Did you know that the Grand Canyon was sculptured more than six million years back and has been carved in layers of different types of rocks?The Grand Canyon, located in Arizona, was carved by the famous Colorado River of the United States. It is a canyon with steep sides, 277.1 mi (446 km) in length, and 18 mi (29 km) in width. It is more than a mile deep.Former President of the United States Theodore Roosevelt played an important role in the preservation and maintenance of the Grand Canyon. He used to visit the canyon occasionally for hunting or to enjoy sightseeing. The river Colorado and its tributaries cut out their channels via rock layer after layer during the time when the Colorado plateau was uplifting, thereby revealing the beautiful history formed over billions of years on the Earth. There are certain geologists who claim other reasons for the incision of the Grand Canyon, but the most prominent story with logic is of the Colorado River, which channelized its course through the Grand Canyon in millions of years. Since then, the Canyon has been formed in layers alternatively deep and wide.The area of the Grand Canyon has been inhabited constantly by the Native Americans for thousands of years. The Native Americans have built caves for their settlements inside the Canyon. The Grand Canyon was considered a holy and religious site by the Pueblo people. They used to visit the place regularly for pilgrimages. The Grand Canyon was first discovered in 1540 by a Spanish European named García López de Cárdenas along with a group of soldiers. Although the rocks of the Grand Canyon are not specifically unique, we can find them all over the South West but the Grand Canyon has its significance for other reasons.The pattern of rocks arranged along the walls of the canyon makes it the perfect location for geologists. Such a huge column of rock that is preserved so well is rare to find. This feature makes the Grand Canyon geologically fit for studies because scientists and geologists can actually study millions of years of evolution in the history of the Earth at a single spot. The Grand Canyon is also considered a huge puzzle for geologists. They have successfully figured the bottom column of the rock that was deposited more than a thousand million years ago, they have also been able to find the topmost column of the rock that was formed around 500 million years back. As a matter of fact and debate, to the surprise of the geologists, the middle part of the huge rock is missing. This is a point of controversy and debate among scientists as to what might have happened to the missing piece and where it goes!There are various national parks located in the Grand Canyon region that are frequented by travelers arriving from the Grand Canyon village. The river flow from the Colorado River makes for an important river channel connecting the north rim and the south rim.The formation of the Grand Canyon is also a mystery in itself and is worth catching a thought. Generally, most scientists claim that the Grand Canyon was formed by the carving of the Colorado River along with its tributaries. But, if the entire cutting done by the Colorado River or some other factors like the rain, wind, or snow were also responsible for the carving of the Grand Canyon, the details are still quite vague. Read along to find out about Grand Canyon National Park and Grand Canyon geology. After understanding the details of Grand Canyon rock layers and shallow seas in Grand Canyon, also check white cliffs England and Grand Canyon map for kids.Inspirational Facts About Grand Canyon LayersThe distinctive shape of the Grand Canyon is because of the different rock layers in the walls of the canyon. Each layer has a different reaction towards erosion and weathering. Some layers form steep or narrow slopes while the others form cliffs. Some layers erode quickly while the others take time. Each layer is of different vivid color mainly because of the varieties and amounts of minerals present in them. Maximum iron content in these layers imparts a slight shade of yellow, green, or red to the walls of the Canyon. Another key factor that plays a vital role in the appearance and color of the layers of the Canyon is climate.If the amount of rain or precipitation would have been more at the Grand Canyon then the natural vegetation, herbs, shrubs, and trees would have been of other different varieties. The Canyon layers would have been covered with grass or lush vegetation instead of the shrubs and cacti that we see today.The ancient history and formation of the Colorado River and its tributaries are also an integral part of the geology of the Grand Canyon. The Grand Canyon is about five to six million years old which is nothing in front of the age of the rocks out of which the Canyon has been carved by the river Colorado. The process of evolution and change in the Grand Canyon has not yet stopped.It continues to grow because of the continuous changes in the climate and weather conditions. It is said that for as long as the regions of Northern Arizona experience rain and snow, the Grand Canyon will continuously be subject to the forces of erosion and weathering which will, in turn, alter its shape.Powerful Facts About Grand Canyon LayersThe geology of the Grand Canyon is an attraction for the world because of various reasons. Although the rocks out of which the Grand Canyon has been formed do not hold much rarity and importance, the geologic record that the canyon has set with its preservation and exposure is indeed enough to catch everyone’s attention.The sequence in which rocks are arranged in the Canyon walls narrates a story by themselves. These rocks are a masterpiece and also a historical asset from the times of the Paleozoic Era which existed 500 to 250 million years ago.At the bottom of the Grand Canyon, you can find scattered and indefinite remains of the Precambrian rocks which are expected to be about 2000 million years old. The rocks from which the canyon is cut, happen to be much older than the Grand Canyon itself. 