Support for post on the "Formation of the Grand Canyon"

Brachiopod fossil along Boucher Trail (Picture 1 )
Crinoid and coral fossils along Widforss Trail (Picture 2)

In the process of looking for any new web information for this blog, I came across some support for an aquatic environment once existing in the Grand Canyon. The above pictures are fossils of organisms that live in water, as I discovered after looking up the names of the organisms to learn more about them. In my mind, these photos are full of possibilities.

Geology of the Grand Canyon

Formation of the Grand Canyon

After viewing the Grand Canyon, I believe the canyon may have been formed through processes other than weathering resulting from the flow of the Colorado River. Travel guides and books usually say the canyon formed because of the flow of Colorado River over rocks that has been occurring for the last million (or billion) years. However, I believe more was involved. I would suggest that a large lake used to fill the entire Grand Canyon. Of course, the lake dried up over time, due to the heat and lack of precipitation in the area, maybe in the same way Lake Asal is drying up. Even the Colorado River itself would have dried up if the Glen Canyon Dam had not been created. The formations of the rocks and the width of the Canyon leave me with that impression. I have seen what lakes look like when water dries up, and I see a correlation between the gorge left from the lake and the Grand Canyon gorge. The formation of the Grand Canyon must have been a fascinating process that would be fascinating to see replicated.

Antelope Canyon

Antelope Canyon is a slot canyon on the Navajo (though they prefer to be called Dido) reserves made entirely of sandstone rock. The sandstone was gradually eroded by flash floods. Water easily seeps through the pores of sandstone allowing this type of extreme weathering to occur. During the annual flood season, up to 8 feet of stone can be worn away in a very short time.

Antelope Canyon has two sections. "These sections are referred to individually as Upper Antelope Canyon or The Crack; and Lower Antelope Canyon or The Corkscrew." Upper Antelope Canyon is found right inside the Canyon from the entrance. It is also the place where flash flooding occurs. Rainfall does not have to occur right over the Canyon for flash flooding to occur. Lower Antelope Canyon is on the opposite end of the canyon from the entrance. It is an outer section of sandstone.

Historical Facts:

Antelope did roam freely through Antelope Canyon in the past.
Navajos would prefer to be called Didos because they dislike the implications behind the name Navajo, which is a Spanish word that means "thief."

Meteor Crater

Late in our trip to the Grand Canyon, while visiting the La Posada hotel, my husband and I took a day to visit a nearby attraction called Meteor Crater. Meteor Crater is about 45 minutes from Wilson over a vast expanse of flat, sandy, arid grasslands. Meteor Crater was far more interesting than either of us would have imagined, and relatively cheap to get into at $12 for adults/6 dollars for children. Meteor Crater is the only major attraction in the area.

We discovered that Meteor Crater is a very old, huge depression 0.74 miles in diameter and 550 feet deep. Apparently, in prehistoric times a meteor fell from outer space and impacted the Earth. The impact shattered the meteor. 0nly a small piece of the meteor remains (bottom picture). The only evidence of the impact of the meteor is the depression and skid marks (uplifted portions of land surrounding the crater).

Canyons

The Grand Canyon is only one of the many Canyons scattered all over the world. Even in the state of Arizona, other canyons can be found: Meteor Canyon and Antelope Canyon. Other significant Canyons are found in Europe and South America. In Armenia, a well-known canyon is named Noravank Canyon. The Guaitara Canyon is in Colombia, South America. Canyons are inspiring natural formations found all over the world, displaying how time and erosion can dramatically change the landscape.


Canyons are unique in that there formations are made through time, weathering, erosion.

