The Grand Canyon

The Grand Canyon which is situated in the northern Arizona, was designated a national park of the United States in 1912. It was formed over a period of millions of years by the Colorado River which flows through the Canyon. However, the work of the Colorado River is far from complete, because each day the river as well as in combination with the powerful winds widens and deepens the Grand Canyon.

The Grand Canyon is nearly 450 kilometers long and almost 2 kilometers deep. Each year thousands of people visit the Grand Canyon. There are many trails that lead to the bottom, people usually hike down or ride on the back of mules. Rangers say that a person needs to consume at least three liters of water for going down the canyon, per day. A 440 feet long, 5 feet wide Kaibab suspension Bridge (also known as Black Bridge) was built across the Colorado River in 1928.

One of the things that I find fascinating about the Grand Canyon is the rock layers that sparkle in the sun – green, pink, yellow and violet. Each layer holds a record of geologic history containing millions of years. Fossils can be found embedded in these surfaces, and at the top part, sometimes even footprints or so of reptiles are found. The weather is, well, very odd. From top to bottom the climate gets warmer and warmer. Near the top where it is coolest, blue spruce and aspen trees can be found. Lower down, there are yellow pines. On the floor of the canyon where it is hot and desert-like, the most common plants are cacti of various kinds.