Geologic Time, oceans - Assignment Example

The softer rocks are greatly eroded than the harder strata (Timmons & Karlstrom, 2012). The softer strata are mainly made up of soft sedimentary rocks while the harder are made up of harder and older sedimentary rocks, which are mainly deposited at the bottom strata. This leads to the formation of the gorge (canyon) and explains its appearance. The upper strata are new and weaker; hence, they eroded massively and widely. The cross-sectional view of the canyon, therefore, appears as v-shaped. Moreover, the strata are eroded in irregular manner, depicting that some strata are harder than others are.

Since they were once deposited at different geologic timescales and of different composition (toughness), they are subjected to different degrees of erosion. Each strata of the Grand Canyon was deposited at different geological time scales by the very processes that result to the formation of sedimentary rocks. The geological interpretation of the Grand Canyon occurred through a time scale involving may years ago. The horizontal formation at the bottom, which is the Tapeats Sandstone, was deposited in the region at about 550 million years ago.

250 million years ago, the preceding strata, the Kaibab Limestone, which forms the rim, was deposited (Timmons & Karlstrom, 2012). The whole strata stretch over 250 miles. In eastern Arizona, they are one mile lower in elevation. The uplift of the canyon occurred 70 million years ago. It took hundreds of years for the sediments to cement into a hard rock the sediments were unconsolidated and soft when the layers thinned and bent. The plastic deformation of Grand Canyon strata interestingly indicates the reality behind global flood of Noah.

River Colorado starts from north central Colorado. It ends at a California’s gulf. The waters of the river come from the melting snow from the top of Rocky Mountains. It passes through seven states in the US; it also passes through Mexico. The main tributaries of River Colorado include San,