Hells Canyon vs Grand Canyon: Depth & Age | NPR
- Hells Canyon, the deepest river gorge in the United States, was likely carved with surprising speed around 2.1 million years ago.
- Researchers examined ancient river sediments found within caves high above the modern Snake River to reach this conclusion.
- Located on the Oregon-Idaho border, Hells Canyon plunges almost 8,000 feet deep, surpassing the Grand Canyon's 6,000-foot depth.
Discover how Idaho’s Hells Canyon, a gorge deeper than the Grand Canyon, rapidly formed around 2.1 million years ago, a stark contrast to the older Grand Canyon. A new study reveals that a shifting Idaho landscape triggered a massive lake overflow, initiating this natural wonder’s fast creation. Researchers scrutinized ancient river sediments to pinpoint the precise timeframe. Located on the Oregon-Idaho border, Hells Canyon’s depth dwarfs the Grand Canyon, though it has received less scientific spotlight. Delve into the formation of this breathtaking landmark, and compare it with its celebrated counterpart. News Directory 3 offers insights into this geological marvel. What mysteries will future research on Hells Canyon unveil?
Idaho’s Hells Canyon Formed Rapidly by Overflowing Lake
Updated may 27, 2025
Hells Canyon, the deepest river gorge in the United States, was likely carved with surprising speed around 2.1 million years ago. A new study suggests that a shifting landscape in idaho led to a massive lake overflowing, rapidly creating the canyon.
Researchers examined ancient river sediments found within caves high above the modern Snake River to reach this conclusion. Darryl Granger, a Purdue University geoscientist not involved in the study, praised the work. He noted the team’s persistence in locating caves containing river sand and gravel deposited millions of years ago.
Located on the Oregon-Idaho border, Hells Canyon plunges almost 8,000 feet deep, surpassing the Grand Canyon’s 6,000-foot depth. Despite its impressive scale, Hells Canyon has received less scientific attention than the Grand Canyon, according to Matthew Morriss, a geologist with the Utah Geological Survey.
Morriss’s interest in the canyon dates back to a college field trip when he was 19. He wondered about the canyon’s origins.”As an Earth scientist and as just a citizen of this country,we have these big landscapes,” Morriss said. “And for people who visit them, it’s an notable part of the natural history, to understand what formed the landscapes that inspire at such a scale.”
Morriss made numerous trips to Hells Canyon, navigating steep slopes and poison ivy to find evidence of the river’s past locations. “You’re looking for pieces of evidence of where the river used to be,” Morriss explained.
What’s next
Future research may focus on further refining the timeline of the canyon’s formation and understanding the specific geological events that led to the lake’s overflow and the subsequent rapid carving of Hells Canyon.