Global Warming- Post 3

Reading these articles did very little to change my opinion of Global Warming. After watching the video by Al Gore and the other by a group of scientists, I am convinced that Global Warming is a falsity. It is not something I should be freaking out about. However, that does not mean I am against caring for the Earth. While the Earth is not going to fall apart on us, I believe it is our duty to care for our planet. Let's face it, we have only one planet to live on and a remote possibility that we could destroy the Earth does exist. But I will admit that my concerns lie with the other environmental issues of the day, not with Global Warming. For example, we treat animals very badly in our meat production factories. Animals should not be treated with brutality in the process of providing us the consumers a product. Saving endandered wildlife is a concern as well. We should do whatever we can to find a balance between human need for land to live on and an animal's need for the same. The threat environmental issues pose to human health is another consideration. Human health is fragile, as seen in the high incidence of cancer among us. Widespread impure waters cannot be good for humanity. Caring for the earth in order to save fun environments is important as well. Swimming in different waterways, such as rivers, lakes, and streams is a thing of the past in some areas because of pollution. Beautifying our world is a cause I am personally invested in. For example, it is important to clean roads and cities for aesthetic reasons. Highways are more beautiful when they are not marred by litter, as are cities. I am committed to offering my services to the environment and doing whatever I can to protect wildlife. Each one of us has a place in the effort of preserving our world.

What have you learned about the concept of Global Warming that you would like to share with other students?

Global Warming as a cause appears rather ridiculous after learning everything I have over the last few months. The proponents of Global Warming are inconsistent. Their cries of destruction fail to be actualized most of the time. Sometimes they predict an Ice Age, and at other times they predict warming, which leads me to believe that they are just trying to get people worked up and increase their income. I've learned that global warming is a more political than environmental cause. The fact that the origins of global warming coincide with Margaret Thatcher leads me to disbelieve the whole global warming debacle. Are politicians ever trustworthy? Trust- that leads me to the personal reasons or disbelieving in Global Warming. I cannot believe in something when I find the supporters of the cause to be untrustworthy. I have never felt Al Gore was an honest man. He has a strange vibe that causes me to put up my guard. I have to take everything he says with a grain of salt. The other people involved in the movement evoke the same reaction. It is too easy for politicians to approach environmental issues with ulterior motives, especially when money is involved.

I propose that students continue questioning everything they are presented with using the same methods they have been given while learning about and discussing Global Warming.

To my fellow students I say, Don't trust everything that is told you, even if you constantly hear the same thing from multiple voices. Don't trust the assumptions and presuppositions given you. Approach everything-- science, religion, textbooks, teachers, music, art, family-- with questions. Search for the truth. Look for all sides of an argument or cause. Know what you believe because you have researched it and found it to be true in your own heart and mind. Be wary of assumptions- in others and in yourself.

California Condor

On the rim of the Grand Canyon, I sighted and photographed a California Condor. The California Condor has been endangered for over 20 years, since 1890 when only 22 individuals were alive. All of these lived in captivity. Today, its population is still under 300 individuals. Natural proneness to extinction combined with hunting, lead poisoning, DDT poisoning, and habitat destruction has contributed to the difficulty this bird has thriving.

The California Condor is a member of the vulture family; it is also the world's rarest bird of prey (a scavenger). A bird of prey hunts for food primarily using its talons. These birds have excellent vision for this purpose. The appearance of the California Condor is fairly uniform. They have black feathers, a multicolored, bare head, and a curved beak. The size and weight of the California Condor is atypical for birds of prey because the female is smaller than the male. Its length from head to talon ranges from 46 to 53 inches, and the wingspan averages 9.1 feet. The weight ranges from 15.5 to 31 lbs, with estimations of average weight ranging from 17.6 to 20 lbs. Most of these measurements are taken from birds raised in captivity. California Condors have the second biggest wingspan of any North American bird. The California Condor has interesting mating habits. It mates at a later age and tends to produce few young.

Groundsel, ( Senecio franciscanus)

The Senecio Franciscanus is a protected plant whose only suitable habitat over the whole of America is in Northern Arizona. 5000 individual Grounsels are found in alpine tundra areas of southwestern spruce-fir forests on talus slopes between elevations of 10,991 and 12,303 feet. Because the Groundsel is adapated to such a small area, they are an easily threatened species.

