Chicamocha Canyon has a length of , extends over , and a maximum depth of , making it the second-largest canyon in the world. The canyon was formed in a period since about 30 million years ago. The southern extension near Soatá, contained a
Pleistocene paleolake,
Lake Soatá. In the
Soatá Formation, fossils of this period have been found. The canyon is currently administered by
Chicamocha National Park. The canyon is the result of the erosion caused by the Chicamocha River, which erosional forces created deep cliffs on both sides. The Chicamocha Canyon begins near the town of
Soatá in the Department of
Boyacá and flows mainly through Santander, extending all the way to the municipality of
Lebrija. This geographic feature was caused by the movement of tectonic plates that extend from the Chicamocha Canyon to other regions such as Bucaramanga. South of
Zapatoca, the Chicamocha River and the
Suárez River form the
Sogamoso River. The canyon represents the southern boundary of the
Mesa de Los Santos, a
seismically active area known as the
Bucaramanga Nest. The climate in the highest parts of the canyon near Soatá is cold and humid, changing into a dry and hotter climate near Capitanejo. The lowest areas in the northwest at around elevation have the driest and hottest climate. The vegetation of the canyon north of San Gil is of a dry tropical forest.
History The region of the Chicamocha Canyon before the
Spanish conquest was inhabited by the
Guane.
Geology to
Zapatoca. Chicamocha Canyon traverses formations of
Precambrian to
Pleistocene age. In the southeasternmost part, the
Soatá Formation forms the youngest geological unit, deposited in terraces surrounding
Lake Soatá. Lake Soatá was probably close to deep. The paleolake was approximately long and widest between Soatá and
Boavita at . Fossils of
Haplomastodon waringi,
Neochoerus sp. and
Odocoileus cf. salinae have been found here. The fossil content is fragmentary. The canyon flanks contain outcrops of the
Neoproterozoic Bucaramanga Gneiss, the
Cambro-
Ordovician sequence of Late Cambrian
Chicamocha Schist, named after the canyon, and
San Pedro Phyllites. This sequence was formerly called 'Silgará Formation'. Following a hiatus, typical for Colombian geology spanning the
Silurian, the
Devonian Floresta Formation unconformably overlies the Lower Paleozoic section. The
Jurassic Pescadero Quartzmonzonite,
Jordán, and
San Gil Formations, and the
Cretaceous Tibú-Mercedes,
Aguardiente,
Capacho,
La Luna,
Paja,
Rosablanca, and
El Tambor Formations overly the Paleozoic succession. Near Jordán, the
Las Cruces-Curití,
Los Santos and
Aratoca Faults cross-cut and form the canyon, == Gallery ==