How are canyons formed?
Canyons are formed by the erosion
of
water and wind. Over thousands and thousands of years these wear away at
hard rock which eventually breaks away and starts to form a gorge. This
erosion is usually caused by a river which has its bed on the ground at
the top, but gradually wears away the sides of its bed forming a deeper
and deeper gorge. This becomes the canyon.
A famous canyon is the Grand Canyon
in Arizona, USA. It has the Colorado river running throught it which
eroded it away and formed it.
There are many different minerals in
the rocks that have fallen away from the sides of the gorge. The
minerals are mostly sandstone and limestone. Fossils can also be
found in the rocks on the sides of some canyon walls.
Click HERE
to see our model of a Canyon.
