Grand Canyon Essay Research Paper Introduction Location

Grand Canyon Essay, Research Paper

Introduction Location The Grand Canyon is located in the northwestern region of Arizona. It is over 277 miles long and 18 miles across at the widest point. At its deepest point the Grand Canyon is approximately a mile deep below the Earth’s surface. It reaches up to the borders of southwest Utah and eastern Nevada. It ranges from the Kaibab Plateau to the Painted Dessert. The Colorado River splits the Grand Canyon into two parts; the North Rim and South Rim. Being known as one of the world’s Seven Wonders, the Grand Canyon is the greatest gorge known to mankind. History of the Grand Canyon Efforts to preserve the canyon as a national park were begun soon after the establishment of Yellowstone but required thirty years of campaigning to take effect. The first protagonist, Senator Benjamin of Indiana, introduced a bill in the upper house in 1882 to make the area a national park. It failed. It was not until 1893 that William Harrison, as President of the United States, was able to establish the Grand Canyon Forest Preserve, which could be, and was, exploited by mining and lumber interests. President Theodore Roosevelt took up the cause after his visit in 1903. He established Grand Canyon National Monument in 1908. An act of Congress in 1919 established Grand Canyon National Park (Krell 1980). Main Geologic Features and Attractions of the Grand Canyon The Grand Canyon is a park composed of many geologic features. Its main feature is the Colorado River. Every year thousands of tourists travel down the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon. The Colorado carries half a million tons of sediment passed any point each day. Although only one hundred miles of the canyon wall lie within the park, many distinct features are present. On the north side of the park lies a fragment of the Lake Mead National Recreation Area and other public lands administered by the U.S. Forest Service. From the North Rim many people hike to the Bright Angel Trail or drive a bit longer to reach Point Imperial. Point Imperial is the highest point on either side of the canyon. From this point the Grand Canyon could be viewed from all possible directions, North-South-East-West. Another attraction is Cape Royal. Cape Royal gives a view of what is known as Angel’s Widow, a large hole in the rocks formed by erosion. Another point of attraction is Point Sublime. People can even camp at this point after getting a permit from park rangers. At the start of the South Rim you will pass points of interests like the Hopi House built by the Fred Harvey Company to encourage Southwest Indian crafts at the turn of the century. Just west from there is the Trail Overlook. The San Francisco Peaks, the highest mountains in Arizona, can be seen from here. The Bright Angel and Plateau Point trails can also be seen going down into the canyon. About half a mile away is Hopi Point. Here you can view the Shiva Temple, which is an isolated section of the Kaibab Plateau. About another mile away you can reach Mohave Point and then eventually the Abyss. The Abyss is one of the more popular stops on the South Rim. Huge sandstone columns fill up your entire view. Another attraction point is Pima Point. From here you could view the Tonto Trail which descends almost 70 miles through the canyon (Fishbein 1991). Facilities Available to Tourists For nearly a century, travelers have converged to the South Rim for many tourist attractions. Being closer to major population centers and trunk highways than its counterpart across the canyon, the South Rim is easily accessible by bus, plane, or car, and it has always drawn the heavier volume of tourists. As a consequence, it is well provided with many facilities for travelers both inside and outside of the park. Some of the facilities available for tourists are large campgrounds, motor lodge cabins, hotels, a bank, a post office, abundant parking lots, a visitor information center, and a museum. For transportation around the canyon quick shuttle buses and reliable railroad trains are easily accessible. Even in winter, when snow is deep on the ground but not on the plowed roads, the South Rim is accessible and visitors can witness the canyon walls frosted with snow (Aitchison 1991). Type and Age of Rock Formations Exposed in the Grand Canyon The Grand Canyon has some the oldest rock known to man. Its oldest rock is about two billion years old. The youngest rocks are about 280 million years old. The rocks that evolved in the Precambrian era were the Vishnu Shist, Brahma schist Zoraster Granite, bass limestone, Hakati Shale, and Shinumo Sandstone. During the Paleozoic, the last rocks to form were Tapeats Sandstone, Bright Angel Shale, Redwall Limestone, Hermit shale, Coconino Formation, Toroweap Formation, and finally the Kaibab Formation (Harris 1975). Pre- Cambrian Era Two-thousand million years ago during the Precambrian Era sands, silts, and mud were deposited in a shallow marine basin. Many volcanoes were present during this era. They contributed to a lot of the rocks present during this era. The Vishnu shist was also formed during this era. The Vishu Shist contains some of the oldest rock known to man. Paleozic Era Moving up to the Paleozoic Era a sea came from the west depositing three formations. The first formation would be the Tapeats Sandstone. At the base of the Tapeats formed a Basal Conglomerate, mud then formed the Bright Angel Shale. The deep water around the Grand