Geology for Students

 

Learn More

• Fossils
• Geology
• Telling Time at Grand Canyon
• Journey Through Time: Geology Brochure

Geology: Studying the Story of Rocks  

Imagine a canyon of rock one mile deep, up to 18 miles wide, and 277 miles long. That is a big slice through the ground! Grand Canyon displays more than 20 layers of rocks, and each layer is like a page in Earth's history book. Geology, the study of Earth, helps tell the story of rocks.

 

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  Grand Canyon Geology Write Out

  Have you ever wondered why Grand Canyon is so colorful? Learn about fossils, rocks and scale at Grand Canyon National Park, in celebration of Write Out, a national writing campaign —then get outside and reflect on change in your community. Imagine yourself standing on the landscape one million years in the future. Create a postcard depicting what you see. On the back, write a letter describing your experience. Use the hashtag #WriteOut if you'd like to share your work with others.

  Duration:

  4 minutes, 42 seconds

 

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  Grand Canyon Fly-through Animation

  Experience roller-coaster twists and turns flying the length of the Colorado River while listening to a narrated introduction to Grand Canyon Geography.

  Duration:

  7 minutes, 19 seconds

 

Grand Canyon's Rock Layers

What does Grand Canyon have in common with pancakes? The oldest layers, which formed first, are usually at the bottom, while the younger layers are stacked on top.

Sedimentary rocks form the middle and top layers of Grand Canyon. Layers of sediment hardened into sedimentary rocks over time.

Most of the canyon's igneous and metamorphic rocks make up the bottom layers of Grand Canyon, near the Colorado River. Igneous rocks formed when liquid magma cooled. Metamorphic rocks formed when heat and pressure changed igneous, sedimentary, and other metamorphic rocks.

One of Grand Canyon's oldest rocks, Vishnu schist, is about 1.8 billion years old, more than one-third the age of Earth!

To explore more, navigate through an interactive map of Grand Canyon's rock layers.

 

NPS Photo

Fossils Tell Stories of Ancient Life

Many rock layers in Grand Canyon contain fossils. Fossils give scientists clues about Earth's past environments and the animals and plants that lived in them.

 

Explore more about geology through Canyon Field School @Home activities!

How Fossils Form

Fossils often form in sedimentary rocks. When layers of sediment hardened into rock, they sometimes trap the remains of animals and plants that have died. Over millions of years, these bones, shells, footprints, leaves and other remains turned into stone.

Stories in Stone

By studying fossils and comparing them to similar animals and plants that live today, scientists can find out what the environment was like before the canyon was carved.

Not all of Grand Canyon's fossils have been found in rock. Some fossils from the Ice Age have been discovered in caves, where animals and plant remains dried out and preserved over time.

Learn more about Grand Canyon geology through Canyon Field School @Home activities, partnered with the Grand Canyon Conservancy!

 

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  Canyon Field School: Geology Video

  An introduction to the ancient environments, fossils, geologic timelines, and rock layers of Grand Canyon.

  Duration:

  5 minutes, 50 seconds