A canyon (from Spanish : cañón ; archaic British English spelling: cañon ), 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 . 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, particularly through regions where softer rock layers are intermingled with harder layers more resistant to weathering.
29-656: The Columbia River Gorge is a canyon of the Columbia River in the Pacific Northwest of the United States. Up to 4,000 feet (1,200 m) deep, the canyon stretches for over eighty miles (130 km) as the river winds westward through the Cascade Range , forming the boundary between the state of Washington to the north and Oregon to the south. Extending roughly from the confluence of
58-522: A 4,432-acre (1,794 ha) area located on both sides of the river. In fall 2017, the Eagle Creek Fire burned in the gorge for three months, consuming almost 50,000 acres (78 sq mi; 200 km). It reached 100% containment on November 30, 2017, but was not yet completely out. 45°42′17″N 121°47′30″W / 45.70472°N 121.79167°W / 45.70472; -121.79167 Canyon A canyon may also refer to
87-535: A dramatic change in scenery while driving along Interstate 84 . In the western, temperate rainforest areas, forests are marked by bigleaf maples , Douglas fir , and western hemlock , all covered in epiphytes . In the transition zone (between Hood River and The Dalles), vegetation turns to Oregon white oak , ponderosa pine , and cottonwood . At the eastern end, the forests make way for expansive grasslands , with occasional pockets of lodgepole and ponderosa pine. Atmospheric pressure differentials east and west of
116-843: 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. Steep-sided valleys in
145-579: Is actually 1 km wider than the Grand Canyon, making it the widest 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. The following list contains only
174-738: Is known for its high concentration of waterfalls , with over 90 on the Oregon side of the gorge alone. Many are along the Historic Columbia River Highway , including the notable 620-foot-high (190 m) Multnomah Falls . Trails and day use sites are maintained by the Forest Service and many Oregon and Washington state parks . The Columbia River Gorge began forming as far back as the Miocene (roughly 17 to 12 million years ago), and continued to take shape through
203-676: 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 ). 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
232-599: Is similarly imprecise, especially if one includes mountain canyons, as well as 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 , is regarded by some as the deepest canyon on Earth at 5,500 metres (18,000 ft). It is slightly longer than the Grand Canyon in
261-598: 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
290-644: Is the Fish River Canyon in Namibia . 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. Despite not being quite as deep or long as the Grand Canyon, the Capertee Valley in Australia
319-534: The Folsom and Marmes people, who crossed the Bering land bridge from Asia , were found in archaeological digs . Excavations near Celilo Falls , a few miles east of The Dalles , show humans have occupied this salmon -fishing site for more than 10,000 years. The gorge has provided a transportation corridor for thousands of years. Native Americans would travel through the gorge to trade at Celilo Falls, both along
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#1732772291793348-620: The Pleistocene (2 million to 700,000 years ago). During this period the Cascade Range was forming, which slowly moved the Columbia River's delta about 100 miles (160 km) north to its current location. Although the river slowly eroded the land over this period of time, the most drastic changes took place at the end of the last ice age when the Missoula Floods cut the steep, dramatic walls that exist today, flooding
377-461: 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
406-642: The seabed of the continental slope are referred to as submarine canyons . Unlike canyons on land, submarine canyons are thought to be formed by turbidity currents and landslides . The word canyon is Spanish in origin ( cañón , pronounced [kaˈɲon] ), 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
435-460: The western United States as convenient corrals, with their entrances fenced. 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"
464-529: The Cascades create a wind tunnel effect in the deep cut of the gorge, generating 35-mile-per-hour (56 km/h) winds that make it a popular windsurfing and kiteboarding location. It also creates the right conditions for snow and ice storms during the winter months which also draw very cold east winds toward the mouth of the gorge on the west end. The gorge is a popular destination for hiking , biking , sightseeing , fishing , and water sports . The area
493-784: The Columbia with the Deschutes River (and the towns of Roosevelt, Washington , and Arlington, Oregon ) in the east down to the eastern reaches of the Portland metropolitan area , the water gap furnishes the only navigable route through the Cascades and the only water connection between the Columbia Plateau and the Pacific Ocean . It is thus that the routes of Interstate 84 , U.S. Route 30 , Washington State Route 14 , and railroad tracks on both sides run through
522-577: The Oregon shore. Until 1997, Amtrak's Pioneer also used the Union Pacific tracks. The Portland segment of the Empire Builder uses the BNSF tracks that pass through the gorge. The Columbia River Highway , built in the early 20th century, was the first major paved highway in the Pacific Northwest . Shipping was greatly simplified after Bonneville Dam and The Dalles Dam submerged
551-533: 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), 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 . The largest canyon in Africa
580-627: The United States. 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. 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. The Grand Canyon of northern Arizona in
609-746: The canyon walls, in a process known as frost wedging. 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
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#1732772291793638-498: The existing industries in towns along the river to relocate. The designation was initially opposed by residents fearing government encroachment, due to restrictions in the plan for items such as building paint colors, and was also opposed by conservationists who feared additional development in the region. In 2004, the gorge became the namesake of the Columbia Gorge American Viticultural Area ,
667-650: The gorge provides the setting for a diverse collection of ecosystems , from the temperate rain forest on the western end—with an average annual precipitation of 75 to 100 inches (1,900 to 2,500 mm)—to the eastern grasslands with average annual precipitation between 10 and 15 inches (250 and 380 mm), to a transitional dry woodland between Hood River and The Dalles . Isolated micro-habitats have allowed for many species of endemic plants and animals to prosper, including at least 13 endemic wildflowers. The gorge transitions between temperate rainforest to dry grasslands in only 80 miles (130 km), hosting
696-504: The gorge's major rapids such as Celilo Falls, a major salmon fishing site for local Native Americans until the site's submergence in 1957. In November 1986, Congress made the gorge the second U.S. National Scenic Area and established the Columbia River Gorge Commission as part of an interstate compact . The experimental designation came in lieu of being recognized as a national park , which would require
725-599: The gorge. A popular recreational destination, the gorge holds federally protected status as the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area and is managed by the Columbia River Gorge Commission and the U.S. Forest Service . The Columbia River, Klamath River in northern California , Pit River in northern California, and Fraser River in southern British Columbia are the only four rivers connecting
754-710: The river and over Lolo Pass on the north side of Mount Hood . In 1805, the route was used by the Lewis and Clark Expedition to reach the Pacific. Early European and American settlers subsequently established steamboat lines and railroads through the gorge. Today, the BNSF Railway runs freights along the Washington side of the river, while its rival, the Union Pacific Railroad , runs freights along
783-476: The river as high up as Crown Point . This quick erosion left many layers of volcanic rock exposed. The Columbia River Gorge is home to a number of plant species that are endemic or found mostly in the gorge and surrounding areas, including Heterotheca villosa , Lomatium columbianum , Lomatium klickitatense , Lomatium suksdorfii , Penstemon barrettiae , and Primula poetica . The gorge has supported human habitation for over 13,000 years. Evidence of
812-456: 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
841-490: The watersheds on the east side of the Cascade Range to the Pacific Ocean . Each river has carved out a gorge through the Cascades. The Columbia River Gorge marks the state line between Oregon and Washington, and its wide range of elevation and precipitation makes it an extremely diverse and dynamic place. Ranging from 4,000 feet (1,200 m) to sea level, and transitioning from 100 inches (2,500 mm) of precipitation to only 10 inches (250 mm) in 80 miles (130 km),
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