Riverwalker's Pics - Rio Grande River Gorge

Rio Grande River Gorge - Mountain View

The Rio Grande River is one of the twenty-five longest rivers in the world. It is also the fifth longest in North America. The Rio Grande River begins close to the Continental Divide in the San Juan Mountains and runs approximately 470+ miles through New Mexico and then continues into Texas where it forms the international border between Texas and Mexico for almost 1,250 miles and then empties into the Gulf of Mexico. The Rio Grande River is also between 1,800 and 1,900 miles in overall length. The river does change course from time to time and this affects its length at any given time.

Rio Grande Gorge - River View

This part of the Rio Grande River in New Mexico has had several different names over the years but the names were mainly used to describe this section of the headwaters of the Rio Grande River that runs through northern New Mexico. This is not a typical gorge that has been formed by the river itself but is actually a geological formation known as a rift valley. The rift valley came first and the river simply followed later. Rift valleys are formed when there is a separation in the earth’s crust which is usually caused by faulting. The gorge itself is approximately 650 feet deep in this section and very mild earthquakes still occur along the Rio Grande Rift.

Got rift valley?

Staying above the water line!

Riverwalker