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A canyon (; archaic spelling: cañon), gorge or chasm, is a deep cleft between or resulting from and the activity of a river over geologic time scales. Rivers have a natural tendency to cut through underlying surfaces, eventually wearing away rock layers as are removed downstream. A 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 and 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 , the , the or the . Usually, a river or stream carves out such splits between mountains. Examples of mountain-type canyons are in Utah or in California's . Canyons within mountains, or gorges that have an opening on only one side, are called box canyons. are very narrow canyons that often have smooth walls.

Steep-sided valleys in the of the continental slope are referred to as . Unlike canyons on land, submarine canyons are thought to be formed by turbidity currents and landslides.

Etymology
The word canyon is Spanish in origin (cañón, ), with the same meaning. The word canyon is generally used in , while the words gorge and (French in origin) are used in and , 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 ) and gorge in the northeast (which is closer to ), 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 ).

Formation
Most canyons were formed by a process of long-time from a or table-land level. The form because harder 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 . 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 or .

Sometimes large rivers run through canyons as the result of gradual geological uplift. These are called , because they are unable to easily alter their course. In the United States, the Colorado River in the Southwest and the in the Northwest are two examples of .

Canyons often form in areas of rock. As limestone is soluble to a certain extent, systems form in the rock. When a cave system collapses, a canyon is left, as in the in and in , 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 contributes to their 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 (which have a somewhat well-defined rim elevation).

The Yarlung Tsangpo Grand Canyon (or Tsangpo Canyon), along the in Tibet, China, is regarded by some as the deepest canyon on Earth at . It is slightly longer than in the United States. Others consider the Kali Gandaki Gorge in midwest Nepal to be the deepest canyon, with a difference between the level of the river and the peaks surrounding it.

Vying for the deepest canyon in the Americas is the and , in southern Peru. Both have been measured at over deep.

of northern in the United States, with an average depth of and a volume of , 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, ~ deep.

The largest canyon in Africa is the Fish River Canyon in , ~ deep.

(2025). 9781868727254, Penguin Random House South Africa.

In August 2013, the discovery of 's Grand Canyon was reported, based on the analysis of data from Operation IceBridge. It is located under an ice sheet. At long, it is believed to be the longest canyon in the world.

Despite not being quite as deep or long as Grand Canyon, the in Australia is actually 1 km wider than Grand Canyon, making it the widest canyon in the world.

Cultural significance
Some canyons have notable cultural significance. Evidence of has been discovered in Africa's . In the southwestern United States, canyons are important because of the many 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.

Africa
Namibia
  • Fish River Canyon

South Africa

Tanzania

Americas
Argentina

Brazil

Bolivia
  • Torotoro River Canyon

Canada

Colombia
  • Chicamocha Canyon, Santander Department

Mexico

Peru

United States

Asia
China

India

Indonesia

Others

Europe
United Kingdom

France
  • Gorges de l'Ardèche, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
  • Gorges de Daluis, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur
  • Gorges du Tarn, Occitanie
  • , Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
  • , Alpes-de-Haute-Provence

Ukraine

Others

Oceania
Australia

New Zealand

Solar System

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 also
External links
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