Let's Talk About Cracks Trivia Quiz

Answer: The Grand Canyon

The Grand Canyon National Park is bigger than the entire state of Rhode Island at 1,904 square miles (Rhode Island state territory is around 1,212 square miles). The canyon territory touches parts of Arizona, Nevada, Utah, and Colorado. The most accessible part of the canyon is found in Arizona.

It is estimated that the canyon has over 1,000 caves, with 335 of these caves on record. Many of these caves have been the source of Native American artifacts and historical finds. There have been many archeological discoveries and fossils found, but the Grand Canyon has not been the source of any dinosaur bones.

The Grand Canyon has been home to Native American tribes and a vital part of their way of life. The Hopi tribe considers the Grand Canyon a gateway to the afterlife, and that upon death a person passes through the canyon's "place of emergence" on their journey to eternity.

With the Colorado River still flowing, the Grand Canyon is still forming and changing shape. The combined effect of rain, wind, and the river's constant flow are still forming the canyon over time.

Answer: Yarlung Zangpo Grand Canyon

The Yarlung Tsangpo Grand Canyon is the deepest canyon in the world, with its lowest point at 19,714 ft. It is 313.5 miles long (36 miles longer than the Grand Canyon in the United States), making it one of the world's largest.

The canyon was formed by the Yarlung Tsangpo river. The river begins near Mount Kailash, curves by a section of the Himalayas, and ends near a gorge in the Tibet mountains. The result is a canyon that has one of the most mountainous terrains, and varying climates.

Over the years there have been threats to construct a dam, to use the Yarlung Tsangpo River's potential for electricity. Scientists have argued that the river has been a major contributor to the canyon's wildlife, vegetation, and climate. Without the river the canyon would dry up.

Answer: Andean condor

The Colca Canyon is 10,439 feet deep, twice the depth of the Grand Canyon in the United States. It is surrounded by snow covered mountains, many of which are volcanoes. The center of the canyon is cut by the Cola River, which is feeds into the Amazon.

The cliffs hold remains of Spanish villages and churches, that have withstood earthquakes and natural disasters. Andean natives still inhabit the canyon and nearby surroundings. The Andeans draw tourists with their colorful dress, festivities, and animal farming.

The Colca Canyon has been nicknamed the "Kingdom of the Condors". As of 2020, there were fewer than 6,200 Andean condors in the world. The majority of them have made their home in the Andean Mountains and the Colca Canyon in Peru.

The Andean condor is a South American bird that is one of the largest birds in the world by weight and wingspan. Their maximum wingspan stretches 10 feet and their weight can go up to 33 lbs. They are considered birds of prey and are members of the vulture family.

Answer: the greenish hue from the canyon walls

The Copper Canyon is a group of six smaller canyons that were formed by six rivers. The walls are all a copper greenish color which is what the canyon is named after.

The canyon has been a home to the Tarahumara and Rarįmuri native tribes for several centuries. They have made their homes in the cliffs and in the mountainous areas.

The Copper Canyon has been mined for several natural resources. During the 1700s silver was discovered in the canyon by the Spaniards in the land of the Tarahumara tribe and natives were enslaved for mining. In 1916 copper was discovered and mines were established, however the name of the canyon did not come from these mines.

Answer: False

The Fish River Canyon in Namibia is the largest canyon in Africa. It is 1,000 to 2,300 feet deep and about 100 miles long. At its widest points, it is 17 miles wide.

Although the canyon is mostly in a desert climate, it contains the Fish River and is home to several kinds of wildlife. African animals that live in the canyon include baboons, leopards, zebras, kudus, and African fish eagles.

The canyon is also a home to over 100 endemic plant species and over 84 tree species. One recognized plant is the quiver tree, which is part of the aloe family.

Answer: True

In 1844, Dutch explorers migrated towards the southern tip of Africa. Hendrik Potgieter and others returned from Delagoa Bay named the Blyde River the "happy river", as a celebration, when they returned safely to the rest of their party who had considered them dead.

The Blyde River Canyon is home to the Kadishi Tufa waterfall, which is the second tallest tufa waterfall on earth. A tufa waterfall is formed when water running over dolomite rock absorbs calcium, forming the crystal-like spikes of limestone. This waterfall stands at 600 ft.

Answer: melted glacier water over a long periods of time since the Ice Age

The Fjašrįrgljśfur Canyon is known for its "S" form, which locals have called the "serpent". It was named after the Fjašrį River, the "Feather River", which is known for its unusual bright blue hue during certain times of the year.

The depth of the canyon is estimated to be 328 feet, and the length of it covers a distance of 1.25 miles. Although the canyon is not known for its size, it has attracted many tourists to its mossy cliffs and waterfalls.

Scientists estimate that the steep palagonite walls of the Fjašrįrgljśfur Canyon are two million years old. They believe the canyon was formed from the glacier ice melting over thousands of years. The glacial waters are thought to be the source of the river's bright blue coloring.

Answer: glacial sources and minerals of rock flour

Gorges du Verdon is the largest canyon in Europe. Its length is 15.5 miles and its depth is 0.4 miles. Most of the canyon is limestone, with the highest wall reaching 1000 ft.

The canyon was named after its blueish water. The water's turquoise color is associated with glacial sources and suspended minerals of rock flour. Rock flour is microscopic limestone that has been eroded by glacial water over time.

The canyon attracts thousands of tourists in the summertime that swim in the canyon's rivers and waterfalls.

Answer: Hawaiian Islands

Waimea is Hawaiian for "reddish water". The canyon was named after the reddish water that received its coloring from the erosion of the canyon's red walls and soil. The canyon was nicknamed the "Grand Canyon of the Pacific" by the American explorer John Wesley Powell, who came to the island of Kauai in 1869.

The Waimea Canyon is 14 miles long, 1 mile wide, and over 3,600 feet deep. The canyon was formed by the Waimea River flowing through lava when a central volcano collapsed in the region 10 million years ago.

The canyon cliffs are surrounded by tropical green and pink foliage, that thrive in the humid climate. The tropical waterfalls are often cascaded with rainbows. The canyon is still being formed by the constant erosion of the river, volcanic changes, and weather effects on the island.

Answer: Kings Canyon

Kings Canyon is 8,200 feet deep (deeper than the Grand Canyon at 6,001 feet) and its highest mountain is 10,051 feet. The canyon stretches 50 miles long. Most of the canyon is mountainous terrain with trees.

Kings Canyon became nationalized as a park in 1940 to preserve the giant sequoia trees. The giant sequoia trees grew to heights of 94 ft and some lived 3,200 years. However many of these trees had been destroyed by loggers, settlers, and forest fires. With fewer than 80,000 trees remaining, the sequoia trees were listed as an endangered species of the redwood tree. As a canyon with hard-to-reach cliffs and territories, Kings Canyon had one of the last preserved forests.

The giant sequoia tree was a vital part to over 200 species of birds and many other wildlife species. Since Kings Canyon Park's efforts to save the sequoia tree, many of these species have started to thrive in the canyon again. Endangered animals that have made a home in the canyon include the gregarious slender salamander, western toad, western spadefoot toad, rainbow trout, coyote, wolverine, Mexican free-tailed bat, rubber boa, and the common kingsnake.