Canyon
Topic: Landforms and their Evolution: Rivers, Groundwater, Glaciers, Waves and Wind · NCERT: Class 11, Ch 6 "Landforms and their Evolution"
Meaning
A canyon is a type of gorge. Its sides are steep and rise like a staircase, and it is wider at the top than at the bottom. It forms where a river cuts down into flat-lying layers of sedimentary rock, also called horizontally bedded rock. Hard layers stand as steep walls, and softer layers wear back into ledges. This gives the step-like sides.
Example
The Grand Canyon in Arizona, USA, was cut by the Colorado River into the Colorado Plateau. It is the best-known example in the world.
Don't confuse with
- Gorge: a gorge has very steep, almost straight sides. It is about as wide at the top as at the bottom, and it forms in hard rock. An example is the Kaveri at Hogenakkal in Tamil Nadu.