Formation:
No one knows for sure how the Grand Canyon came to be, however there are some good guesses. A number of processes combined created the views that you see in today's Grand Canyon. The most powerful force to have an impact on the Grand Canyon is erosion, primarily by water, ice and wind. Other forces that contributed to the Canyon's formation are the course of the Colorado River, vulcanism, continental drift and slight variations in the earths orbit, which causes variations in seasons and climate.
Water seems to have had the most impact basically because our planet has lots of it and it is always on the move. Many people do not understand how water can have such a profound impact because of the Canyons location of being in the desert. However, this is one of the biggest reasons that water has such a big impact. Because the soil in the Grand Canyon is baked by the sun it becomes very hard and cannot absorb water. When it does rain the water come down in torrents, which only adds to the problem. The plants that grow in the Grand Canyon tend to have very shallow root systems so that they can grab as much water as possible. Unfortunately these root systems do nothing to deter erosion by holding the soil in place. The result is a flash flood roaring down the canyon walls that contains the force to move boulders the size of small houses. The boulders and debris flowing with the water also helps to eat away at the walls of the Canyon. All the water and debris ends in the Colorado River. Where it continues to cut away at the rock as the river carries it through the Canyon. The same effects that have formed the Grand Canyon of the west is happening in Pennsylvania's backyerd.
The Grand Canyon of Pennsylvania:
Although not as famous as its bigger sister in Arizona, the canyon formed by the Pine Creek River in North Central Pennsylvania is well worth its nickname as the Grand Canyon of Pennsylvania. The Canyon is almost 50 miles long and up to 1,000 feet deep. The scenery is great in every season but the autumn colors are spectator. The best views of the Canyon are from Leonard Harrison State Park on the west rim and from Colton Point State Park on the east side of the canyon. The distance from rim to rim here is about 4,000 feet and the depth of the canyon about 800.
Formation:
Mountains acting as a natural dam blocked the northeasterly flow of Pine Creek and forced the river to reverse its flow and go to the south, cutting a way through the Allegheny Plateau. Since that time, for tens of thousands of years, Pine Creek has been silently eroding the rock, creating the scenic gorge that you can see today.
Erosion has formed many of the spectacular views of our world. Over many millions of years natures forces have been at work creating amazing site and views. Erosion has also hurt us, in large scale and small scale degrees. Erosion has eaten our history, as well as some of our back yards. The fallowing photos are some the views of the impact of erosion.
 |
| water and wind removing the ground from under this tree |
 |
| Water doing its work on these rocks |
 | |
| Another image of water eating away at land this is a large scale idea of what was happening in my back yard |
 |
| Wind blowing the sand around the bottom of what use to be a large bolder |
 |
| During floods the water has carries the dirt our from around this root system |
 |
| The wind blew the sand around these historical Egyptian figures of thousands of years leaving very little of what once stood tall |
No comments:
Post a Comment