whats the differnce between a gorge and a fjord?

Answer 1

A fjord is an inlet from the sea, while a gorge is inland, usually cut by a river (like the Royal Gorge.)

Answer 2

A canyon or gorge is a deep valley often carved from the Earth by a river. Most canyons originate by a process of long-time erosion from a plateau level, with a stream gradually carving out its valley. The cliffs form because harder rock strata that are resistant to erosion and weathering remain exposed on the valley walls. Canyons are much more common in arid areas than in wetter areas because weathering has a lesser effect in arid zones. Canyons' walls are often formed of resistant sandstones or granite. Submarine canyons are those which form underwater, generally at the mouths of rivers. The word canyon is Spanish in origin (cañón). The word canyon is generally used in the United States, while the word gorge is more common in Europe and Australasia, though it is also used in some parts of the United States and Canada.

A famous example is the Grand Canyon in Arizona. In the southwestern United States, canyons are important archeologically because of the many cliff-dwellings built there, largely by the Ancient Pueblo Peoples.

Sometimes large rivers run through canyons as the result of gradual geologic uplift. These are called entrenched rivers, because they are unable to easily alter course. The Colorado River and the Snake River in the northwestern United States are two examples of this.

Canyons often form in areas of limestone rock. Limestone is to a certain extent soluble, so cave systems form in the rock. When these collapse a canyon is left, for example in the Mendip Hills in Somerset and Yorkshire Dales in Yorkshire, England.

A fjord (or fiord) is a narrow inlet of the sea between cliffs or steep slopes, which results from marine inundation of a glaciated valley. Typical characteristics of a fjord include: a narrow inlet, a bottom glacially eroded significantly below sea level (allowing deep-draft vessels to navigate easily), steep-sided walls which continue to descend below the sea surface, greater depths in the upper and middle reaches than on the seaward side, and communication with the open sea.

Fjord is an English loan word taken from the Scandinavian term fjord, which derives from the Old Norse fjörðr (pronounced "fyurthr", now fjörður in Icelandic) meaning firth or inlet. The term fjord, although commonly used in Norwegian, Swedish and Danish, is not universally used for naming fjords in other countries. Many fjords are called "canals", "inlets" and "sounds", e.g. the

Answer 3

A Gorge: A deep narrow passage with steep rocky sides; a ravine.
A narrow entrance into the outwork of a fortification.


A Fjord: A long, narrow, deep inlet of the sea between steep slopes.

Answer 4

A gorge is a deep hole in the ground. A fjord is a small outcropping of land at the coast. So.... a lot.