Grand Canyon National Park
Arizona
Animal Life
Animals in the Grand Canyon include: the Bald Eagle, Mountain Lion, Elk, Bighorn Sheep, and the Coyote.
Plant Life in the Grand Canyon
There are more than 1,500 known species of vascular plants, 167 species of fungi, 64 species of moss and 195 species of lichen found in Grand Canyon National Park. This variety is largely due to the 8,000 foot elevation change from the river up to the highest point on the North Rim.
Geology
The geology of the Grand Canyon area includes one of the most complete and studied sequences of rock on Earth. The nearly 40 major sedimentary layers exposed in the Grand Canyon and in the Grand Canyon National Park area range in age from about 200 million to nearly 2 billion years old. Most were deposited in warm, shallow seas and near ancient, long-gone sea shores in western North America.
Distinctive Features
- The Grand Canyon is 1 mile deep.
- There are layers of rock dating back millions of year in the walls of the canyon
- The canyon walls reveal 40% of Earths history