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Scientists Still Don't Know How or When the Grand Canyon Formed. New Research May Hint at Its Ancient Origins
Researchers say zircon dating, strontium ratios and fish fossils show an ancient Colorado River fed a lake that overflowed into the canyon route.
- A study published Thursday in Science provides evidence that the Colorado River carved the Grand Canyon by filling and spilling over an ancient lake around 6.6 million years ago.
- Geologists have long debated the river's path, as the Colorado existed in western Colorado 11 million years ago but did not exit the Grand Canyon until about 5.6 million years ago.
- Analyzing zircon crystals from the Bidahochi Basin in Arizona, researchers found "clear evidence that the lake existed," said Ryan Crow, a U.S. Geological Survey geologist.
- The lake spillover likely established the river's current course, with Crow adding, "It was the Colorado River that linked them together."
- Despite the findings, some experts remain skeptical; University of New Mexico geologist Karl Karlstrom noted that "the key details of the proposed spillover conclusion remain untested.
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Scientists decipher the geological history of the Grand Canyon
The Grand Canyon is a marvel on the landscape of North America, a breathtaking geological feature in the southwestern state of Arizona presenting dramatic contours and richly colored vistas. The post Scientists decipher the geological history of the Grand Canyon appeared first on Hawaii Tribune-Herald.
Scientists Still Don't Know How or When the Grand Canyon Formed. New Research May Hint at Its Ancient Origins
Researchers say the ancestral Colorado River formed an ancient lake in northern Arizona roughly 6.6 million years ago that spilled out westward onto the landscape that would eventually become the Grand Canyon
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Total News Sources13
Leaning Left3Leaning Right0Center7Last UpdatedBias Distribution70% Center
Bias Distribution
- 70% of the sources are Center
70% Center
L 30%
C 70%
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