[[File:Aerial view of canyons.jpg|thumb|The [[Grand Canyon]], [[Arizona]], at the confluence of the [[Colorado River]] and [[Little Colorado River]].]]
[[File:Aerial view of canyons.jpg|thumb|[[Grand Canyon]], [[Arizona]], at the confluence of the [[Colorado River]] and [[Little Colorado River]].]]
A '''canyon''' (from {{Lang-es|cañón}}; archaic [[British English]] spelling: ''cañon''),<ref>{{Cite dictionary |url=http://www.lexico.com/definition/canon |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200116100856/https://www.lexico.com/definition/canon |url-status=dead |archive-date=January 16, 2020 |title=canon |dictionary=[[Lexico]] UK English Dictionary |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]]}}</ref> or '''chasm''', is a deep cleft between [[escarpment]]s or [[cliff]]s resulting from [[weathering]] and the [[erosion|erosive]] activity of a river over [[geologic time scale]]s.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Society|first1=National Geographic|title= canyon|url=https://www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/canyon/|website=National Geographic Society|language=en|date=20 May 2011}}</ref> Rivers have a natural tendency to cut through underlying surfaces, eventually wearing away rock layers as [[sediment]]s 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 [[River source|headwaters]] and [[estuary]] are at significantly different elevations,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mountainnature.com/Geology/Canyons.htm|title=Understanding Canyon Formation|author=Ward Cameron|date =2005}}</ref> particularly through regions where softer rock layers are intermingled with harder layers more resistant to weathering.
A '''canyon''' ({{etymology|es|{{wikt-lang|es|cañón}}|}}; archaic [[British English]] spelling: ''cañon''),<ref>{{Cite encyclopedia |url=http://www.lexico.com/definition/canon |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200116100856/https://www.lexico.com/definition/canon |url-status=dead |archive-date=January 16, 2020 |title=canon |dictionary=[[Lexico]] UK English Dictionary |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]]}}</ref> '''gorge''' or '''chasm''', is a deep cleft between [[escarpment]]s or [[cliff]]s resulting from [[weathering]] and the [[erosion|erosive]] activity of a river over [[geologic time scale]]s.<ref>{{cite web|title=canyon|url=https://www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/canyon/|publisher=National Geographic Society|language=en|date=20 May 2011|access-date=14 January 2018|archive-date=3 March 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210303135847/https://www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/canyon/|url-status=dead}}</ref> Rivers have a natural tendency to cut through underlying surfaces, eventually wearing away rock layers as [[sediment]]s 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 [[River source|headwaters]] and [[estuary]] are at significantly different elevations,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mountainnature.com/Geology/Canyons.htm|title=Understanding Canyon Formation|author=Ward Cameron|date=2005|access-date=2010-10-07|archive-date=2001-04-25|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010425195318/http://www.mountainnature.com/Geology/Canyons.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref> 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 canyon]]s are very narrow canyons that often have smooth walls.
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 canyon]]s are very narrow canyons that often have smooth walls.
The word ''canyon'' is Spanish in origin ({{Lang|es|cañón}},<ref>{{cite EB1911 |wstitle=Canyon}}</ref> {{IPA-es|kaˈɲon|pron}}), 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 [[Mexican Spanish|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 (geography)|defile]]'' is occasionally used in the [[United Kingdom]].
The word ''canyon'' is Spanish in origin ({{Lang|es|cañón}},<ref>{{cite EB1911 |wstitle=Canyon}}</ref> {{IPA|es|kaˈɲon|pron}}), 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 [[Mexican Spanish|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 (geography)|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]]).<ref>{{Cite web |title=kloof – definition of kloof in A Dictionary of South African English – DSAE |url=https://dsae.co.za/entry/kloof/e03913 |access-date=2024-08-06 |website=dsae.co.za}}</ref>
==Formation==
==Formation==
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===Box canyon===
===Box canyon===
{{For|the Colorado canyon|Box Canyon, Colorado}}
{{For|the Colorado canyon|Box Canyon, Colorado}}
{{see also|Box canyon (aviation)}}
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.<ref name="encarta1">{{cite web |url=http://encarta.msn.com/dictionary_1861686591/box_canyon.html |title=box canyon |date=2009 |publisher=Encarta World English Dictionary |access-date=2009-08-04 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091217053643/http://encarta.msn.com/dictionary_1861686591/box_canyon.html |archive-date=2009-12-17 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
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.<ref name="encarta1">{{cite web |url=http://encarta.msn.com/dictionary_1861686591/box_canyon.html |title=box canyon |date=2009 |publisher=Encarta World English Dictionary |access-date=2009-08-04 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091217053643/http://encarta.msn.com/dictionary_1861686591/box_canyon.html |archive-date=2009-12-17 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
==Largest canyons==
==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 them not being regarded as candidates for the biggest canyon. The definition of "deepest canyon" is similarly imprecise, especially if one includes both mountain canyons (which do not have a well-defined rim elevation) and canyons cut through relatively flat [[plateau]]s (which have a somewhat well-defined rim elevation).
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 [[plateau]]s (which have a somewhat well-defined rim elevation).
