Ask Me EverythingQ

How deep is the Grand

Canyon?

The canyon is a gigantic gash in the Arizona Desert that is morę than 5,905 ft (1,800 m) deep. It was carved out by the Colorado River over the past 20 million years, as it flowed over rock layers that were slowly being forced upward by massive Earth movements. As fast as the rocks rosę, the river cut down through them to create the most spectacular river gorge on Earth.

Tell me morę: rock layers

The walls of the Grand Canyon are madę up of layers of rocks, with the oldest at the bottom and the youngest at the top. Most of these rocks are hardened beds of sand and mud that formed on the floor of an ancient ocean.

250 million years old: Creamy white Kaibab Limestone forms the rim of the canyon. Younger rocks above it have eroded away.

260 million years old: The

Coconino Sandstone is a layer of solidified desert sand dunes.

WEIRD OR WHAT?

When the first Spanish _AVniorers saw the Grano

explorer»    _thought

Canyon m 1540, tney ¹ a

TTSiTwassofar

down.lt is actually around

100 times wideri

330 million years old: The

Redwall Limestone is a hard rock that forms a sheer cliff up to 492 ft (150 m) high.

530 million years old: The soft mudstone of the Bright Angel Shale wears away easily, allowing the upper layers to collapse.

540 million years old: Dark brown Tapeats Sandstone forms vertical walls in the lower region.

1,700 million years old: At the

bottom of the canyon is the very hard Vishnu Schist.

“ At WL -

Climate change and water

abstraction for cities and

farming have led to the

Colorado River drying up In some years, so little water flows down the lower course of the river that it doesnt even reach the sea.

11 fi!*

-

g

ę-j +-» CO

O D) co P O ^

cd i=l -S

cp cd cd

^ td £ a S p P o

CD CD

CD P-h

tn CO

o ^ a

co CD M V >, o ^a I to

O Xd

cd c CD O . >■>

~ C m

OD © tn

co ⁰⁰ „i co

D) cd

co O

£ -a £

(c) 2011 Dorling Kindersley. Ali Rights Reserved

_