羚羊峡谷（英语：Antelope Canyon、纳瓦荷语：Tsé bighánílíní dóó Hazdistazí），是世界上著名的狭缝型峡谷之一，也是知名的摄影景点。其位于美国亚利桑纳州北部，佩吉市为其最接近的城市，属于纳瓦荷族保护区。羚羊峡谷在地形上分为两个独立的部分：上羚羊峡谷（英语：Upper Antelope Canyon）与下羚羊峡谷（英语：Lower Antelope Canyon）。
关于第一次发现羚羊峡谷的人物时间等具体记录已不可考。据纳瓦荷族的历史传述，该地过去是叉角羚羊栖息处，峡谷里也常有羚羊漫步，这就是羚羊峡谷此名的由来。老一辈的纳瓦荷族曾将此地视为静思与大灵沟通的栖息地。
与其他狭缝型峡谷相同，羚羊峡谷也是柔软的砂岩经过百万年的各种侵蚀力所形成的。这其中主要是暴洪的侵蚀，其次则是风蚀。该地在季风季节常出现暴洪流入峡谷中，突然暴增的雨量造成暴洪的流速相当快，加上狭窄通道将河道缩小，因此垂直侵蚀力也相对变大，形成了羚羊峡谷底部的走廊，以及谷壁上坚硬光滑、如同流水般的边缘。 大峡谷的形成并不仅靠科罗拉多河的水流。高原暴雨导致的山洪暴发，才是切割地表最主要的力量。越是干旱的荒山，一旦暴雨，山洪暴发的力量就越是惊人。极度干燥坚硬的地表吸水性很差，降雨顺地势冲刷，如果地表有些许裂隙，湍急的水流和携带着一路冲下的砂石几乎无坚不摧，日积月累，就能将地貌改造得天翻地覆。
上与下羚羊峡谷的参观都需要由纳瓦荷族导览引领。有时也有游客单独进入峡谷，在1997年8月12日，下羚羊峡谷中有12个游客在没有纳瓦荷族导览引领的情况下进到峡谷中，其中有七位法国游客，两位美国游客，还有其他几位英国的游客和瑞典的游客。
Antelope Canyon is a slot canyon in the American Southwest. It is located on Navajo land east of Page, Arizona. Antelope Canyon includes two separate, photogenic slot canyon sections, referred to individually as Upper Antelope Canyon or The Crack; and Antelope Canyon or The Corkscrew.
The Navajo name for Upper Antelope Canyon is Tsé bighánílíní, which means "the place where water runs through rocks." Lower Antelope Canyon is Hazdistazí (advertised as "Hasdestwazi" by the Navajo Parks and Recreation Department), or "spiral rock arches." Both are located within the LeChee Chapter of the Navajo Nation.
Antelope Canyon was formed by erosion of Navajo Sandstone, primarily due to flash flooding and secondarily due to other sub-aerial processes. Rainwater, especially during monsoon season, runs into the extensive basin above the slot canyon sections, picking up speed and sand as it rushes into the narrow passageways. Over time the passageways eroded away, making the corridors deeper and smoothing hard edges in such a way as to form characteristic 'flowing' shapes in the rock.
Flooding in the canyon still occurs. A flood occurred on October 30, 2006, that lasted 36 hours, and caused the Tribal Park Authorities to close Lower Antelope Canyon for five months.
Antelope Canyon is visited exclusively through guided tours, in part because rains during monsoon season can quickly flood the canyon. Rain does not have to fall on or near the Antelope Canyon slots for flash floods to whip through, as rain falling dozens of miles away 'upstream' of the canyons can funnel into them with little prior notice. On August 12, 1997, eleven tourists, including seven from France, one from the United Kingdom, one from Sweden and two from the United States, were killed in Lower Antelope Canyon by a flash flood. Very little rain fell at the site that day, but an earlier thunderstorm had dumped a large amount of water into the canyon basin, 7 miles (11 km) upstream. The lone survivor of the flood was tour guide Francisco "Pancho" Quintana, who had prior swift-water training. At the time, the ladder system consisted of amateur-built wood ladders that were swept away by the flash flood. Today, ladder systems have been bolted in place, and deployable cargo nets are installed at the top of the canyon. At the fee booth, a NOAA Weather Radio from the National Weather Service and an alarm horn are stationed.
Despite improved warning and safety systems, the risks of injuries from flash floods still exist. On July 30, 2010, several tourists were stranded on a ledge when two flash floods occurred at the Upper Antelope Canyon. Some of them were rescued and some had to wait for the flood waters to recede. There were reports that a woman and her 9-year-old son were injured as they were washed away downstream, but no fatalities were reported.
No comments:
Post a Comment