The [[Yarlung Tsangpo Grand Canyon]] (or Tsangpo Canyon), along the [[Yarlung Tsangpo|Yarlung Tsangpo River]] in [[Tibet Autonomous Region|Tibet, China]], is regarded by some as the deepest canyon on Earth at {{Convert|5500|m}}. It is slightly longer than [[Grand Canyon]] in the United States.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.kepu.net.cn/english/canyon/hiking/hik301.html|title=China Virtual Museums: Canyon|website=Kepu.net}}</ref> Others consider the [[Kali Gandaki Gorge]] in midwest Nepal to be the deepest canyon, with a {{Convert|6400|m|adj=on}} difference between the level of the river and the peaks surrounding it.{{citation needed|date=August 2024}}
The [[Yarlung Tsangpo Grand Canyon]] (or Tsangpo Canyon), along the [[Yarlung Tsangpo|Yarlung Tsangpo River]] in [[Tibet Autonomous Region|Tibet]], is regarded by some as the deepest canyon in the world at {{Convert|5500|m}}. It is slightly longer than the [[Grand Canyon]] in the United States.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.kepu.net.cn/english/canyon/hiking/hik301.html|title=China Virtual Museums: Canyon|website=Kepu.net}}</ref> Others consider the [[Kali Gandaki Gorge]] in midwest Nepal to be the deepest canyon, with a {{Convert|6400|m|adj=on}} difference between the level of the river and the peaks surrounding it.
Vying for the deepest canyon in the Americas is the [[Cotahuasi Canyon]] and [[Colca Canyon]], in southern Peru. Both have been measured at over {{Convert|3500|m}} deep.
Vying for the deepest canyon in the Americas is the [[Cotahuasi Canyon]] and [[Colca Canyon]], in southern Peru. Both have been measured at over {{Convert|3500|m}} deep.
[[Grand Canyon]] of northern [[Arizona]] in the United States, with an average depth of {{Convert|1600|m}} and a volume of {{Convert|4.17|e12m3|abbr=off}},<ref>{{cite web|url=https://home.nps.gov/grca/learn/management/statistics.htm|title=Park Statistics|website=National Park Service|location=USA}}</ref> is one of the world's largest canyons. It was among the 28 finalists of the [[New7Wonders of Nature|New 7 Wonders of Nature]] worldwide poll. (Some referred to it as one of the [[Wonders of the World#Seven Natural Wonders of the World|seven natural wonders of the world]].)<ref>{{cite web|last=Truong|first=Alice|title=Everything About the Grand Canyon|url=http://dsc.discovery.com/adventure/everything-about-the-grand-canyon.html|publisher=Discovery Communications|access-date=5 February 2012|date=1 July 2011}}</ref>
The [[Grand Canyon]] of northern [[Arizona]] in the United States, with an average depth of {{Convert|1600|m}} and a volume of {{Convert|4.17|e12m3|abbr=off}},<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nps.gov/grca/parkmgmt/statistics.htm|title=Park Statistics|website=National Park Service|location=USA}}</ref> is one of the world's largest canyons. It was among the 28 finalists of the [[New7Wonders of Nature]] worldwide poll. (Some referred to it as one of the [[Wonders of the World#Seven Natural Wonders of the World|seven natural wonders of the world]].)<ref>{{cite web|last=Truong|first=Alice|title=Everything About the Grand Canyon|url=http://dsc.discovery.com/adventure/everything-about-the-grand-canyon.html|publisher=Discovery Communications|access-date=5 February 2012|date=1 July 2011}}</ref>
The largest canyon in Europe is [[Tara River Canyon]], ~{{Convert|1300|m}} deep.
