Grand Canyon: The puzzle of the Colorado River

Abstract

The Grand Canyon of the Colorado is the best-known example of fluvial canyon erosion on Planet Earth. It is carved into the southwestern edge of the Colorado Plateau physiographic region. The Grand Canyon displays impressive arid land cliff-and-slope topography over its 360 km length, 30 km maximum width and 1,830 m maximum depth. While it is apparent that the Canyon was carved by the Colorado River, the exact sequence of events and timing of the erosion are open to debate. Many hypotheses, grouped here simplistically into one of three general viewpoints, have evolved over the last 150 years: (1) the mono-river or old river view, (2) the headward eroding poly-phase river or integrated river view, and (3) the ponding, spillover, and pro-elongating river or new river view. The puzzle of the formation of the Grand Canyon has not yet been completely solved. © 2010 Springer Science+Business Media B.V.