Lab Title What makes the Grand Canyon so grand?

GPH 112 Lab: Topography ? Geology Link in the Grand Canyon

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Lab Title What makes the Grand Canyon so grand?

What is this lab all about?

The Grand Canyon of the Colorado River is a "must see" for people who live all over Earth. Some save up for years to make the journey. Certainly, for anybody living in Arizona, it's a point of pride as Arizona is "The Grand Canyon State". So what's the big deal? Here, you will explore the Grand Canyon from the perspective of physical geography.

Lab Worth The points you accumulate for correct answers count towards your grade. Incorrect answers do not hurt your grade.

Computer program used in this lab

You will be given instructions in a canvas module page on how to download virtual world of the Grand Canyon that shows the geology and the topography. In this program, you are a virtual character able to wander around the Grand Canyon's landscape and rock types.

WARNING: There are two different Grand Canyon geovisualizations ? this one, and the other focusing on microclimate and vegetation.

Interesting maps to download ? not

National Park Service map of Grand Canyon National Park:

NPS 3D map of the Grand Canyon

GPH 112 Lab: Topography ? Geology Link in the Grand Canyon

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necessary to do the labs, but helpful to some students



Interactive geologic map of the Grand Canyon:

Topographic map of the Grand Canyon:

Shaded relief map of the Grand Canyon area:



Bright Angel Topographic Map:



SQ general Students analyze geographical data using the scientific method, keeping in

studies

mind scientific uncertainty. Students also use mathematics in analyzing

criteria

rates to change in the landscape.

Lab Sections

Section 1. Preface: what makes the Grand Canyon so grand? Section 2. Overview of the lab Section A: Exploration Section B: Detailed Analysis Section C: Synthesis Essay

TABLE OF CONTENTS OF THIS DOCUMENT

1. Preface: What makes the Grand Canyon so grand? 2. Overview of lab activities 3. Extra background material [Not necessary to complete the lab, but quite helpful in appreciating and understanding the Grand Canyon and the activities you will complete.] 4. The video game geovisualization: purchasing, downloading and playing Stage A Exploration: Making some basic observations related to the landforms of the Grand Canyon (4 questions worth 2 points) Stage B more detailed analysis: Exploring connections between topography and rock types in the heart of the Grand Canyon (X questions worth X points) Stage C synthesis: Your analysis of why the Grand Canyon is so grant (or perhaps not grand at all)? A short essay whose goal rests in you bringing together your thoughts on the geomorphology of the Grand Canyon.

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GPH 112 Lab: Topography ? Geology Link in the Grand Canyon

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Photo: Courtesy of NASA

1. Preface: What makes the Grand Canyon so grand? The Grand Canyon is deep, with an average depth of about a mile (1600 m) and a

maximum depth of about 7800 feet (2377 m) if you are standing on the North Rim. Hells Canyon along the border of eastern Oregon and western Idaho, however, is deeper with a maximum depth of 7993 feet (2436 m). The Yarlung Tsangpo in the Himalayas is much deeper at 17,567 feet (5382 m). Some would argue that the Kali Gandaki Gorge (between the peaks of Dhaulgari and Annapurna) in the Himalayas is even deeper.

The Grand Canyon is long, about 277 miles (446 km) by most starting and ending points. Again, the Yarlung Tsangpo's "Grand Canyon" is longer at 308 miles (396 m).

The Grand Canyon is not wide by international standards or even national standards. On average, its just 10 miles (16 km) wide as the helicopter flies, and its very narrow at Marble Canyon spanning only 1798 feet (548) meters. Hell's Canyon, for comparison, is 10 miles wide (16 km).

Perspective certainly matters in analyzing this lab's question, and different sorts of people would probably answer the question differently. The historian Dr. Stephen Pyne wrote an entire book on "How the Canyon Became Grand." The Hopi consider the Grand Canyon as the place of their creation and hence sacred. A geologist might argue that it's the rocks on the canyon sides that make it so grand, exposing rocks as old as 1.75 billion years near the bottom and 230 million years near the top with abundant fossils and the ability to see clearly such things as unconformities. Other types of scientists would make claims to grandness as well, for example, biogeographers study a variety of plant and animal life that ranges from harsh desert at the bottom to spruce forests on the North Rim.

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The perspective of the writers of this laboratory admit to seeing the Grand Canyon as physical geographers. Also, our perspective was influenced heavily by taking geography students on field trips to the Grand Canyon and listening to their views. In the end, for a physical geographer, the grandness comes down to a combination of factors that could be summarized in this diagram showing the components of physical geography. All different aspects of physical geography would influence our answer.

Image: Courtesy of Ron Dorn

This lab, thus, starts to answer the question of "Why is the Grand Canyon so grand" from the perspective of physical geography in general, and especially from the perspective of the geomorphology (landforms) part of physical geography. Because the landforms of the Grand Canyon depend heavily on the geology and the water/hydrology, these subjects are going to be part of this lab.

Caveat about the lab: There is no doubt that an online lab about the grandness of the Grand Canyon is missing out on our five traditional sense of sight (and the changes in lighting), hearing of the wind whistling through the canyon, the taste of trail and camping food, the smell of plants, and touching of different rock textures. In the end, you will just have to experience these at the Grand Canyon for yourself.

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2. Overview of lab activities The purpose of this section is to provide you an overview of the activities you will

complete. Before you dig into the lab, you are also welcome to learn extra background information about the geology and hydrology of the Grand Canyon in the third section. You certainly do not have to read the third section in detail to do this lab, but you will probably find that this enrichment material will help you get more out of "playing the video game" and the other lab activities.

2.1 Parts of this lab: Exploration (stage A), detailed analysis (stage B), and essay synthesis (stage C)

You can probably just advance this PDF file to the Stage A materials and do well in the exploration questions. However, you will probably need to read at least some of the background material to do well in Stage B and C.

In the exploration of this lab (Stage A), you will get a chance to enhance your grade by learning a bit about the Grand Canyon and the sorts of activities you will engage in if you decide to move onto Stage B.

In the detailed analysis part of the lab (Stage B), you will use the video game geovisualization to explore in greater detail the connection between the geomorphology and the rock types of the Grand Canyon.

Then, Stage C of the lab encourages you to synthesize what you have learned in writing a short four-paragraph essay on why you think the Grand Canyon is grand. Most of this essay tasks you with covering what you learned in lab activities, but you are also encouraged to explain your own personal perspective on the lab question.

2.2. The study area

The entirely of the Grand Canyon is far too big to analyze in this introductory laboratory. Thus, all of the laboratory activities will focus on what many consider to be the heart of the Grand Canyon, centered between the two National Park visitor centers on the North Rim and South Rim. The frame of the study area can be seen inside this map of northern Arizona, courtesy of the Arizona Geographic Alliance:

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