The San Francisco Peaks is a volcano that is located North of Flagstaff, Arizona. It is the highest point in the southwestern United States. (The Peaks can be seen from the Grand Canyon.) This is the only alpine zone in Arizona.

Senecio franciscanus is dwarf perennial plant. It is found low to the ground due to its height only reaching 1.25 to 4 inches. The stems of the Groundsel develop a group of one to six flowers that each contain 8 to 13 yellow ray flowers. Grounsels reproduce through vegetation with the aid of Rhizomes most often, and seeding.


Damage to the Groundsel occurs through human and natural interactions with their habitat. Human damage will take place whenever humans walk through the alpine slops off trail. Natural damage in the form of Avalanches in the mountains destroy these plants.

These plants are currently being protected and will continue to be into the future as a specific rather than generalized plant.

Arizona Biomes

Arizona is far more diverse than I would have imagined. I knew about the desert biome in Arizona, covering most of the southern part of the state, but I didn't consider that other biomes are also alive and well in the state. According to this map, desert, alpine tundra, grasslands deciduous and conifer forests exist in the state. On my trip I frequently pointed to the snow on top of the California Peaks (Mt. St. Humphrey's to be specific). Unbeknonst to me at the time, this is the one area of Alpine Tundra in the state. The Great Plains extend into Northern Arizona. Plains Grassland is dominated by little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium), big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii), buffalograss (Buchloe dactyloides), and sideoats grama grass (Bouteloua curtipendula). The Woodlands are located all over Northern Arizona. Apparently, this biome is named for two types of trees most dominant in this biome: juniper and pinyon. Alpine Tundra is perpetually freezing weather, where snow is present most of the year. These extreme environmental conditions only allow the establishment of prostrate shrubs, matt-like herbaceous plants, mosses, and lichens. Several areas of conifer forests, called Montane forests exist in Northern Arizona. Conifer forests are evergreen forests. Deciduous trees are found in Oak Creek Canyon. The trees are called Alnus oblongifolia, Acer grandidentatum, and Populus angustifolia. Arizona Biomes include desert, grassland, alpine tundra, woodland, and conifer and deciduous forest.

Arizona Biomes

Grand Canyon Soil

Upon visiting the Hualapai Reservation, I realized that the soils of the Grand Canyon area are not suited to production. Grass was often absent in the front yards of the homes. I did not see any gardens. The size and even distribution of the trees were another tell-tale sign that the soils were undeveloped.

I have learned that the soils of the Grand Canyon vary. They range from moist forest soils to shallow, dry mineral soils and bedrock exposures. Soil textures of the inner canyon are sandy loam, sands, or loamy sands.

Soil types of the Grand Canyon erode very easily and restore nutrients slowly. These sandy soils allow water to be absorbed immediately, a process which leaves soils dry shortly after a raninfall. The soils require little disturbance to create erosion problems. Many park areas show essentially no human impact to soils. Other areas, formerly used for farming, grazing, and mining, and the developed areas, have impacted soils.

Global Warming- 2

I believe this antiglobal warming video contains better science and is more rational than the Al Gore speech.

The views of the scientists do coincide with what I have learned this semester. I learned that CO2 makes up little of the atmosphere, yet does much to warm the environment. But the warming the environment receives from CO2 is nothing compared to the warming the earth receives from the Sun. The scientists point out excellent flaws that can result from invalid testing methods. For example, different people have done testing that shows warming of the environment occurred far earlier than Al Gore's research suggested. The warming actually began around 1940. Al Gore used ice core data in his speech, yet ice core data from geological material that leaves valid dates for recording climate suggests a link that contradicts his assertion completely. The link is the wrong way around. These scientists revealed that Co2 doesn't drive temperature change, but follows temperature change. Based on what I've learned, that is a very correct assertion. The biogeochemical patterns display this temperature increase and slow CO2 increase. In addition to their suggestion that CO2 rises from everything on earth and human production of CO2 is in the single digits about 6%, it is easy to believe the scientists' assertions.

