Is the Grand Canyon a Wonder of the World? Exploring the Seven Natural Wonders

The Earth is home to countless breathtaking natural spectacles, from towering mountains and powerful waterfalls to vibrant coral reefs and mysterious atmospheric displays. These wonders inspire awe and wonder, often leading to discussions about which ones are truly the most magnificent. Among these discussions, the question often arises: is the Grand Canyon a wonder of the world? The answer depends on which list you consult, but according to a widely recognized compilation, it proudly holds that title alongside six other incredible locations.

Lists of the world’s most impressive sites are not new. The concept dates back to ancient times, with Greek historian Herodotus and later poet Antipater of Sidon compiling lists of the “Wonders of the Ancient World” as guides for travelers. Of these ancient marvels, only the Great Pyramid of Giza still stands today, a testament to human ingenuity and scale.

The ancient Great Pyramid of Giza, the only surviving ancient world wonder

As exploration expanded and appreciation for natural landscapes grew, new lists were compiled, focusing on nature’s own masterpieces. Various non-profit organizations, travel writers, and enthusiasts have proposed different sets of “Seven Natural Wonders.” One notable effort came in 2008 when a non-profit group called Seven Natural Wonders assembled a panel of experts, including nature photographers, environmentalists, and travel writers, to establish a definitive list. Their mission is to highlight these sites, educate people about them, and inspire conservation efforts.

These locations were selected for their immense scale, unique geological features, and stunning beauty. They represent diverse facets of our planet’s natural processes and history.

The Seven Natural Wonders of the World

Mount Everest

Standing as the highest peak in the world, Mount Everest reaches an elevation of 29,029 feet (about 5.5 miles) above sea level. Part of the Himalayan Mountain Range, it straddles the border between Nepal and Tibet. Though Hawaii’s Mauna Kea is technically taller when measured from its base on the ocean floor, Everest remains the tallest peak above sea level.

The formation of the Himalayas, including Everest, is a dramatic result of plate tectonics. Around 40 to 50 million years ago, the Indian continental plate collided with the Eurasian Plate. Since both plates were of similar density, instead of one subducting under the other, their edges crumpled and pushed upwards, forming the immense mountain range. Initially, the Indian Plate moved rapidly, but it has since slowed, yet it continues to push, causing Mount Everest to grow by nearly half an inch each year. The Nepalese name for the mountain is “Sagarmatha,” meaning “peak of heaven.”

Snow-capped summit of Mount Everest against a clear sky

The summit of Everest is often impacted by the subtropical jet stream. Each year, roughly 800 climbers attempt to reach the summit. The climb is incredibly challenging due to the thin air, icy conditions, and extreme weather. Reaching the summit, while only about a mile of vertical ascent from the final camp, typically takes an arduous 12 hours.

A long line of climbers ascending a snowy slope on Mount Everest

Paricutin Volcano

Located just 200 miles west of Mexico City, Paricutin holds the distinction of being the youngest volcano in the Western Hemisphere. What makes its story truly unique is that its entire lifespan as an active volcano was witnessed by humans from its very beginning.

In February 1943, a farmer noticed a fissure opening in his cornfield. Within hours, this fissure began spewing hot rocks and dust. The volcanic cone grew incredibly quickly; in just 24 hours, it had reached a height of 164 feet. Within a week, it was approximately 550 feet tall. Over its 9-year eruption period, Paricutin ejected about one billion tons of lava. Today, the volcano stands at a height of 10,400 feet.

Lava and smoke erupting from Paricutin volcano in Mexico

The eruption buried two nearby villages entirely, leaving only the church steeple of San Juan Parangaricutiro visible above the hardened lava flow. The story of Paricutin serves as a powerful reminder of the dynamic and sometimes sudden forces shaping our planet’s surface.

Early stage of Paricutin volcano cone forming in a cornfield

The Grand Canyon

The only natural wonder on this particular list located in the United States is the Grand Canyon. Situated in Arizona, the Grand Canyon National Park encompasses 277 miles of the Colorado River. At its widest point, the canyon stretches 18 miles across, and its deepest point plunges over a mile down. Its immense scale and stunning geological features make it a frequent subject when discussing global natural marvels. Many people often wonder, was the grand canyon a wonder of the world, and indeed, it appears on many such compilations.

While the Grand Canyon is arguably the most famous canyon, it is not the largest on Earth. The Yarlung Tsangpo Gorge in Tibet, for example, is deeper in places (up to 3 miles) and longer (over 300 miles). Nevertheless, the Grand Canyon’s accessibility and striking visuals secure its place on popular lists. Its status as a grand canyon natural wonder of the world is well-deserved due to its incredible geological history and breathtaking views.

Aerial view of the vast, layered landscape of the Grand Canyon National Park

The formation of the Grand Canyon is a story spanning nearly two billion years. The process began with the formation of ancient rocks in the inner gorge. Later, between 70 and 30 million years ago, tectonic plate movements caused the Colorado Plateau region to uplift. The final, and perhaps most dramatic, chapter of the canyon’s formation was carved by the relentless flow of the Colorado River, which geologists estimate has been eroding the rock layers for about six million years. This ongoing process continues to deepen and widen the canyon, constantly revealing new layers of Earth’s history. This complex and lengthy geological process is a key reason why it’s considered a wonder, addressing the very question, is the grand canyon a wonder of the world.

Its inclusion on lists like the Seven Natural Wonders compilation confirms its global significance. For those who ask is the grand canyon a seven wonder of the world, the answer from this specific list is a definitive yes. Exploring the canyon’s vastness and colorful rock layers offers a profound glimpse into geological time, solidifying its status and clarifying the popular query, is grand canyon wonder of the world.