The largest canyon in Africa is the [[Fish River Canyon]] in [[Namibia]].<ref name="birdfinder">{{cite book|author=Cohen, Callan|author2=Spottiswoode, Claire|author3=Rossouw, Jonathan|name-list-style=amp |date=2006|title=Southern African Birdfinder|isbn= 978-1-86872-725-4|page= 210|publisher=Penguin Random House South Africa }}</ref>
The largest canyon in Africa is the [[Fish River Canyon]] in [[Namibia]], ~{{Convert|550|m}} deep.<ref name="birdfinder">{{cite book|author=Cohen, Callan|author2=Spottiswoode, Claire|author3=Rossouw, Jonathan|name-list-style=amp |date=2006|title=Southern African Birdfinder|isbn= 978-1-86872-725-4|page= 210|publisher=Penguin Random House South Africa }}</ref>
In August 2013, the discovery of [[Greenland]]'s [[Grand Canyon (Greenland)|Grand Canyon]] was reported, based on the analysis of data from [[Operation IceBridge]]. It is located under an ice sheet. At {{Convert|750|km}} long, it is believed to be the longest canyon in the world.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://news.discovery.com/earth/rocks-fossils/greenland-longest-canyon-discovered-130830.htm |title=Grand Canyon of Greenland Discovered under Ice|website=news.discovery.com|date=2017-05-10}}</ref>
In August 2013, the discovery of [[Greenland]]'s [[Grand Canyon (Greenland)|Grand Canyon]] was reported, based on the analysis of data from [[Operation IceBridge]]. It is located under an ice sheet. At {{Convert|750|km}} long, it is believed to be the longest canyon in the world.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://news.discovery.com/earth/rocks-fossils/greenland-longest-canyon-discovered-130830.htm|title=Grand Canyon of Greenland Discovered under Ice|website=news.discovery.com|date=2017-05-10|access-date=2013-08-30|archive-date=2016-05-11|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160511221221/http://news.discovery.com/earth/rocks-fossils/greenland-longest-canyon-discovered-130830.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref>
Despite not being quite as deep or long as the Grand Canyon, the [[Capertee Valley]] in Australia is actually 1km wider than the Grand Canyon, making it the widest canyon in the world.<ref name="MyUser_Dailytelegraph.com_March_28_2016c">{{cite news|url=http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/lifestyle/parenting/school-holidays/forget-the-grand-canyon-the-second-biggest-geological-marvel-in-the-world-is-right-here-in-nsw/news-story/3b0b48ac4d7a5cd323dd4b6590266fd8 |title=Capertee Valley: Australia's own Grand Canyon |newspaper=Daily Telegraph |date=14 December 2015 |author=Fitzsimons, David |access-date= March 28, 2016}}</ref><ref name="MyUser_Abc.net_March_28_2016c">{{cite web |url=http://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2012/05/22/3507609.htm |title=Grand Canyon is not so grand › Dr Karl's Great Moments In Science |website=ABC Science|date=22 May 2012 |author=Kruszelnicki, Karl S. |access-date= March 28, 2016}}</ref>
Despite not being quite as deep or long as the Grand Canyon, the [[Capertee Valley]] in Australia is actually 1 km wider than the Grand Canyon, making it the widest canyon in the world.<ref name="MyUser_Dailytelegraph.com_March_28_2016c">{{cite news|url=http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/lifestyle/parenting/school-holidays/forget-the-grand-canyon-the-second-biggest-geological-marvel-in-the-world-is-right-here-in-nsw/news-story/3b0b48ac4d7a5cd323dd4b6590266fd8 |title=Capertee Valley: Australia's own Grand Canyon |newspaper=The Daily Telegraph |date=14 December 2015 |author=Fitzsimons, David |access-date= March 28, 2016}}</ref><ref name="MyUser_Abc.net_March_28_2016c">{{cite web |url=http://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2012/05/22/3507609.htm |title=Grand Canyon is not so grand › Dr Karl's Great Moments in Science |website=ABC Science|date=22 May 2012 |author=Kruszelnicki, Karl S. |access-date= March 28, 2016}}</ref>
{{wide image|Capertee Valley panorama.jpg|900|Panoramic view of the [[Capertee Valley]] in Australia, the widest largest canyon in the world}}
{{wide image|Capertee Valley panorama.jpg|900|Panoramic view of the [[Capertee Valley]] in Australia, the widest largest canyon in the world}}
==Cultural significance==
==Cultural significance==
Some canyons have notable cultural significance. Evidence of [[early homin]]ids has been discovered in Africa's [[Olduvai Gorge]]. In the southwestern United States, canyons are important [[archeology|archeologically]] because of the many [[cliff-dwelling]]s built in such areas, largely by the [[ancient Pueblo people]] who were their first inhabitants.
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 [[archeology|archeologically]] because of the many [[cliff-dwelling]]s built in such areas, largely by the [[ancient Pueblo people]] who were their first inhabitants.
==Notable examples==
==Notable examples==
{{For|a complete list|List of canyons}}The following list contains only the most notable canyons of the world, arranged by continent and then country.
{{For|a complete list|List of canyons}}The following list contains only the most notable canyons of the world, grouped by region.
===Africa===
=== Africa ===
[[File:Fish River Canyon from Main View Point.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|[[Fish River Canyon]], Namibia]]
[[File:Fish River Canyon from Main View Point.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|[[Fish River Canyon]], Namibia]]
[[File:Oribi Gorge, South Africa.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|[[Oribi Gorge]], [[South Africa]] ]]
A canyon (Template:Etymology; archaic British English spelling: cañon),[1]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.[2] 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,[3] 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.
The word canyon is Spanish in origin (cañón,[4]es), 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).[5]
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.[6] 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.
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.[7]
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 them not being regarded as candidates for the biggest canyon. The definition of "deepest canyon" is similarly imprecise, especially if one includes both mountain canyons (which do not have a well-defined rim elevation) and 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.[8] 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),[9] 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.)[10]
The largest canyon in Europe is Tara River Canyon, ~1,300 metres (4,300 ft) deep.
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.[12]
Despite not being quite as deep or long as the Grand Canyon, the Capertee Valley in Australia is actually 1 km wider than the Grand Canyon, making it the widest canyon in the world.[13][14]
Panoramic view of the Capertee Valley in Australia, the widest largest canyon in the world
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.
↑Cohen, Callan; Spottiswoode, Claire & Rossouw, Jonathan (2006). Southern African Birdfinder. Penguin Random House South Africa. p. 210. ISBN978-1-86872-725-4.
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