PART 1: GRAND CANYON - LAYERS AND SUPERPOSITION

TOROEAP FORMATION
k 255 MILLION YEARS OLD

YOUNGEST
-
COCONICO SANDSTONE
260 MILLION YEARS OLD

YOUNGER
- RED WALL LIMESTONE
RED IN COLOR 335 MILLION YEARS OLD
OLDEST GREYISH GREEN
VEGETATION

MUAV LIMESTONE
515 MILLION YEARS
OLD
BRIGHT ANGEL SHALE
530 MILLION YEARS OLD
TAPEATS SANDSTONE
545 MILLION YEARS OLD

LAYERS OF THE GRAND CANYON FROM OLDEST TO YOUNGEST

TAPEAT SANDSTONE, BRIGHT ANGEL SHALE, MAUV LIMESTONE.
AGE AND FORMATION: THE TAPEATS SANDSTONE CONTAINS SOME OF THE OLDEST ROCKS IN THE CANYON
WHICH WAS DEPOSITED DRING THE CAMBRIAN PERIOD.
COMPOSITION: THIS LAYER IS PRIMARILY COMPOSED OF WELL CEMENTED SAND GRAINS, GIVING IT A COURSE
GRAINED TEXTURE. IT ALSO CONTAINS MUD IN THE BRIGHT ANGEL SHALE AND LIMESTONE DEPOSITED WHEN
THE SEA WAS DEEPER.
DEPOSITIONAL ENVIRONMENT: THIS LAYER WAS DEPOSITED IN A MARINE ENVIRONMENT.
FOSSILS PRESENT: MARINE FOSSILS LIKE TRILOBITES ARE PRESENT IN THIS SEQUENCE AS THIS SEQUENCE
WAS ONCE AN ANCIENT OCEAN
REDWALL LIMESTONE.
FORMATION: THIS SEQUENCE WAS DEPOSITED DURING THE MISSISSIPPIAN PERIOD IN A MARINE ENVIRONMENT
THAT WAS CHARACTERIZED BY SHALLOW SEAS.
COMPOSITION: IRON OXIDE ON THIS LIMESTONE LAYER GIVING THE SEQUENCE ITS REDISH BROWN LOOK.
DEPOSITIONAL ENVIRONMENT: MARINE.
COCONICO SANDSTONE
FORMATION: COCONICO SANDSTONE WAS DEPOSITED DURING THE PERMIAN PERIOD AND REPRESENTS
NCIENT SAND DUNES THAT FORMED IN A DESERT ENVIRONMENT.
COMPOSITION: IT IS IMPLIED IN THIS EXERCISE THAT THE COCONICO SANDSTONE IS COMPOSED OF
PRIMARILY QUARTZ RICH SANDS THAT WERE TRANSPORTED BY THE WIND AND DEPOSITED IN THE SAND
DUNES. IT EXHIBITS A MORE REDDISH APPEARANCE DUE TO IRON OXIDE BUT IN ACTUALITY IS LIGHT
BEIGE TO WHITE.
DEPOSITIONAL ENVIRONMENT: AEOLIAN.
TOROWEAP FORMATION
FORMATION: TOROWEAP FORMATION WAS DEPOSITED DURING THE PERMIAN PERIOD.
COMPOSITION: MAY CONSIST OF LIMESTONE, SANDSTONE OR SHAE LAYERS.
DEPOSITIONAL ENVIRONMENT: IN AN ENVIRONMENT THAT WAS TRANSITIONING FROM DRY LAND TO
MARINE.
 PART 2: GRAND CANYON - THE MYSTERY OF BLACKTAIL CANYON

CANYON WALL
CANYON WALL

CANYON FLOOR

THE UPPER ROCK UNIT REPRESENTS THE TIME OF THE EXPLOSION OF LIFE ON EARTH.
UPPER UNITS IN THE TAPEATS SANDSTONE ARE SEDIMENTARY.
TAPEATS SANDSTONE ARE - 525 MILLION YEARS OLD.
THE LOWER ROCK UNIT CONTAINS THE OLDEST ROCKS IN THE SOUTHWEST,
LOWER UNITS, THE ELVES CHASM GNISS ARE METAMORPHIC IN NATURE.
LOWER UNIT, ELVES CHASM GNISS IS - 1.8 BILLION YEARS OLD.
THESE ROCKS WERE NOT TURNED BY TECTONIC ACTIVITY. THEY HAVE INSTEAD BEEN PUT IN PLACE IN A
TIME SEQUENCE FROM OLDEST AT THE BOTTON YOUNGEST ON THE TOP. - PRINCIPLE OF SUPERPOSITION
PRINCIPLE OF SUPERPOSITION - YOUNGEST ON TOP, OLDEST ON BOTTOM, ROCKS LEFT UNDISTURBED.
FOLIATION - INTERLOCKING O MINERALS AND CRYSTALS FORM A BANDING OR LAYEING IN THE
METAMORPHIC ROCK, IT IS TYPICALLY FORMED AS A RESULT OF PHYSICAL FORCE WHERE THE MINERALS IN
CRYSTALS IN THE MET. ROCK ARE ALIGNED IN A PROFFERED DIRECTION
 PART 3

YOUNGEST

OLDEST