Research
The Grand Canyon is missing over a billion years of rocks. Now scientists know why.
Live Science · By Stephanie Pappas ·
The Brief
- More than a billion years of geological history is missing from the walls of the Grand Canyon.
- Ancient metamorphic and igneous rocks, formed about 1.7 billion years ago, sit directly beneath younger sedimentary rocks.
- Scientists may now know why the rock record is missing, according to Live Science.
Why it matters
The missing layers form a gap in the rock record, so understanding their cause helps geologists interpret how long-term erosion and deposition shaped the canyon.
Who’s affected
- geologists and earth science researchers
- students learning about Earth's rock record
- #geology
- #grand canyon
- #unconformity
- #sedimentary rocks
- #earth history
More than a billion years of geological history is missing from the walls of the Grand Canyon, and now, scientists may know why. In the canyon's sides, ancient metamorphic and igneous rocks that formed 1.7 billion years ago sit directly under younger sedimentary rocks laid down…
Timeline
Live Science reports that scientists may have found why more than a billion years of rock is missing from the Grand Canyon
Latest from Live Science in Planet-earth
The Grand Canyon is missing over a billion years of rocks. Now scientists know why.