Grand Canyon Caverns

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article does not cite any references or sources. (October 2007) Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unverifiable material may be challenged and removed.

The Grand Canyon Caverns, located in Arizona, lie 230 feet below ground level. They are among the largest of dry caverns in the United States. Dry caverns are a rarity in that as little as 3% of caverns in the world are dry. Because of this fact, stalagmites and stalactites are very few in numbers. Air comes into the caverns from the Grand Canyon through 60 miles of limestone caves. Scientists were curious as to how far the caverns extended and looked for a safe means of finding out. Rather than explore the canyons, which could take years, red smoke flares were ignited and some weeks later red smoke was seen protruding from vents in the Grand Canyon, thus the name. The caverns are enormous, with measurements showing that the length of 3 football fields could fit snugly within its boundaries.

345 million years ago, during the Mississippian Period, the southwest United States was enveloped by the ocean. Sea creatures died over the millions of years, their skeletons created a mud-like paste with a dense amount of lime. This eventually hardened into the limestone bedrock, which can be seen in the caverns today. As millions of years came and went, the bedrock was pushed up, to over 5,000 feet above sea level. These methodical events split the crust of the Earth, releasing water into what is now the caverns.

Approximately 35 million years ago, huge amounts of rainfall carrying a mildly acidic element flowed into the caverns. This solution eventually crept its way through the cracks and caves ultimately contributing to the Colorado River. Millions of years later the evaporating water leaving calcium deposits began decorating the walls and floors, creating wonderous and beautiful formations that can still be viewed by the public today.