What is Canyon in Geography?
Canyon geography is very simple. A canyon is a huge valley, with tremendously deep, steep sides and perhaps a river flowing along the bottom. The term “Canyon” is derived from the Spanish word cañon, which implies “pipe” or “tube”. The word “gorge” is also most commonly used to refer to “canyon,” but a gorge is relatively steeper and narrower than a canyon almost always. That said gorges and canyons are almost similar except for steepness and narrowness.
How are Canyons Formed?
The natural processes of weathering and erosion, the movement of rivers, and activity in tectonic creates canyons. Canyons are most commonly developed by erosion.
Have you ever thought how old the Canyons would be? Any guesses, you might think it is around a few months or some years. Not exactly! Canyons have been formed long back millions of years. Canyons are formed with erosion. This happens when the land has started to be worn away within the time due to some sort of force, this might be bodies of water or due to the impact of weather. In terms of Canyons, the river is the primary player that is responsible for creating erosion. Rivers start carving within the land with the flowing water, and the land is worn away and then Canyons formation happens in millions of years.
You must have heard of a Grand Canyons that is available in the United States (western part). This canyon is tremendous so it earns the tag of its grand shape. The size of these Canyons is measured as 250 miles long and a mile deep. It has been formed after millions of years via the famous Colorado River. Similarly, Colca Canyons in Peru, and from Tibet to China Yarlung Tsangpo Canyons is famous for its deep and grand area. The next type of Canyons formation is due to the rifts that occur between the peaks of two mountains. We can give an example of the Himalayas and Alps rocky mountains. In such a situation, a stream or river helps in chalking out a split between two mountains that are towering. And, when Canyons are formed with this process then they are known as box canyons.
What is the Real Role of Weathering in Canyon Formation?
By this time you are aware of the term erosion so weathering is another word for erosion. And, erosions can be of varied types including win, freezing water, flowing water, and thawing water. This is associated with varied factors such as you collect a few stones on a bach that are powerful and large waves. The shape of these stones is well-rounded. Have you ever thought about how they got this round shape? Similarly, you can notice some sand particles having pointed edges now you are getting that weathering is also there in the sand. So, these are examples of water and wind erosion. With such erosion, they have got jagged edges.
These are a few popular examples, you can explore Geography for more such examples.
Canyon Landform
A canyon is a deep valley that is also narrow and cut by a river through rock. Canyons differ in size from narrow cuts to mega trenches. They consist of very steep sides and maybe thousands of feet deep. Smaller valleys of identical appearance are known as gorges. Over thousands of years, a river's flowing water erodes or wears down rocks and soil to create a valley. The largest and most popular canyons have had slit through dry areas by swift streams sustained by rain or melting snow from wetter areas. The walls remain rough and steep since there is little rainfall or surface water to wear them off. An example is the Grand Canyon, in the U.S. state of Arizona.
Weathering and Erosion
Weathering and erosion also lead to the creation of canyons. In the winter season, water seeps into cracks in the rock and then this water. As this water freezes, it enlarges and converts into ice. Ice compels the cracks to get bigger and bigger, eroding bits of stone in the process. During short, heavy rainfalls, water gushes down the cracks, wearing off even more rocks and stone. As more rocks fragment and fall, the canyon grows wider at the top than at the bottom.
When this process takes place in soft rock, like the sandstone, it can result in the formation of slot canyons. Slot canyons are observed to be very deep and narrow. At times, a slot canyon can even be less than a meter (3 feet) wide, but hundreds of meters deep. Slot canyons can be threatening since their sides are generally very smooth and difficult to climb.
Canyon Ledges
Some canyons with hard, underlying rock may grow ledges and cliffs after crumbling their softer, surface rock. These ledges have the appearance of giant steps.
It is in fact quite amazing to know that sometimes an entire civilization can develop on and around these canyon ledges. Native US nations, such as the Sinagua and the Hopi created cliff dwellings. Cliff dwellings look like apartment-style shelters that accommodated hundreds of people. The shaded, lofted canyon ledges in Walnut Canyon and Canyon de Chelly, in Arizona, rendered protection from antagonist locales and the burning desert sun.
