General Information

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General Information

Geology

The rocks that make up the walls of the Canyon range from 250 million years old (Kaibab Limestone) at the top to over 2 billion years old (Vishnu Schist) at the bottom. Each layer of rock represents a distinct geologic period of the Earth's past, and no where else on the planet is such a large section of geologic time displayed so well. The rocks that are found in the Grand Canyon represent a full 1/3 of our planet's age and are composed of, for the most part sediments in the upper sections, and to a lesser extent metamorphic and volcanic rock in the lower reaches.

Tap here for more detailed information on Grand Canyon geology.

Tap here for more information on the Grand Canyon's rock layers.