Natural wonders: 10 Canyons of sculpted rocks found in NW China

Natural wonders: 10 Canyons of sculpted rocks found in NW China

Over 10 Canyons of sculpted rocks were found recently in the Zhidan County（sites 1-9）and Ganquan County (site 10) in the region of Yan’an, Shanxi Province, China.

1.  Maoxiang Canyon (毛项雕岩谷)

2.  Mahuaiyi Canyon （马怀驿雕岩谷）

3.  Mazigou Canyon （麻子沟雕岩谷）

4.  Bifeng Canyon (碧峰峡)

5.  Luohe Canyon （洛河峡谷）

6.  Wangnangou Canyon (王南沟峡谷)

7.  Kangjiagou(康家沟峡谷)

8.  Jiuwushan (九吾山峡谷)

9.  Caojiagou (曹家沟峡谷)

10.Yucha Canyon (雨岔峡谷)

A canyon of sculpted rocks (CSR) is a slot canyon with undulating walls, formed by lateral connection of vertical or subvertical potholes in resistant rocks such as sandstone, granite, gneiss, basalt, tuff, conglomerate and limestone. The canyons of sculpted rocks are particularly spectacular in rose-red, cross-bedded sandstones and form natural wonders of tourist attraction. The potholes, which are cylindrical holes drilled into the bedrock, are the most conspicuous abrasion sculpture forms caused by floor swirling eddy currents forcing particles (e.g., sand, gravels, pebbles and cobbles) to spin around and erode hollows through abrasion/corrosion in bedrock channels. The canyon of sculpted rocks formed through agglomeration of multiple, initially separate, enlarging and overlapping potholes during their progressive growth. The surfaces of the rocky canyon walls are generally smooth but extremely undulated with remaining ridges separating the partial potholes. The undulations are actually the remnants of the inner walls of breached potholes. The undulating walls have been preserved because the substrates are cohesive and highly resistant, lacking valley-wall collapse.                

"Canyon of sculpted rocks" was first used by Shaocheng Ji to describe the Longying Canyon, Lishi Town, Jiangjin, Chongqing, China.

Canyons of sculpted rocks, which are results of ephemeral incision due to flashy summer thunder-storms, have been found in many parts of the world, predominantly in areas with relatively low rainfall. The most typical and best-known canyons sculpted rocks have been found in the Southwestern United States (e.g., Utah and Arizona). Other significant areas include the regions of red beds in Southwest and Northwest China, and Africa. 

Photos provided by Gao Kai and Hu Jijun