Yesenia Madrigal

March 19, 2016

SMT 312 (01)
How the Earth Was Made- Grand Canyon
A natural wonder that has intrigued and caused scientists at both local and national levels to
study and develop an understanding of has been the Grand Canyon. Located in Arizona, the
Grand Canyon is home to one of the most ancient and ever evolving natural landscapes. We can
trace back the formation of the Gran Canyon back to 1 billion years back. When John Wesley
Powell rode the entire length of the Colorado River in 1869, he came across an enormous
amount of distinct black rocks which he called ugly black rocks. The reason he gave them this
name is due to the fact that the more black rocks there were present, the more rapids there were
in the area thus making his expedition more challenging. Far more important than being
responsible for some of the rapids in the Colorado River, the black rocks (Vishnu Schist)
originate from lava flows, the rocks were once molten but after long periods of time, they
hardened. This indicates one of the origins of the Grand Canyon, it could be that volcanism had a
lot to do with the creation of this region.
Moreover, marine fossils have also been found in this area. The fossilized shells that are
found in this area originate from shallow tropical waters. This serves as evidence that there was
once an inland sea in this region. Scientists believe that the body of water in this area would
grow and recede over the years. Every sea that filled this area was unique and different from the
previous ones. When a sea would fill in this area, it would bring different kinds of rocks,
environments and fossils along with it. The different colored layers in the Grand Canyon indicate

that this event occurred within the region. The main color that is seen in the plains of the Grand
Canyon is mostly red due to the iron present in the rocks of this region.
Scientists, through evidence, have hypothesized that the Grand Canyon was once fully
submerged underwater so one of the main questions they had to answer is what made the
mountains lift up from a lower elevation to a higher one. Scientists needed to discover the forces
that caused the Grand Canton lift up. One of the possible explanations is subduction. Millions of
years ago, the Oceanic Plate submerged beneath the North American plate, this created
mountains such as the Rockies and the Grand Canyon. However, when one observes the physical
features of the Rockies and the Grand Canyon, we see that they are very distinct. The Laramide
Orogeny states that as the subduction occurred in this region, the Grand Canyon lifted up the
rocks without tilting them. It is almost as if the Grand Canyon was lifted up from the ground
through an elevator.
One of the most prevalent features of the Grand Canyon are the rough edges and steep cliffs
that are in this area. Scientists have studied the area in an attempt to come up with an explanation
for these features. In the early 2000s scientist John Douglass proposed his Spillover Theory. The
theory states that there was once a lake east in the Grand Canyon region that basically
overflowed into the plain surrounding it. As the water overflowed the rocks, sand, gravel, and
other material it carried along with it essentially cut the plains and formed the Grand Canyon.
Fossils of freshwater mollusks in the eastern region of the Grand Canyon support this theory.
Now, an explanation for the width of the Grand Canyon could be that the new rock that was
exposed underwent weathering processes that deteriorated the slopes and caused mass wasting in
the form of mudslides, rock slides, etc. Rocks in this region continue to slide down the sides of

the Grand Canyon due to the stacking of soft rock and hard rock on top of each other. Without
support, wider canyons are created.
The Grand Canyon continues to be a site of great scientific exploration and wonder. There is
no real way in which we could understand how the Grand Canyon was formed but through the
advancement of technology and studies, scientists are now able to create a better understanding
of the forces and processes that formed this site.

References
How the Earth Was Made: Grand Canyon [Video file]. (n.d.). Retrieved from
sohstream.csudh.edu/ccummings/HTEWMgrandcanyon.mp4
National Geographic. (n.d.). Spill-Over Theory - National Geographic Channel [Video file].
Retrieved from http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/videos/spill-over-theory