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    Geo Gorges1

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    Tinevimbo Chimusuwo
    A gorge is a narrow, steep-sided valley often formed by a retreating waterfall. As water flows over harder rock and hits softer rock below, it erodes away the soft rock to form a plunge pool. Over time, the hard rock overhang becomes unsupported and collapses, allowing the waterfall to cut further back into the landscape and form a gorge. Gorges have steep banks and can be formed through other natural processes like glacial melting or river erosion over millions of years. Famous gorges around the world include the Grand Canyon and China's Three Gorges.

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    Geo Gorges1

    Uploaded by

    Tinevimbo Chimusuwo
    30 views6 pages
    A gorge is a narrow, steep-sided valley often formed by a retreating waterfall. As water flows over harder rock and hits softer rock below, it erodes away the soft rock to form a plunge pool. Over time, the hard rock overhang becomes unsupported and collapses, allowing the waterfall to cut further back into the landscape and form a gorge. Gorges have steep banks and can be formed through other natural processes like glacial melting or river erosion over millions of years. Famous gorges around the world include the Grand Canyon and China's Three Gorges.

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    A gorge is a narrow, steep-sided valley often formed by a retreating waterfall. As water flows over harder rock and hits softer rock below, it erodes away the soft rock to form a plunge pool. Over time, the hard rock overhang becomes unsupported and collapses, allowing the waterfall to cut further back into the landscape and form a gorge. Gorges have steep banks and can be formed through other natural processes like glacial melting or river erosion over millions of years. Famous gorges around the world include the Grand Canyon and China's Three Gorges.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as docx, pdf, or txt
    30 views6 pages

    Geo Gorges1

    Uploaded by

    Tinevimbo Chimusuwo
    A gorge is a narrow, steep-sided valley often formed by a retreating waterfall. As water flows over harder rock and hits softer rock below, it erodes away the soft rock to form a plunge pool. Over time, the hard rock overhang becomes unsupported and collapses, allowing the waterfall to cut further back into the landscape and form a gorge. Gorges have steep banks and can be formed through other natural processes like glacial melting or river erosion over millions of years. Famous gorges around the world include the Grand Canyon and China's Three Gorges.

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    What Is a Gorge in Geography?

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    What Is a Gorge in Geography?

    The Grand Canyon is one of the world's largest gorges.

    Updated April 24, 2017

    By Donna Eigen

    A gorge is a deep channel formed by a river that has eroded the earth's crust over millions of years.
    Some gorges are so large they are visible from space. One of the most famous is the Grand Canyon.

    Characteristics

    Gorges have steep banks where the river has cut through the earth. The Grand Canyon, which was
    formed by the Colorado River, reaches 6,000 feet deep -- more than a mile -- and is 277 miles long and
    15 miles at its widest point. Some gorges are dry and the rivers that once carved them long gone.

    Famous Gorges

    Gorges are found all over the world. The largest American gorges include the Grand Canyon, Gorges of
    Finger Lakes, Columbia River Gorge, New River Gorge and Canyon Lake Gorge. China's gorges include the
    Yangzi River’s Three Gorges, Yarlung Zangbo Grand Canyon and Kali Gandaki Gorge. The Victoria Falls
    Gorge and Olduvai Gorge are located in Africa; the Gorge du Verdun is in Europe

    Describe the formation of a gorge.

    A gorge is formed as a result of a change in rock type at a waterfall. At the base of a waterwall the
    pressure and hydraulic action of the falling water causes the softer rock which is underneath to erode
    forming a plunge pool. Over time this continues to erode backwards, undercutting the harder rock which
    is on the surface. Eventually the over hang is so great that the hard rock can no longer support its own
    weight and therfore collapses. This process continues and is repeated over hunderds of years causing
    the waterfall to cut back into the landscape, leaving a steep sided valley known as a gorge.
    GORGE – A NARROW, STEEP SIDED VALLEY, SOMETIMES FORMED AS A WATERFALL RETREATS
    UPSTREAM

    What a gorgeous view (gorge) of a narrow, steep sided valley. Often with a waterfall at the end.

    What a gorgeous view (gorge) of a narrow, steep-sided valley. Often with a waterfall at the end.

    So, how are gorges formed?

    It often forms where the river meets a bend or softer rock after flowing over an area of more resistant
    material. We all know what a waterfall is, but how do they form:

    Waterfalls typically form in the upper stages of a river. They occur when a band of hard rock overlies a
    softer rock. Falling water and rock particles erode the soft rock below the waterfall, creating a plunge
    pool.

    The soft rock is undercut by erosional processes such as hydraulic action and abrasion, creating a plunge
    pool where water and debris swirl around, eroding the rock and creating an overhang.

    The hard rock overhang above the plunge pool collapses as its weight is no longer supported.

    Erosion continues and the waterfall retreats upstream, leaving behind a gorge.

    A narrow, steep sided valley, sometimes formed as a waterfall retreats upstream

    Note: Gorges can also form when meltwater floods flow after numerous cold periods or "ice ages", or by
    cavern collapse abrasion.
    A gorge is a narrow valley with steep, rocky walls. Gorges are usually smaller than canyons, although
    both words are used to describe deep, narrow valleys with a stream or river running along the bottom.

    Apart from retreating waterfalls, gorges can also be formed by other natural actions, including the
    movement and melting of glaciers, the collapse of caverns or caves, geologic uplift (the elevation of
    earth's surface due to natural causes) and rivers and streams simply 'carving' through layers of rock over
    millions of years.

    Important geological discoveries have been made at gorges because they expose layers of rock that go
    back millions of years. For instance, the Olduvai Gorge in Tanzania has layers dating as far back as two
    million years and is famous for the fossils and ancient tools found there.

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