Ever wondered about the miracles of nature? The massive mountains, the deep oceans? The Grand Canyon is one such miracle that astonishes everyone. What is the depth of this marvel of nature and how did it get that deep? Let's find out...
The Grand Canyon is indeed a wonder. But before we plunge into the depths to find out its depth, let us dig a little into the geography of a canyon and how it is formed. A canyon is a gorge carved or eroded by rivers over a long period of time. The erosion of it by a river mostly starts from a plateau level.
The river cuts through the hard rock and eventually forms a canyon. The rock which is resistant or too hard to cut through remains as a cliff and gives it the deep grand look.
Location
The Grand Canyon is in the state of Arizona of the United States of America. It is a product of erosion of the Colorado river. One of the first national parks of the United States was established at the Grand Canyon, know as the Grand Canyon National Park.
The river has unraveled at least 2 billion years of history by exposing various fossils and rocks by means of erosion. Erosion seems but a small term to define something as enormous and very aptly named the 'Grand Canyon.'
The place where the canyon establishes its domain has been through metamorphic changes, right from being drowned beneath the ocean to being surrounded by volcanoes a few million years ago. This is relatively new compared to the previous landforms, even though it is at least 17 million years old.
Depth of the Grand Canyon
In feet
The width and depth of the Grand Canyon varies. At the South Rim, the Grand Canyon village, it is around 5,000 ft deep.
At its deepest point
The deepest point is 6,000 ft deep vertically, which is from the rim to the Colorado river.
In miles
Well, considering 5,000 to 6,000 ft of vertical depth, it makes the Canyon around a mile deep.
In meters
Given the deepest point being 6,000 ft deep, this makes the Canyon 1,829 meters deep.
Length
Its length is around 277 miles (446 km), and it is 18 miles (29 km) wide.
Other Facts
The Puebloans were the first inhabitants of this place. The Cohonina also inhabited the western part of Grand Canyon around 500 to 1200 A.D. It is one of the few natural formations that stores a detailed and complete geological history of over a billion years.
It is home to a variety of species of animals, which include 75 species of mammals, 50 reptile species, 300 types of birds, and 25 species of fish. It was discovered in 1540 by Francisco Coronado.
It also has grayish green forests and experiences sudden thunderstorms. You must beware of the California condors, the scavenger vultures which are exclusively found here. The Grand Canyon skywalk tour is one of the major attractions here, which was opened for tourists in 2007.