Fast-Forming Canyons

Shop Now

You’ve probably heard the story: a river slowly erodes the rock, and, over a long time, a canyon appears.

But canyons can form quickly!

Forty years ago, Mount St. Helens in Washington state erupted. Two years later, a mudflow cut through the rock the volcano had created. Within a day, a canyon appeared. This canyon, called “Little Grand Canyon,” is a small-scale replica of Grand Canyon. And it was carved quickly!

It doesn’t take millions of years to form the features we see today. It just takes the right conditions. And Noah’s flood produced the right conditions for the various geological features we see all around the globe.

Dig Deeper

• Lasting Lessons from Mount St. Helens
• Mt. St. Helens and Catastrophe