The weakest point the scientists made came in the last portion of the message. They go into detail about the poor in third world countries. While most of what they said was correct, I could not trust the point because it did not support their reasonings very well. Their point was that politicians are trying to keep people in third world counries in squalor. However, the way the point was presented, it wasn't strictly scientific.

As persons, I tend to trust scientists far more than politicians. What do scientists (excluding environmental scientists) have to gain from lying about ecology in comparison to politicians? Politicians have far more motivaton for lying or neglecting significant truths.

On a gut level, I find Al Gore to be a biased representative of climate change, while the scientists are more unbiased. Al Gore is rather repulsive to me as a man and seems pretty untrustworthy. I picked up on more depth of reason and integrity in the scientists.

Arizona Endangered Species

Arizona has over 50 threatened and endangered plant and animal species. I found a list on the internet. Here it is:

Arizona--52 Species
Animals--35 species
E -- Ambersnail, Kanab (Oxyloma haydeni kanabensis) *
E -- Bat, lesser (=Sanborn's) long-nosed (Leptonycteris curasoae yerbabuenae) *
E -- Bobwhite, masked (quail) (Colinus virginianus ridgwayi)
T -- Catfish, Yaqui (Ictalurus pricei) *
E -- Chub, bonytail (Gila elegans) *
E -- Chub, humpback (Gila cypha) *
T -- Chub, Sonora (Gila ditaenia)
E -- Chub, Virgin River (Gila robusta semidnuda) *
E -- Chub, Yaqui (Gila purpurea) *
T -- Eagle, bald (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) *
E -- Falcon, Northern aplomado (Falco femoralis septentrionalis)
E -- Flycatcher, Southwestern willow (Empidonax traillii extimus) *
E -- Jaguar (Panthera onca) *
E -- Jaguarundi, Sinaloan (Herpailurus (=Felis) yagouaroundi tolteca) *
T -- Minnow, loach (Rhinichthys (=Tiaroga) cobitis)
E -- Ocelot (Leopardus (=Felis) pardalis) *
T -- Owl, Mexican spotted (Strix occidentalis lucida) *
E -- Pronghorn, Sonoran (Antilocapra americana sonoriensis) *
E -- Pupfish, desert (Cyprinodon macularius)
E -- Pygmy-owl, cactus ferruginous (Glaucidium brasilianum cactorum) *
E -- Rail, Yuma clapper (Rallus longirostris yumanensis) *
T -- Rattlesnake, New Mexico ridge-nosed (Crotalus willardi obscurus)
E -- Salamander, Sonoran tiger (Ambystoma tigrinum stebbinsi) *
T -- Shiner, beautiful (Cyprinella (=Notropis) formosa) *
T -- Spikedace (Meda fulgida) *
T -- Spinedace, Little Colorado (Lepidomeda vittata) *
E -- Squawfish, Colorado [a.k.a. Colorado pikeminnow] (Ptychocheilus lucius) *
E -- Squirrel, Mount Graham red (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus grahamensis) *
E -- Sucker, razorback (Xyrauchen texanus) *
E -- Topminnow, Gila (incl. Yaqui) (Poeciliopsis occidentalis) *
T -- Tortoise, desert (Gopherus agassizii) *
T -- Trout, Apache (=Arizona) (Oncorhynchus (=Salmo) apache) *
E -- Trout, Gila (Oncorhynchus (=Salmo) gilae) *
E -- Vole, Hualapai Mexican (Microtus mexicanus hualpaiensis)
E -- Woundfin (Plagopterus argentissimus) *

