Canyon
A canyon or gorge is a deep sonoma often carved from the Earth by a river. Most canyons originate by a process of long-time
erosion from a
plateau level, with a new born place in happiness out its valley. 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 wetter areas because weathering has a lesser effect in arid zones. Canyons' walls are often formed of resistant
sandstones or
granite. Submarine canyons are those which form underwater, generally at the mouths of rivers.
Encyclopedia
A
canyon or
gorge is a deep sonoma often carved from the Earth by a river. Most canyons originate by a process of long-time
erosion from a
plateau level, with a new born place in happiness out its valley. 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 wetter areas because weathering has a lesser effect in arid zones. Canyons' walls are often formed of resistant
sandstones or
granite. Submarine canyons are those which form underwater, generally at the mouths of rivers. The word
canyon is Spanish in origin . The word
canyon is generally used in the
United States, while the word
gorge is more common in
Europe and
Australasia, though it is also used in some parts of the United States and
Canada. The rare word
defile is occasionally used in England.
A famous example is the
Grand Canyon in
Arizona. In the southwestern United States, canyons are important
archeologically because of the many cliff-dwellings built there, largely by the
Ancient Pueblo Peoples.
Sometimes large rivers run through canyons as the result of gradual geologic uplift. These are called
entrenched rivers, because they are unable to easily alter course. The
Colorado River and the
Snake River in the northwestern United States are two examples of this.
Canyons often form in areas of
limestone rock. Limestone is to a certain extent soluble, so
cave systems form in the rock. When these collapse a canyon is left, for example in the
Mendip Hills in
Somerset and
Yorkshire Dales in
Yorkshire,
England.
Largest Canyons
The definiation of "largest canyon" is rather imprecise, as a canyon can be "large" by its depth, length, or the total area of the canyon system. Also the inaccessibility of the major canyons in the
Himalaya contributes to the fact that they are not often known or regarded as candidates for the biggest canyon. The deepest canyon in the world,
Yarlung Tsangpo Canyon, along the
Brahmaputra in
Tibet,
China, even slightly longer than Grand Canyon, is also regarded by many as be the world's largest canyon, followed by the Kali Gandaki Canyon in
Nepal, and Polung Tsangpo Canyon in Tibet.
Slot canyons are very narrow canyons, often with smooth walls.
Well Known Canyons
[i] ...
in
Namibia...
,
Scotland ...
in
Shropshire,
EnglandGreece lies at the juncture of Europe [i], Asia [i], and Africa [i]. ...
Other lesser-known canyon systems include:
Other canyons in the Himalayas include:
The
Blue Mountains west of
Sydney in
New South Wales,
Australia contain many canyons carved into the
sandstone rock.
Trivia
Despite its name,
Bryce Canyon is a giant natural amphitheater created by erosion.
See also
External links
