A Overview of the Grand Canyon Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

A Overview of the Grand Canyon - Research Paper Example How the Grand Canyon came into existence? No one knows. There are abundant guesses. Accept it as the one of the most beautiful area of nature. A number of processes and more than one factor must have contributed to its formation and what one sees in the Grand Canyon presently, is the outcome of the process of evolution over a very long period. â€Å"The most powerful force to have an impact on the Grand Canyon is erosion, primarily by water (and ice) and second by wind. Other forces that contributed to the Canyons formation are the course of the Colorado River itself, volcanism, continental drift and slight variations in the Earth’s orbit which in turn causes variations in seasons and climate†. (The Geology†¦.)Canyon is basically located in a desert. Heat of the sun bakes the soil in the Grand Canyon; it becomes so hard that it cannot absorb water, when rains come. The roots of the plants in the Grand Canyon cannot pierce the hard earth-bed and the root systems are very shallow and they absorb as much water as is possible during rains. These plants are unable to block the process of soil erosion. With no check on the soil and rock in place, during heavy rains flash floods occur with devastating consequences. The flood water carries down the Grand Canyon, everything on its course, spares nothing, and big boulders roll down as if they are pebbles. It assumes the shape of flowing concrete and not water. Those hiking through the side canyons must have the accurate information of weather conditions, to avoid calamities. It is a steep canyon. The ‘sculptor’ of this canyon is the Colorado River in Arizona, USA. It is 277 miles long, the maximum width is 18 miles and its depth is a stunning 6000 ft. It is part of the countless years of the Planet Earth’s geological history, and the River and its tributaries are the architects of this