Plants--17 species
E -- Arizona agave (Agave arizonica)
E -- Kearney's blue-star (Amsonia kearneyana)
T -- Welsh's milkweed (Asclepias welshii)
E -- Sentry milk-vetch (Astragalus cremnophylax var. cremnophylax)
T -- Navajo sedge (Carex specuicola)
T -- Cochise pincushion cactus (Coryphantha (=Escobaria) robbinsorum)
E -- Pima pineapple cactus (Coryphantha scheeri var. robustispina)
T -- Jones cycladenia (Cycladenia humilis var. jonesii)
E -- Nichol's Turk's head cactus (Echinocactus horizonthalonius var. nicholii)
E -- Arizona hedgehog cactus (Echinocereus triglochidiatus var. arizonicus)
E -- Huachuca water-umbel (Lilaeopsis schaffneriana ssp. recurva)
E -- Brady pincushion cactus (Pediocactus bradyi)
E -- Peebles Navajo cactus (Pediocactus peeblesianus var. peeblesianus)
T -- Siler pincushion cactus (Pediocactus sileri)
E -- Arizona cliffrose (Purshia subintegra)
T -- San Francisco Peaks groundsel (Senecio franciscanus)
E -- Canelo Hills ladies'-tresses (Spiranthes delitescens)

Threatened or endangered species are species protected under the Endangered Species Act of 1973. This act states that the ecosystems endangered, broadened to include "and threatened species", can be preserved for conservation purposes, and anything that can be done to accomplish this should be done. Congress declared that all Federal Departments and Agencies should seek to conserve endangered and threatened species and use authorities to achieve the purposes of this act. Conservation and protection of species are the main ends of the Endangered Species Act.


Here is an interesting site. http://www.fws.gov/

Al Gore and Global warming My response

The science supporting global warming is wanting. The sun is the driving force of life and the warmth of the earth. Carbon dioxide is a small contributor to our atmosphere, although it does hold in some of the warmth we receive from the sun. Temperature changes are natural. Ecologically, I find Al Gore's speech to be unsound.

Al Gore had wonderful suggestions for caring for our environment. I appreciated his suggestions about creating automobiles that are more fuel-efficient. More fuel efficient automobiles are needed. It's rather ridiculous how far computers have advanced over the last 2o years, yet automobiles are still only going a few hundred miles per gallon. A transition away from fossil fuels would be good for Americans as well. Why be dependent on anything that can damage the environment? Americans should be moving away from dependence on fossil fuels. My favorite point Al Gore made related to global stewardship. Global stewardship by balancing money and the entire planet is hard to argue with. Every American should do what they can to care for the earth.

Al Gore did nothing to make his point by attacking George Bush. These responses made his message seem too politically bent rather than ecological in nature. Al Gore was trying to give a compeling message about Global Warming and other environmental issues, so politics should not be involved, as they only detract from the message rather than enhancing it.

The Cacti of the Grand Canyon

Having had my abode in South Carolina, it has been a rarity for me to see desert cacti. These rare plants to the east find a perfect home in the Grand Canyon area. Based on research, three different variety of cacti are common in the Grand Canyon: Barrel Cacti (Pic 1), Prickly Pear Cacti (Pic. 2), and Hedgehog Cactii ( Pic 3.)Identifying plant life is a necessary component of ecology and an initial stage of critical thinking.

Glen Canyon Dam

A trip to the Grand Canyon National Park wouldn't be complete without visiting the Glen Canyon Dam. Glen Canyon Dam has become a primary feature of Grand Canyon National Park and the surrounding area. The building of the Glen Canyon Dam began in October 1956 and was finished in 1963. It has an enormous ecological impact on Page, AZ. Waters exist where only desert would be found if it hadn't been built. Lake Powell would not exist at all, and the Colorado River would be completely dry in regions. Plant and animal life is also impacted, both inviting and decreasing both forms of life in the area. Human life would be impacted as well. Native Americans would have been driven out of the area if the dam hadn't been built, and if it had been built where it was originally intended, groups of Native Americans, such as the Hualapai, would have lost their lands. Glen Canyon Dam is a magnificent example of modern architecture and makes an area that would be uninhabitable desert livable.

