The world was not like that millions of years ago. Now where huge mountain peaks stand on the earth with glory, maybe there was a fast flowing river then. Or where billions of species of animals are now swimming in huge reservoirs, there was a vast arid desert. Similarly, in the heart of Arizona, there is a 446-kilometer-wide canyon that surrounds the two banks of the Colorado River, which has been formed by billions of years of broken construction. Although inhabited by Native Americans for hundreds of years, the canyon, known as the Grand Canyon, became one of the wonders of nature to European explorers in the sixteenth century.
This gorge, which satisfies the cravings of curious tourists who have been visiting the country and abroad for years, once took the researchers by storm. How exactly did this geographical pattern come into being in a 100-meter-long river? This question has made the best curious people in history think. But we do not have to go far to find the answer. The rocks on each level of the huge Grand Canyon are able to answer that question for us. Holding the latent story of millions of years in its bosom, this gorge seems to have been waiting for those curious people for ages.
What is the Grand Canyon?
The Grand Canyon, one of the world's largest canyons, stands on either side of the Colorado River, bordering the state of Nevada in northwestern Arizona. It is about 448 km long and about 29 km wide. The average depth of this canyon is about one mile (1.8 km). According to geologists, the canyon was formed by the flow of the Colorado River for billions of years. Arizona is called the Grand Canyon State because of its canyon location.
Although the canyon is the fourth largest in the world in terms of size, the Grand Canyon is the most famous canyon in the world, with around 62 lak tourists visiting the country every year.
Gorge Tukitaki
The Grand Canyon Canyon has been turned into a national park. The climate in the canyon is a bit dry. The arid environment of the park is home to about 355 species of birds, 89 species of mammals, 47 species of reptiles, 9 species of amphibians and 17 species of fish. Although there is some desert environment in the plains of the gorge, small to medium sized forests can be seen in the highlands. About one and a half thousand species of plants have been found in this forest. The Grand Canyon is divided into two regions - the North and the South Rim. The South Rim is open to visitors all year round. There is also an airport and rail link in this ridge. About 90% of visitors come to South Rim, which is close to other cities in Arizona, Las Vegas, Nev, etc.
Although somewhat inaccessible, the first choice of adventurers is the North Rim. Because the most beautiful views of the gorge can be seen from here. The distance between the two rims is about 16 km. Every year, trekking hikers explore the rugged terrain of the canyon on foot.
River-stone war
The idea of geologists is that where the Grand Canyon stands today, there was once no canyon. Exactly how much earlier this 'one time' event is still being debated in the assembly of scientists. Many say 70 million years ago, for many the period is 3 million years. At that time, when the earth was constantly changing its form and gradually transforming into today's green land, there was a vast flat land. The Colorado River flowed over it, just as it is today. At one point the surface began to change its shape. The Kaibab Plateau is formed along the course of the river. The formation of this plateau obstructed the flow of the river. Seeing no way out, Colorado changed its course according to natural laws.
This time the Colorado route was split in two. One part flowed and merged with the Gulf of Mexico. Another part of the plateau inhabited the area. With the change of course of the river, lakes were born in several places. The most notable of these is the huge lake formed by the accumulation of water in the eastern part of the river about 1.2 million years ago, which is now called Bidahochi. The Colorado River continues to erode plateau rocks through its currents day after day. This erosion is caused by various reactions in the rock with the river water and the chemicals present in it. Erosion that has been going on for millions of years has weakened the rocks below the plateau. This time the Colorado current became stronger than the resistance of that rock. As a result, the water of the river began to flow through the rocks of the plateau. The Colorado River is able to reconnect with its tributaries.
After the two branches merged, the amount of water in Colorado's chest increased. Even huge amounts of water from Bidahochi Lake flow into the heart of Colorado. The rocks of the relatively wide and deep Colorado Plateau continue to crumble, and from that ruin a magnificent canyon is gradually built up in the process of millions of years. This is the short story of the creation of the Grand Canyon Canyon. In addition, various natural changes, weather, geographical events have played a direct and indirect role in the formation of this canyon for millions of years. The oldest rock at the foot of the gorge is called Vishnu Rock, which formed about 1.7 billion years ago. On the other hand, the newest rocks are found at the top of the gorge, which is about 270 million years old.
The way people discovered the Grand Canyon
Born in Colorado and Caibo, this vast ravine was inhabited 12,000 years ago. Then the end of the ice age on Earth. In the inaccessible and dangerous environment of the canyon, those people started building houses. At that time an animal called Shasta Sloth used to roam in this region. They made a living by hunting those animals. They also started limited cultivation at the foot of the gorge. At certain times of the year, they harvest crops and start delivering them to caves discovered in the mountains. Notable among the primitive communities that have settled in the Grand Canyon since the Ice Age are Pueblo, Payute, Navaho, Juni and Hopi. However, the people of the Havasupai community who now live there claim that this canyon is the ancestral home of their ancestors. They have been living here for about 800 years. Everyone knows the village of Havasupai as Supai village. The village of Supai is one of the most remote areas in the United States. There is no mobile network in the age of information technology in the 21st century. Locals still communicate by mule.
The canyon was discovered by the Spanish explorer Lpez de Cadrenas as the first person outside the Native Americans. He was the first white man to discover the canyon in 1540. About 300 years after the discovery, in 1880, a group of miners settled in the area in search of copper. But in order not to destroy the rare natural features like this gorge, the conservation of forest resources started here in 1893 under the supervision of the government. By 1901, the Grand Canyon had become a tourist destination. In 1903, then-President Franklin D. Roosevelt annexed the canyon to the government after it became a tourist attraction around the world. In 1919, another president, Woodrow Wilson, turned it into a national park
The back and forth of the coin
In addition to observing the breathtaking natural scenery of the canyon, there are 11 local villages, several cultural sites, about 4,459 archeological sites, 8 historical sites, boat rides across the Colorado canyon, and a skywalk at the top of the canyon. The government is collecting billions of dollars in revenue from the tourism industry every year. This money is playing an important role in keeping the wheel of the US economy moving. Thus the Grand Canyon is directly and indirectly making a significant contribution to the natural and economic landscape of the country. But the bright present has become dirty in fear of an uncertain future. And the reason for this fear is the pollution of the Colorado River.
The Colorado River is the main source of water for millions of people in Mexico, including about six states in the United States. Warm weather, reduced snowfall, water control through artificial dams have already reduced river flow by 16%. In addition, enough water has to be provided for the millions of tourists staying in the park. Experts say that if the water flow continues to decline in this way, the park authorities will fail to provide water for tourists in the near future. The canyon, which has developed a history of millions of years of struggle, may re-emerge for all these reasons, but without water supply, the tourism industry will be shut down.
The age of our earth is around 500 crores. These long stories are hidden in the rocks of the world. With that in mind, Grandma's bag meets the long stone layer of the Grand Canyon. The rocks of the Grand Canyon have revealed many unknown facts about the long journey from the creation of the world to the modern age. The natural beauty, the database of history, the habitat of the local people, this Grand Canyon has been the center of attraction for interested people for ages. Research is still going on to unravel the underlying stories. Maybe in the near future we will learn more exciting stories, which may change our perception of the creation of the world.
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