Box Canyons
Hard-rock canyons open at one end are known as box canyons. The Navajo and Hopi people usually used box canyons as natural corrals for sheep and cattle. They simply established a gate on the open side of the box canyon and closed it when the animals were inside.
Limestone is a kind of hard rock that is most commonly found in canyons. Sometimes, limestone erodes and develops caves underneath the earth. As the ceilings of these caves crumble, canyons form. The Yorkshire Dales, a region in northern England, is an assemblage of canyons and river valleys developed by limestone cave collapses.
Grand Canyon Geology
The Grand Canyon is one of America’s treasure troves and a World Heritage Site of UNESCO. In the Grand Canyon, there are clear horizontal layers of different rocks that are themselves a telltale of when, where, and how they have been deposited, long before the canyon was even carved. The Law of Superposition implies that sediment is accumulated in layers in order, with the youngest rocks on the top, while the oldest rocks on the bottom just the way sand piles up in an hourglass.
Conclusion
Thus, this was all about canyons. For the ease of the student's definition, ways of canyon formation and their different types have been explained thoroughly. The topic is really interesting if it is studied from scratch and understood with examples. Here, the best tip for the students who are preparing it for examination is that they should prepare their own notes along with this so that their practice starts right from the time of learning. And, once they are versed with the historical background then it is going to be easy for them to learn and remember the concepts.
FAQs on Canyon
1. What is a canyon in simple terms?
A canyon is a deep, narrow valley with very steep sides, usually with a river or stream flowing at the bottom. Think of it as a huge trench carved into the Earth's surface over millions of years. The main force that creates a canyon is the constant flow of water cutting down into the rock.
2. What is the main process that forms a canyon?
The primary process that forms a canyon is erosion by a river. Over a very long time, the river's flow cuts down into the bedrock, carrying away small pieces of rock and sediment. This process is most effective when the land is also being gradually lifted by tectonic activity, which forces the river to keep digging deeper instead of widening its path.
3. What are the main types of canyons found in geography?
Canyons are mainly classified based on where they form. The two key types are:
- River Canyons: These are the most common, formed on land by the power of a river. The Grand Canyon in the USA is a famous example.
- Submarine Canyons: These are deep valleys found on the ocean floor, cutting into the continental shelves. They are often formed by underwater landslides and strong ocean currents.
4. Can you give some examples of famous canyons?
Certainly. Besides the Grand Canyon in the United States, other spectacular examples include:
- The Yarlung Zangbo Grand Canyon in Tibet, which is considered the deepest canyon in the world.
- Fish River Canyon in Namibia, the largest canyon in Africa.
- Copper Canyon in Mexico, which is actually a large system of several connected canyons.
5. What is the difference between a canyon and a gorge?
While the terms are often used interchangeably, there is a subtle difference. A gorge is typically much narrower and steeper than a canyon. A canyon is a much larger and broader feature, often formed in flatter landscapes where a river has had more space to carve. You can think of a gorge as a smaller, more compressed version of a canyon.
6. How does weathering help shape a canyon?
While river erosion carves the bottom of a canyon, weathering is crucial for shaping its steep walls. Weathering is the process that breaks down rock. Forces like wind, rain, and the freezing and thawing of ice in rock cracks (frost wedging) slowly weaken and break apart the rock on the canyon walls. This widens the canyon over time and helps create its distinct, steep-sided appearance.
7. Why are so many large canyons found in dry or arid regions?
It might seem strange, but dry climates are perfect for forming deep canyons. In arid regions, there is not much rain to cause general erosion on the surrounding land. This means the river's power is concentrated almost entirely on cutting downwards into the bedrock. In wetter climates, more rainfall would erode the canyon's edges faster, creating a wider, gentler V-shaped valley instead of a deep, steep-walled canyon.
