The Colorado River has carved the Grand Canyon into four plateaus of the Colorado Plateau Province. The Province is a large area in the Southwest characterized by nearly-horizontal sedimentary rocks lifted 5,000 to 13,000 feet above sea level.

The Uplift of the Colorado Plateau. The Kaibab Limestone, the uppermost layer of rock at Grand Canyon, was formed at the bottom of the ocean. The action of plate tectonics lifted the rocks high and flat, creating a plateau through which the Colorado River could cut down.

The three main rock layer sets in the Grand Canyon are grouped based on position and common composition and 1) Metamorphic basement rocks, 2) The Precambrian Grand Canyon Supergroup, and 3) Paleozoic strata.

transform plate boundary

“ At least 64 deaths have been recorded at the Grand Canyon since it was established 200 years ago. National Park officials say they see, on average, 12 deaths a year, but not all of them are from falls. Other deaths are related to medical issues or happen outside of the rim.

The Earth’s continents are in constant motion. On at least three occasions, they have all collided to form one giant continent. If history is a guide, the current continents will coalesce once again to form another supercontinent. And a study in Nature now shows how that could come about.

The most probable fate of the planet is absorption by the Sun in about 7.5 billion years, after the star has entered the red giant phase and expanded beyond the planet’s current orbit.

Modern geology has shown that Pangea did actually exist. Within the next 250 million years, Africa and the Americas will merge with Eurasia to form a supercontinent that approaches Pangean proportions.