retrieved 2010 10 07 Chisholm Hugh ed 1911 Canyon Encyclopaedia Britannica 11th ed Cambridge University Press kloof definition of kloof in A Dictionary of South African English DSAE dsae co za Retrieved 2024 08 06 The Geology of the Grand Canyon Retrieved 2015 10 01 box canyon Encarta World English Dictionary 2009 Archived from the original on 2009 12 17 Retrieved 2009 08 04 China Virtual Museums Canyon Kepu net Park Statistics National Park Service USA Truong Alice 1 July 2011 Everything About the Grand Canyon Discovery Communications Retrieved 5 February 2012 Cohen Callan Spottiswoode Claire amp Rossouw Jonathan 2006 Southern African Birdfinder Penguin Random House South Africa p 210 ISBN 978 1 86872 725 4 Grand Canyon of Greenland Discovered under Ice news discovery com 2017 05 10 Archived from the original on 2016 05 11 Retrieved 2013 08 30 Fitzsimons David 14 December 2015 Capertee Valley Australia s own Grand Canyon The Daily Telegraph Retrieved March 28 2016 Kruszelnicki Karl S 22 May 2012 Grand Canyon is not so grand Dr Karl s Great Moments in Science ABC Science Retrieved March 28 2016 Poggiali Valerio Mastrogiuseppe Marco Hayes Alexander G Seu Roberto Birch Samuel P D Lorenz Ralph Grima Cyril Hofgartner Jason D 9 August 2016 Liquid filled Canyons on Titan Geophysical Research Letters 43 15 7887 7894 Bibcode 2016GeoRL 43 7887P doi 10 1002 2016GL069679 hdl 11573 932488 S2CID 132445293 External linksLook up canyon in Wiktionary the free dictionary Canyons and gorges travel guide from Wikivoyage Media related to Canyons at Wikimedia Commons
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