Grand Canyon, Arizona US.
First created 15 Oct 2014. Version 1.2 - 18 Oct 2014. Jerry Tse.
London. Grand CanyonAll rights reserved. Rights belong to their
respective owners. Available free for non-commercial, educational
and personal use. Arizona, USA
This is a HD wide format Powerpoint with some animations. Best
to download it and view it on wide screen monitor. This series of
photos were taken during my visit to the United States in Sep 2014.
Because of the immense distances and the volume of air between the
camera and scenery, all the images were darken and blue cast
removed to allow the vivid colours to come through, to show its
true beauty. The Grand Canyon is some 446 km long in length and 29
km wide. It was carved out by the Colorado River some 5.5 million
years ago, when a giant lake on the Colorado Plateau was emptied by
the river. In this process the river exposes some 2 billion years
of geological history of the area.1
Evening at Mather PointThe oldest rock in the Grand Canyon is
nearly 2 billion years old , when there was a 6 miles high mountain
in the area.
2
Evening at Mather PointFrom 1.8 to 1.6 billion years ago at
least two island arcs collided, compressing and lift the area out
of the sea.
Evening at Mather PointLater these uplifted rocks were buried 12
miles under the surface, cooked into metamorphic granite.
Evening at Mather PointAround 1.73 billion years ago, blobs of
magma rose from the subduction zone, intruded from below.
Evening at Mather Point
This intrusions occurred three times until 1.4 billion years
ago.
Evening at Mather PointThe collision expanded the continent from
Wyoming to Mexico and doubled the crest thickness in the Grand
Canyon region.
Evening at Mather Point
In the next 300 million years erosion stripped much of the
exposed sediment and mountain away.
Evening at Mather Point
9
Evening at Mather Point
This reduced the land to a few tens of meters high.
Evening at Mather Point
During the formation of the Grand Canyon Supergroup from 1.2
billion ant 740 million years ago, the continent was stretched.
Evening at Mather Point
The continent failed to split but the region sunk and was flood
to become a shallow sea.
Evening at Mather Point
At oldest layer of the Supergroup (c1250m years), stromatolites
fossils were found, marks the existence of micro-organism on
Earth.
Dawn at Bright Angel
Dawn at Bright Angel
In the Paleozoic age, about 541-252m years ago, there region was
near the equator. This came after nearly the entire Earth was
covered in ice.
Dawn at Bright Angel
In the Paleozoic age, about 541-252m years ago, there region was
near the equator. This came after nearly the entire Earth was
covered in ice.
Dawn at Bright Angel
Dawn at Bright Angel
As the climate warm ed triobites were abundant. An ocean started
to return to the Grand Canyon area about 550m years ago.
From the airAbove Aerial view of the densely forested plateau
surrounding the Grand Canyon.
From the airIt was on its shoreline , that the Tonto Group
formations began to form some 550m years ago.
From the air
From the air
From the air
From the air
From the air
From the rim - Maricopa
From the rim - Maricopa
From the rim - Powell
From the rim - Mohave
From the rim - Mohave
From the rim - Mohave
From the rim - Pima
From the rim - Grandview
From the rim - Grandview
From the rim - Watchtower
From the rim - Watchtower
From the rim - Watchtower
From the rim - Watchtower
From the rim - Watchtower
From the rim - Watchtower
From the rim - Watchtower
From the rim Pipe Creek Vista
Little Colorado Canyon
Rock SquirrelAbove Rock squirrel (Otospermophilus variegatus)
only found in Mexico and the US.
All rights reserved. Rights belong to their respective owners.
Available free for non-commercial, educational and personal use.
Music Out of Africa, composed by John Barry
Above The Western Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio rutulus)The End
