Discover the world’s 10 most stunning canyons

Mechanical weathering wears away at rock through physical forces, causing it to crumble and break apart. The Grand Canyon was created by mechanical weathering (and its pal erosion), as water from the Colorado River pushed past the rocky surface of the canyon for millions of years, making a deeper and deeper V-shape.

Tectonic Uplift Canyons are also formed by tectonic activity. As tectonic plates beneath the Earth’s crust shift and collide, their movement can change the area’s landscape. Sometimes, tectonic activity causes an area of the Earth’s crust to rise higher than the surrounding land. This process is called tectonic uplift.

Some of the most spectacular canyons on Earth and Mars were probably formed in the geologic blink of an eye, suggests a new study that found clues to their formation deep in the heart of Texas.

3rdorder

• Colca Canyon, Peru. Colca Canyon: one of the world’s deepest.
• Waimea Canyon, Hawaii. Waimea Canyon, Kauai, Hawaii.
• Verdon Gorge, France.
• Fjaðrárgljúfur Canyon, Iceland.
• Blyde River Canyon, South Africa.
• Fish River Canyon, Namibia.
• Itaimbezinho Canyon, Brazil.
• The Grand Canyon, USA.

8200 feet

The Grand Canyon

Slot Canyon Safety The natural forces that carved slot canyons are still at work, and even light, distant rainfall can render slot canyons extremely dangerous — including flash floods.

Grand Canyon

The state’s name appears to originate from an earlier Spanish name, Arizonac, derived from the O’odham name alĭ ṣonak, meaning “small spring”, which initially applied only to an area near the silver mining camp of Planchas de Plata, Sonora. To the European settlers, their pronunciation sounded like Arissona.