Chrystal Nguyen
November 19, 2014
The Grand Canyon: A Natural Phenomenon Although humans are considered the smartest animal in the world, we are definitely not the most powerful forces in the world. Human history can be told verbally or documented with written language, but Earth’s history must be deciphered through the written clues in our nature. Whether we are analyzing rock sentiment, volcanic activity, or old climate patterns, there are many ways to understand the history of Earth. However, there are thousands upon thousands of mysteries in the world, and most of them are still being researched day by day. The Grand Canyon is a beautiful, complex, natural phenomenon in North America, but it still perplexes scientists how this mysterious …show more content…
Through thorough analysis, I came to the conclusion that an area known as the Colorado Plateau rose spectacularly because of the convergence of the Pacific plate and the North American plate. Millions of years ago, the plates collided and the oceanic crust subducted. The Pacific plate was pushed under the continental crust, and the upward push of the continental crust led to the formation of the Rocky Mountains, which were once even higher than the Himalayas. The conflict between these plates were buckling, which caused the formation of mountain ranges such as the Sierra Nevada as well. These mountains eventually eroded and were covered with seawater. (Callen) The uplifting explains the reason why limestone is prominent in the uppermost level of the Grand Canyon. Marine animal skeletons create limestone through biochemical processes, and there is a lot of evidence of sea creatures among the sandstone as well. This further institutes the idea that the canyon was once near a large body of water before turning into what it is today. (Nave) Researchers have concluded that each new layer of sandstone or limestone is proof that the land was once close to the coast, and at multiple times, “the ocean poured over the land, stayed for a while, and then retreated again.” (Ribokas) This uplift also explains the next force, which led to the formation of …show more content…
The most acceptable theory about how this occurred is that the Colorado River began cutting through the Colorado Plateau while land was rising around it. (Callen) Another theory, which I found more plausible, suggests that the river once came from a huge basin, and when plate convergence occurred, the lake spilled over the Colorado Plateau at an extremely high pressure and speed, and that’s how the canyon was carved. (Douglass) Another factor that contributed to the formation of the Grand Canyon includes change in climate. After the ice age began to recede about 2 million years ago, melting snow from the Rocky Mountains began to speed the excavation of the canyon. The climate was also producing a large amount of precipitation, which led to the increase in runoff and the significant erosion capabilities of the Colorado River. (Stanley) Another weathering force, which expanded the canyon over the years, was the powerful force of ice in the northern rim. Not only does ice melt and create runoff, but water also seeps into rock sentiment where it freezes, expands, and eventually pushes the rocks apart and sends them cascading into the river or altering the landscape.
November 19, 2014
The Grand Canyon: A Natural Phenomenon Although humans are considered the smartest animal in the world, we are definitely not the most powerful forces in the world. Human history can be told verbally or documented with written language, but Earth’s history must be deciphered through the written clues in our nature. Whether we are analyzing rock sentiment, volcanic activity, or old climate patterns, there are many ways to understand the history of Earth. However, there are thousands upon thousands of mysteries in the world, and most of them are still being researched day by day. The Grand Canyon is a beautiful, complex, natural phenomenon in North America, but it still perplexes scientists how this mysterious …show more content…
Through thorough analysis, I came to the conclusion that an area known as the Colorado Plateau rose spectacularly because of the convergence of the Pacific plate and the North American plate. Millions of years ago, the plates collided and the oceanic crust subducted. The Pacific plate was pushed under the continental crust, and the upward push of the continental crust led to the formation of the Rocky Mountains, which were once even higher than the Himalayas. The conflict between these plates were buckling, which caused the formation of mountain ranges such as the Sierra Nevada as well. These mountains eventually eroded and were covered with seawater. (Callen) The uplifting explains the reason why limestone is prominent in the uppermost level of the Grand Canyon. Marine animal skeletons create limestone through biochemical processes, and there is a lot of evidence of sea creatures among the sandstone as well. This further institutes the idea that the canyon was once near a large body of water before turning into what it is today. (Nave) Researchers have concluded that each new layer of sandstone or limestone is proof that the land was once close to the coast, and at multiple times, “the ocean poured over the land, stayed for a while, and then retreated again.” (Ribokas) This uplift also explains the next force, which led to the formation of …show more content…
The most acceptable theory about how this occurred is that the Colorado River began cutting through the Colorado Plateau while land was rising around it. (Callen) Another theory, which I found more plausible, suggests that the river once came from a huge basin, and when plate convergence occurred, the lake spilled over the Colorado Plateau at an extremely high pressure and speed, and that’s how the canyon was carved. (Douglass) Another factor that contributed to the formation of the Grand Canyon includes change in climate. After the ice age began to recede about 2 million years ago, melting snow from the Rocky Mountains began to speed the excavation of the canyon. The climate was also producing a large amount of precipitation, which led to the increase in runoff and the significant erosion capabilities of the Colorado River. (Stanley) Another weathering force, which expanded the canyon over the years, was the powerful force of ice in the northern rim. Not only does ice melt and create runoff, but water also seeps into rock sentiment where it freezes, expands, and eventually pushes the rocks apart and sends them cascading into the river or altering the landscape.