The Grand Canyon has been a sight of awe and wonder for centuries. Its majestic beauty stretches across 277 miles of rugged terrain, and its depth reaches almost one mile when measured at maximum points. Few places on earth offer such incredible views that seem to stretch out forever – but what many people don’t realize is that the Grand Canyon wasn’t always as we know it today!
The Grand Canyon was once filled with water but was at least 6 million years old. The rock formations of the Grand Canyon help us tell the story of this magnificent place on earth. For over a century, tourists worldwide have visited the Grand Canyon to experience its awe-inspiring beauty. The Grand Canyon first protected land in 1893 as a reservoir and later as a national monument. The Grand Canyon is a beautiful and inspiring place to visit.
Table of Contents
- Was The Grand Canyon Once Totally Filled With Water?
- What Happened To The Water In The Grand Canyon?
- Is The Hoover Dam Part Of The Grand Canyon?
- Is The Grand Canyon Man-Made?
- Want to Travel The Entire Grand Canyon Virtually? Try The Virtual Conquer Challenges
- Related Questions
Was The Grand Canyon Once Totally Filled With Water?
The story of the Grand Canyon began 2 billion years ago when two plates of the earth’s crust collided; as they came together, rolls of a volcanic island smashed together and merged.
Formed during this period were dark rock formations; you can still see them at the Grand Canyon. The dark rock is now also known as the basement rock, which is the rock near the bottom of the canyon.
Over the next hundred million years, the Grand Canyon started to be filled with water. Ocean-fed sediment continued to pile up until the entire Grand Canyon was filled.
We know and understand this so many years later because of the types of rock that can be seen at the Grand Canyon today. The Grand Canyon rocks help us understand how the entire rock formation was once totally underwater and how it was formed.
How Much Water Would It Take To Fill The Grand Canyon?
Today’s Grand Canyon is so immense that if you poured all the river water on earth into the Grand Canyon, it would still only be half full. The Grand Canyon is about 1,218.37 acres or 1904 square miles in size.
Because of the overall depth of the Grand Canyon, it would hold 1- 2 quadrillion gallons, or in numbers, it would be 2,000,000,000,000,000. That is a lot of gallons of water needed to fill the Grand Canyon.
By comparison, the earth’s oceans have 352 quintillion gallons of water but encompass a much larger space on Earth than the Grand Canyon.
How Long Would It Take To Fill The Grand Canyon With Water?
The Grand Canyon is so vast that it would take hundreds of years to fill it with water. The average flow rate of the Colorado River is 420 cubic meters, and the Grand Canyon has a flow rate volume of 4.17 trillion cubic meters.
There are many other variables, such as evaporation rate and where and how to dam the river so that the water does not leave or disappear from the Grand Canyon. You would need to have a way to keep any water you got in to not going out.
So we estimate that even with the best of circumstances, you can keep the water in, control vaporization, and find a way to dam the Grand Canyon so that water does not escape; filling the Grand Canyon with water would still take over 310 years.
What Happened To The Water In The Grand Canyon?
All of the water that exited the Grand Canyon is thought to have eventually flowed out through what is known as the Virgin River. The Virgin River is 261 kilometers or 162 miles long; it is a tributary of the Colorado River.
What Is The Lowest Point Of The Grand Canyon Compared To The Dead Sea?
The Dead Sea shores are 427 meters or 1,400 feet below sea level, and the Dead Sea is 306 meters or 1,003 feet below sea level. Starting at sea level or zero, the Dead Sea would be 427 or 306 meters below that point. The Dead Sea is the earth’s lowest point and body of water.
The lowest point of the Grand Canyon is 1,829 meters or 6,000 feet above sea level. The Grand Canyon is much higher than the Dead Sea as the Dead Sea is below sea level.
Listen To Our Podcast About How Big Is The Grand Canyon? & Other Grand Canyon Questions below or by clicking here.
Is The Hoover Dam Part Of The Grand Canyon?
The Hoover Dam is not part of the Grand Canyon. When driving from Las Vegas to the Grand Canyon, the Hoover Dam is on the way to the Grand Canyon.
The Hoover Dam is about 40 miles from Las Vegas, whereas the Grand Canyon West is 95 miles from Las Vegas, and the Grand Canyon National Park is 240 miles from Las Vegas.
If you are driving to the Grand Canyon from Las Vegas, it is worth stopping at the Hoover Dam.
Is The Grand Canyon Man-Made?
The Grand Canyon was carved out of the earth some 6 million years ago; it is a natural formation and is not man-made. The geological activity and erosion by the Colorado River helped form the Grand Canyon as we know it today.
The Grand Canyon is such a fantastic landscape formation that it is one of the most studied landscapes in the world. The area is rich in fossil and geological research, along with a rich archeological history. When visiting the Grand Canyon, you can see the museum and other historic places that tell the history of the Grand Canyon.
Want to Travel The Entire Grand Canyon Virtually? Try The Virtual Conquer Challenges
One of the Virtual Conquer Challenges is the Grand Canyon. This is a great way to virtually explore all aspects of the Grand Canyon that you were unable to see on your visit.
We love the Virtual challenges as each time we walk, bike, or swim a mile, and we can put in the mile for the Conquer Virtual Challenges. Each time we pass an essential milestone for the Conquer Virtual Challenges, we are sent a postcard to tell us about the area we just traveled to.
At the end of the route, Conquer Virtual Challenges sends us a unique Grand Canyon medal.
To find out more about the Conquer Virtual Challenges and to automatically receive 10% off your first challenge, you can sign up for the Grand Canyon or any other challenge by clicking on the link below.
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Related Questions
What River Runs Through The Grand Canyon And Other Facts
The river that runs through the Grand Canyon is the mighty Colorado River. The Colorado River is one of the major rivers in the United States. Besides the Colorado river, several tributary rivers are also in the Grand Canyon Area.
By clicking here, you can discover What River Runs Through The Grand Canyon And Other Facts.
How Big Is The Grand Canyon? & Other Grand Canyon Questions
The Grand Canyon area is 277 miles long or about 1,904 square miles. It is a vast area that will take you 5 hours or 215 miles to travel from the North Rim to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. Most of the area does not have hiking or other trails. As the Grand Canyon took about 6 million years to create, it is one of the world’s natural wonders.
By clicking here, you can discover How Big Is The Grand Canyon? & Other Grand Canyon Questions.
How Much Time Should We Plan To Spend At The Grand Canyon?
The Grand Canyon was once filled with water, but it is at least 6 million years old. The rock and rock formations of the Grand Canyon help us to tell the story of this magnificent place on earth.
By clicking here, you can discover How Much Time Should We Plan To Spend At The Grand Canyon?.
