Layers in Time

Layers in Time: Geology of Grand Canyon
How did Grand Canyon form?
By studying geology we
learn about the Earths history and how places change over time.
What plants or animals lived in your town 150 million years ago?
The ancient remains of plants and animals preserved in the rock,
called fossils, tell stories about the past. Take a look at the chart of
common fossils at Grand Canyon on the back page.
Think About It
THE OLDEST PANCAKE IN A
STACK IS ALWAYS AT THE
BOTTOM. THE ROCKS AT
GRAND CANYON ARE A LOT
LIKE PANCAKES. WHERE
DO YOU FIND THE OLDEST
ROCKS AT GRAND CANYON?
Vocabulary:
Fossils: the hardened
remains or imprints of plants
or animals preserved in rock
Geology: the study of the
origin, history and structure
of the earth
Cool Canyon Facts

River length: 277 miles
Canyon width: 10 miles
Canyon depth: 1 mile
Rocks come in all colors, shapes, and sizes. They can be very different, but to make sense of what is
around us, geologists put rocks in groups according to how they form. The three families of rock are:
igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic. Natural forces create and destroy rock, changing them
over time in the rock cycle.
Igneous rocks
are formed
when rock is
super-heated and
becomes molten
(liquid). There are two kinds of
molten rock: magma (found
beneath the Earths surface) and
lava (found on the Earths
surface). The molten rock cools
and hardens on or beneath the
Earths surface forming a variety
of igneous rock. Two examples
are granite and basalt.
Sedimentary rocks are made

of smaller pieces (like sand or
mud), called sediments, that
pile into layers. As pressure
on the sediment increases over
time, minerals act like glue,
cementing them into solid
rock. The three main types of
sedimentary rocks at
Grand Canyon
are sandstone,
shale (or
mudstone),
and limestone.
Metamorphic rocks are

rocks that
have been
changed
under
great heat
and pressure. The original
rock can be sedimentary,
igneous, or even metamorphic.
The original rock is changed
into something new, just as a
caterpillar metamorphoses
into a butterfly.
Rock layers tell stories of the past

Each rock layer in Grand Canyon has a story to tell. Preserved within each layer are the clues
that help us unravel these stories. Fossils give us a snapshot of past plant and animal life;
sand, mud, and other sediments in the rock tell of ancient rivers, beaches, swamps and sand
dunes; sparkly crystals can tell of ancient mountain building events and volcanic eruptions.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Precambrian Basement Rocks
Zoroaster Granite
The basement rock formed 1.8 billion years
Vishnu Schist
ago when the North American continent
collided with an ancient chain of volcanic
islands, much like todays Hawaiian Islands.
Intense heat and pressure from the collision
formed rock called Vishnu Schist. From deep
under the earths surface, molten rock flowed
up as magma between the cracks of the Vishnu
Schist. As the flowing magma cooled and
hardened, it formed veins of pinkish rock
called Zoroaster Granite. Because of the
extreme heat and pressure that folded and changed the rock, any fossils in the original rock were
destroyed.
Circle which rock family(ies) these rocks belong to : Sedimentary
Igneous Metamorphic
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Bright Angel Shale
Bright Angel Shale
If you came to Grand Canyon area 515 million years ago when the
Bright Angel Shale was forming, everything was covered by a very
muddy, warm, shallow sea. Trilobites, brachiopods, crinoids and
worm-like creatures that burrowed in the sea-floor thrived in the
nutrient-rich water. This greenish-colored shale forms the broad, flat
area known as the Tonto Platform in Grand Canyon.
Rock Family:
Sedimentary
Igneous
Metamorphic
Hermit Shale
Are you ready to go wading through the mud? About 280
million years ago the Grand Canyon area was covered by a
broad coastal plain that had many slowly meandering
streams. The environment was excellent habitat for an
abundance of ferns and conifers, along with reptiles and
insects, including dragonflies with 12-inch wingspans.
This layer consists of siltstones, mudstones, and fine
Hermit Shale
grained sandstones rich in iron that create a gentle, red slope
in most parts of Grand Canyon National Park.
Rock Family:
Sedimentary
Igneous
Metamorphic
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Coconino Sandstone
Coconino Sandstone
Have you ever wanted to visit the Sahara desert?

About 275 million years ago the Grand Canyon area
was covered with large dune-fields. The ocean lay to
the west. Reptiles, spiders, scorpions, and other insects
dwelled on the sand dunes of this extensive desert,
leaving their tracks fossilized in the sandstone. This
sandstone layer creates a broad, light-colored cliff a
few hundred feet below the rim of Grand Canyon.
Cross-bedding (lines that run at steep angles to oneanother) can be seen in the rock, giving evidence to the wind-blown sand dunes that once covered the
area.
Rock Family:
Sedimentary
Igneous
Metamorphic
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Kaibab Limestone
Kaibab Limestone
About 270 million years ago North America was the western
part of the super-continent Pangaea. The Grand Canyon region
was once again covered by a shallow, warm, and well-lit clear
sea with a sandy/muddy floor. Brachiopods, sponges, and
other sea creatures dominated these waters. Other species included crinoids, corals, bryozoans, cephalopods, sharks and
fish. This limestone is the youngest, and therefore the topmost, rock layer found at Grand Canyon National Park.
Rock Family:
Sedimentary
Igneous
Metamorphic
Here are some of the more common fossils found in the sedimentary
rock layers of Grand Canyon.
Brachiopods A variety of
shells lived in clear ocean
waters.
Bryozoans These are

apartment complexes for
microscopic (thats really
small!) animals.
Burrows of animals
Worms and trilobites dug
tunnels in the soft muddy
sediment under the sea
floor.
Cephalopods These
creatures roamed the sea
and are related to the
squid in todays oceans.
Coral This predator

was rooted to the sea
floor. Descendents of
this animal still live
Crinoids Tiny disks

made the stem and
arms of this animal,
that was rooted to the
sea floor.
Ferns These fossils are

the imprints of where
leaves fell into the mud
thousands of years ago.
Sponges Sea sponges are
one of the most common
fossils in the youngest
layer at Grand Canyon.
Tracks Reptiles and

other animals left their
mark in the mud and
sand where they lived.
Trilobites These
segmented animals
vary in size from that
of a dime to a dinner
plate.

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Layers in Time: Geology of Grand Canyon

How did Grand Canyon form?

Cool Canyon Facts

Sedimentary rocks are made

Metamorphic rocks are

Rock layers tell stories of the past

Bright Angel Shale

Have you ever wanted to visit the Sahara desert?

Bryozoans These are

Coral This predator

Crinoids Tiny disks

Ferns These fossils are

Tracks Reptiles and

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