Victoria Falls

Located on the Zambezi River, which forms the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe in Africa, Victoria Falls is renowned as the largest curtain of falling water on the planet. Locals refer to it as Mosi-oa-Tunya, a name that beautifully translates to “smoke that thunders,” referencing the immense spray generated by the cascading water and the powerful roar it creates.

The “smoke” is the dense mist produced by the falls, which is so significant that it sustains a vibrant rainforest on an island in front of the waterfall. At certain times of day, particularly when the sun is at the right angle, this mist acts as a prism, creating spectacular explosions of rainbows.

Rainbows appearing in the thick spray of Victoria Falls

The average flow over Victoria Falls is staggering, reaching almost half a million gallons per second. This incredible volume of water has a powerful erosive effect. Over geological time, the extreme water flow has eroded the rock beneath the falls, causing sections of the face to collapse and the waterfall to retreat upstream multiple times. This process has carved a dramatic zigzag gorge below the current falls. An astronaut on the International Space Station captured a photo showing the distinct pattern of the Zambezi River flowing through this gorge, illustrating the falls’ historical positions controlled by fault lines in the underlying basalt rock.

Tourists viewing Victoria Falls from a bridge through the mist and rainbows

During the wet season, the falls are at their most powerful and awe-inspiring. However, in the dry season, the water flow can significantly decrease, sometimes reducing the falls to a mere trickle in certain sections.

Lush rainforest vegetation growing on the far side of the gorge from Victoria Falls' spray

Tourists wearing ponchos to view Victoria Falls from the Zambia side

Satellite view from the ISS showing the zigzag gorge formed by Victoria Falls over time

Guanabara Bay

Located in Brazil, Guanabara Bay serves as the harbor for the vibrant city of Rio de Janeiro. It is recognized as the largest bay in the world based on its volume of water and stretches approximately 88 miles in length.

The name “Rio de Janeiro” is Portuguese for “river of January,” a name given by explorers who mistook the bay for the mouth of a large river when they first arrived in January. The bay is fed by numerous waterways, with fifty-five rivers flowing into it, bringing significant runoff, especially during the summer storm season. Surrounded by granite monoliths like Sugarloaf Mountain and Corcovado (home to the Christ the Redeemer statue), the bay offers a stunning natural setting combined with urban sprawl.

Aerial view of Guanabara Bay and the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Despite its natural beauty and size, Guanabara Bay faces environmental challenges due to pollution from the surrounding urban areas. Efforts are ongoing to improve water quality and protect the bay’s ecosystem, highlighting the importance of conservation even for massive natural features.

Great Barrier Reef

Off the coast of Queensland in northeast Australia lies the Great Barrier Reef, the world’s largest living structure. This immense natural wonder is so vast that it can be observed from space, stretching for an incredible 1,600 miles along the coastline.

The Great Barrier Reef is not a single continuous structure but is actually composed of more than 2,500 individual reefs and over 900 islands, covering a total area of 134,000 square miles. This complex ecosystem supports an astonishing amount of biodiversity.

Satellite image showing the immense scale of the Great Barrier Reef along the Australian coast

While the base of the reef structure is several hundred thousand years old, the living section of the reef is much younger, dating back only about 10,000 years. This younger growth began after the most recent ice age when sea levels were significantly lower. As the ice melted and sea levels rose, coral growth accelerated. At times, the reef grew vertically at rates of up to 65 feet per thousand years and expanded laterally by 5 feet per year.

The reef is a critical habitat, home to approximately 9,000 known species of marine life. Despite covering only 0.1% of the Earth’s ocean surface, it supports about 8% of the world’s fish species and over 4,000 species of mollusks, showcasing its immense ecological importance.

Aerial view of colorful coral formations and clear water in the Great Barrier Reef

However, the Great Barrier Reef is currently facing significant threats from climate change, particularly coral bleaching caused by rising ocean temperatures, as well as pollution and overfishing. Conservation efforts are crucial to protect this irreplaceable natural treasure.

Northern Lights

An ephemeral and stunning display, the Northern Lights, known as Aurora Borealis in the Northern Hemisphere and Aurora Australis in the Southern Hemisphere, paint the polar skies with vibrant colors. These ghostly lights are a captivating natural phenomenon that has fascinated skywatchers for millennia.

Vivid auroral displays are typically observed a few days after significant solar events, such as coronal mass ejections or solar flares. These events release vast amounts of charged particles, primarily electrons, from the sun. When these particles reach Earth, they are channeled by our planet’s magnetic field towards the poles. As these electrons collide with atoms and molecules, primarily oxygen and nitrogen, in Earth’s upper atmosphere, they excite them to a higher energy state.

Vibrant green and purple aurora borealis dancing across a dark night sky

According to Don Hampton, a researcher at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks, the process is similar to how a neon sign works – it’s essentially an electrical current energizing gases. When the excited atoms and molecules return to their ground state, they release the excess energy in the form of light particles (photons), creating the visible aurora. The color of the light depends on the type of gas and the altitude at which the collision occurs; oxygen often emits green or red light, while nitrogen typically produces blue or purple light.

Brilliant green aurora borealis illuminating the sky over Fairbanks, Alaska

While the best chance of witnessing the aurora is by traveling to high-latitude regions closer to the poles, particularly during times of high solar activity, rare and powerful solar storms can cause displays that are visible much further from the poles. Auroras have occasionally been reported as far south as the southern United States.

In conclusion, the Earth is adorned with extraordinary natural wonders that showcase the planet’s dynamic processes and immense beauty. While various lists exist, the compilation recognizing the Grand Canyon as one of the Seven Natural Wonders highlights the truly global significance of these incredible locations, inviting us to appreciate and protect these marvels for future generations.