Tree taller than the Statue of Liberty discovered in the world's deepest canyon

The natural world constantly likes to remind us that anything we can do, it can do better.

Humans may have built jaw-dropping monuments and soaring skyscrapers, but these pale in comparison to the wonders created by the Earth itself.

One example of this is the Yarlung Tsangpo Grand Canyon – the largest land-based canyon on the planet.

Located in Tibet, it is 60 kilometres (37 miles) longer than Arizona’s iconic Grand Canyon and, stretching down more than six kilometres (around 3.7 miles) at its lowest point, is deeper than any other terrestrial gorge.

(It is, however, trumped in terms of depth by the Mariana Trench, which stretches some seven miles (11 kilometres) down into the Pacific Ocean.)

The canyon is named after the Yarlung Tsangpo River, which is known among explorers as the "Everest of rivers.”

This is because it is largely inaccessible and, at 4,000 metres (13,000 feet) has the highest average elevation of any major river in the world, as Live Sciencenotes.

An image caputred by a NASA spacecraft showing the Yarlung Zangpo Grand Canyon(NASA/GSFC/METI/ERSDAC/JAROS, and U.S./Japan ASTER Science Team)

The 505 kilometre (314 mile)-long canyon is home to some of the least-explored areas in the world, which is unsurprising given that its lowest point is three times the depth of the Grand Canyon.

Among its record-breaking attributes is a surprising inhabitant nestled into its rugged terrain: the tallest trees ever discovered in Asia.

Indeed, the cypress, which soars 102 metres (335 feet) up into the sky, is so tall, it would tower over the 305-foot-tall Statue of Liberty if the two were placed side-by-side.

Below is a full-length view of the impressive specimen:

(Peking University)

And there you have it: yet another example of nature trumping human ingenuity.

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