From the BBC is this interesting video about the lowering water levels in the Grand Canyon and Colorado River. The guide discusses the impact that both climate and non-indigenous trees are having on levels in Lake Powell, Lake Meade and into the Colorado River which serves as a source of drinking water for much of the Southwestern US, including Arizona. To watch the video, click here.

07/18/08 by visitEarth
Tags: Grand Canyon, Arizona, Colorado River, water levels, Lake Powell

 

According to new research and evidence, the Grand Canyon is about 9 times older than previously thought. From National Geographic, "The new study used a different technique, a method of dating rocks developed by geologists at the California Institute of Technology called uranium-thorium-helium dating. By measuring the amounts of uranium and helium contained in samples collected from the Upper Granite Gorge, the researchers could determine the time at which rocks there cooled, indicating when they were unearthed by erosion." To read more, click here.

04/10/08 by visitEarth
Tags: Grand Canyon, Arizona, Colorado River, geology