The Grand Canyon of the Colorado: Much More than a Product of Erosion, Why isn’t the Grand Canyon of the Colorado simply a product of the erosion by the river?

The Grand Canyon of the Colorado: Much More than a Product of Erosion

The Grand Canyon of the Colorado is a breathtaking landscape, stretching hundreds of miles in length and over a mile deep. It is a defining feature of the American West and a popular tourist destination. While the Colorado River is often credited with carving the canyon, its formation is much more complex than simple erosion by the river (Stephanie, 2019). Geologists have determined that the canyon was created over the course of millions of years, with erosion being only a small part of the process. According to the National Park Service, “the Colorado River began carving the canyon only 5-6 million years ago, and the majority of the carving occurred in the last two million years.” This means that the canyon’s formation was influenced by multiple factors, including the uplift of the Colorado Plateau, the cutting of its tributary canyons, and the erosional power of the Colorado River (Stephanie, 2019). In addition to the river’s erosional power, the Grand Canyon was also formed by the effects of weathering and landslides. The constantly changing climate of the region has caused rocks to be weathered over time, which in turn has created the canyon’… Cont…