The Grand Canyon opening and the expansion of Colorado River - 2750 Words

The Grand Canyon opening and the expansion of Colorado River (Essay Sample) Content: Title: The Grand Canyon opening and the expansion of Colorado RiverUniversity:Lecturer:Date of submission:IntroductionTo date, Colorado River remains the prime source of water for both north-west Mexico and US residents. As a result of its carving forces through the might Grand Canyon, the river proudly givens an explanation of the formation and structure of the earth. Originating from the center of Rocky Mountains that are found in U.S, the river flows through Colorado Plateau and Grand Canyon to reach Lake Mead. It then enters Mexico through the Gulf of California delta. Over the years, North America residents depend on Colorado water for agricultural purposes. This paper keenly looks at its geologic features, the age and formation of Grand Canyon, the transformations the Colorado River has undergone over the years and the role played by erosion and weathering in the formation of this river.The Grand Canyonà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬s geologic featuresWell known as life-blood, Colorado River originates from the heart of North Colorado Mountains. It then winds through the larger seven states (Arizona, New Mexico, Wyoming, Utah, Nevada and Colorado) of U.S and northwest Mexico. The river supplies water to cities like Las Vegas, Phoenix, Denver and Los Angeles.Sources: https://answersingenesis.org/.../grand-canyon-facts/The Grand Canyon has 7 layers which include Coconino Formation, Hermit Shale, Kaibab Limestone, Bright Angel Shale, Red-wall Limestone, Tepeats Sandstone, Vishnu Schist and Mauv Limestone. Kaibab Limestone is a layer thought to be 2500M years old. Made of both sandy and sandstones, the layer covers the topmost surface of Coconino and Kaibab plateaus. The layer is grayish-white but when seen from far, it looks like bathtub ring. Fossils commonly found here include; Coral, sea, brachiopods and lilies (Leavengood, B., Grand, 2004)Redwall Limestone is approximately thought to have around 336 M years. The main components here are dolomites and m arine limestone. The layer is featured as the prime layer of Grand Canyon because it differentiates between the upper and lower Canyon. Temple Butte Limestone is another layer which is mainly composed of fresh water and dolomite. Supai Formation is majorly composed of a mixture of sandstone and Limestone to form Shale. The layer keeps on enlarging as the river flows to the west. Coconino Sandstone is roughly known to have over 265M years. The wedge-shaped layer is basically composed of pure sand. Hermit Shale is made of soft Shale which leads to the formation of a slope.The geologic history of Grand Canyon and Colorado RiverResearchers and explorers have continuously disagreed on matters concerning evolution of Grand Canyon. Throughout the years, it remains uncovered as to which mechanisms or forces lead to the integration and formation of Grand Canyon and the river. However, Grand Canyon proudly bears a unique incision history. Ancient Colorado River received its flowing powers from Green river which overflowed from Uinta Mountains. This resulted to the increment of water discharge into the Ocean. This happened during Pleistocene time. Further, sedimentary evidence shows that the overflowing was not only facilitated by Green and Colorado River combination; it was strongly supported by Colorado Plateau titling during Miocene and Oligocene periods.The formation and age of Grand CanyonThough there is no distinct explanation that fully explains the formation of todayà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬s Grand Canyon, the combination of these explanations give us the right recipe of what might lead to the formation of todayà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬s Grand Canyon. The most reliable resources attribute its formation to forces of wind, water, volcanism, continental drift and erosion.Soil Erosion and forces of waterWater forces take the larger part in the formation of Canyon simply because there is plenty water in the earth. People canà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬t belief this because Canyon is situated on Colorado Des ert. The soil in this desert is hard and seems to absorb little water (Leavengood, B., Grand, 2004) Neve...