250 million years old Cenozoic and Mesozoic rocks are mostly missing in the Grand Canyon. According to geologists, these rocks were either never deposited or have been worn out in due course of time.The elements of erosion also hold equal importance as the development of their canyon would not have been possible without these forces of nature. These elements included flowing water from rain river systems that ran along the canyon’s length. Since the land of the Grand Canyon is brittle, the effects of erosion are more prominently visible here. There are various types of old rocks found on the grand canyon’s eroded surface of the Earth’s history. Funny Facts About Grand Canyon LayersThe process of the formation of the Grand Canyon was initiated around two billion years ago with the genesis of metamorphic and igneous rocks.These rocks of the inner gorge were topped with several layers of sedimentary rocks, with each layer telling a different chronological story about the region. Then, with the passage of time and immense movements of tectonic plates, around 30 million years ago, the whole region got elevated resulting in the formation of the Colorado plateau which was relatively high and flat.If we compare the age of the rocks with the age of the canyon, one can see that the rocks are much older than the latter.According to geologists, the process of formation of a canyon is called downcutting. This occurs when rivers flowing through a region carve it down by the process of erosion and form a valley or a canyon. This phenomenon generally takes place during flooding when huge quantities of water move through the path of the river carrying huge rocks and boulders with it. These speeding rocks act like hammers and chisels, thus eroding pieces of the riverbed.Downcutting also depends on various local features like the gradient of the region, the volumes of water flowing, etc.Grand Canyon geology is of great interest to the students as it helps them understand the rock layer formations along the Grand Canyon region even better.Amazing Facts About Grand CanyonThe Grand Canyon, located in Arizona, USA, was formed during immense movements of the tectonic plates.With the Colorado River flowing through the plateau of Colorado (which was uplifted due to the movement of tectonic plates), the Grand Canyon has been formed over millions of years with the effects of erosion by the river itself. Although carbon dating proves the age of the canyon to be more than 6 million years, the figure remains the center of debate amongst geologists.The Canyon was formed due to years of erosion by wind and water of the river, thus carving its rocks and further exposing the comparatively brittle sedimentary rock layers. However, these elements of erosion also led to the formation of the most magnificent caves and an eye-pleasing landscape. Due to this amalgamation of land and natural forces, the region is also known to support several species of flora and fauna.Cool Facts About Grand Canyon LayersDeep down at river level, the black rock of the Grand Canyon is a journey back in history, the rock is called Vishnu Schist, and it appeared for the first time over two billion years back in the form of lava that was exposed to immense heat and high pressure due to the collision of the volcanic islands and the land of North America.Up towards the rim, the rocks are newer as well as younger. The topmost rocks became a part of the Canyon most recently.Each layer of the Grand Canyon describes the life and climate of the time when it was formed. Grand Canyon comprises sandstones (rocks formed by compression of sand under high pressure), shales (mud from the waters of deltas that have undergone solidification), and limestone (rocks formed at the beds of warm seas). The presence of limestone is a sign that earlier Arizona along with the Grand Canyon was formed underwater.The varieties of rocks found in the Grand Canyon are igneous rock, Hermit Shale, Toroweap Limestone, Coconino Sandstone, Kaibab Limestone, Redwall Limestone, Tapeats Sandstone, Vishnu Schist, Bright Angel Shale, Muav Limestone, and a mixture of limestones, sandstones, and shales, named Supai Group.The highest cliffs are from the youngest rocks-Kaibab Limestone. Fossils of various creatures can be found in the layers of the Grand Canyon. Sea creatures that are preserved in the walls include crinoids, trilobites, and brachiopods.Geology students prefer visiting the south rim of the Surprise Canyon and the national parks to study the various rock formations in the region.Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for Grand Canyon layers then why not take a look at Grand Canyon size comparison, or Grand Canyon with kids?
Did you know that the Grand Canyon was sculptured more than six million years back and has been carved in layers of different types of rocks?
