The Grand Canyon

A World Famous Landform of Erosion

A) Location –

what would we write?

B) What is it like? How was it formed?

Width, depth, length?

1000m

10,000m

450km

River Colorado erodes vertically

Earth movements raise plateau

Canyon

Little Weathering of valley sides - why?

Structure + Process + Time = Landform!

C) How landforms and processes affect Human Activity

Tourism – 5 million visitors / year

D) How do people affect The Grand Canyon?

What is the impact on the landforms?

In 1968 the Santa Fe Railway discontinued rail passenger service to the South rim of the Grand Canyon. In 1989 the Grand Canyon Railway restarted rail trips between Williams, Arizona and the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. Plus Coconino Canyon train ride from 2008.

Footpaths

Redlands Dam broke = flood

More than 400 people are being evacuated by helicopter from a village near the Grand Canyon in Arizona after a dam burst due to heavy rain.

The building of the Glen Canyon Dam permanently reduced flows in the Canyon affecting the ecosystem.

E) How is it managed? (for sustainability)

1979 Designation as a World Heritage Site on October 26

There are approximately 1,737 known species of vascular plants, 167 species of fungi, 64 species of moss and 195 species of lichen found in Grand Canyon National Park. This variety is largely due to the 8,000 foot elevation change from the river up to the highest point on the North Rim.

2008 - U.S. officials released a flood into the Grand Canyon to try to undo damage caused by the construction of the Glen Canyon Dam in the 1960s.

Honey Pot Sites ------------- Camping Controls

Permit Fees

Restricted access

“listening to Ranger Dave. In thirty minutes you'll learn more than you ever thought you could know about the Grand Canyon, trust me”

Price

Controls

Education

Mule rides into the canyon have been popular since Bright Angel Trail opened in 1891. ….. Grand Canyon considers limits on mule trains September 30, 2009