Critical Thinking and the Grand Canyon

The stages of critical thinking are constantly practiced in the sciences surrounding ecology. As an amateur ecologist, I went through the processes of identifying, gathering, examining, formulating, applying, evaluating, and reflecting. When I was going through the Grand Canyon on the boat, I identified strange, ghostlike markings on the rocks. Over the day I saw more of them. I examined the rocks to see what they were. I had the idea that some of the markings were there as a result of human effort. Humans had actually carved into the rocks at the Grand Canyon. I evaluated this against what my guides were telling me. After evaluating the information I received through my own reasoning and the information given to me by my guides, I found that the markings in the rocks were not human markings at all, but markings that resulted from water draining down the sides of the Canyon. I then rejected my idea in favor of the reality, that the markings were indeed biochemical, not manmade. I then reflected on the differences between the human markings I was seeing and the natural markings. I realized that the human markings were smaller as well as closer to the ground. Critical thinking is always necessary whenever I try to learn about the world around me.

Steps of Critical Thinking

Identify- recognize clearly define root problem
Gather- assemble information to sort through
Examine- analyze pertinant information
Formulate- divise a plan
Apply- implement the plan
Evaluate- judge results objectively
Reflect- thinking about what you are doing and thinking

Unusual dwarf trees in Arizona

From the first moments we touched down in Arizona, I noticed most of the deciduous trees had two common adaptations which aid in their survival: a small size and comparitively thin distribution. Arizona trees are significantly smaller and more thinly distributed than trees in South Carolina. Arizona is mainly desert and lacks water--essential nutrients and the temperatures are fairly high throughout most of the state--so the trees have to find different means to survive. Fewer leaves, larger root systems, smaller leaves, and a small size keep these desert trees alive. Different sections of the Grand Canyon, for example, the Southern Rim and Western Rim, have two very different tree populations. On the Southern Rim, where the trees were not burned as a result of fire, the trees were softwood, had white trunks, and the leaves were fairly familiar in shape but smaller in size. Softwood trunks give these trees leeway in the stong winds coming through this area. The trees near the Western Rim of the Grand Canyon had leaves unlike any in the east; these leaves were long and thin like thin straws. These straw-like leaves are CAM leaves. In Winslow, Arizona, at the Meteorite Crater, the dwarf trees have small round leaves, a dark tree trunk, and a bush-like shape. The bush-like shape would distribute heat and cold and allow high winds to filter through the tree. The small leaves call for fewer nutrients and hold in water unlike larger flat leaves. All of these adaptations aid tree survival in the different regions of Arizona.

My Vacation to Arizona (Intro Post)

Since Spring Break began my husband and I have been in Arizona. The Arizona landscape and wildlife, especially the Grand Canyon and surrounding desert lands, enforce much of what I have learned throughout my current college course in Ecology (Maintaining this blog for a few weeks is a required assignment for the course.) Later I will be discussing my trip ecologically. In this post I will be focusing on our trip itself.

On March 12th, my husband and I flew into the Phoenix airport and drove in a rented car across the Arizona desert, with mountains, buttes, and many other rock and sand formations in the distance, to a little Bed & Breakfast in Williams, Arizona. We stayed here for 4 nights. Next, we traveled to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. Amazingly we were able to stay at the Maswik Lodge, a very busy lodge, ¼ mile from the rim of the Grand Canyon for 3 days. The first day went on the Grand Canyon Adventure, an all day tour that starts at Grand Canyon National Airport. This tour consisted of rides on plane, truck, raft and bus. On the plane ride we flew over a large portion of the Grand Canyon. By truck we traveled to Antelope Canyon. We were driven from Antelope Canyon to the Glen Canyon dam at Lake Powell where we smooth water rafted. Finally, we were picked up by bus and driven back to the Grand Canyon National Airport. On day three we hiked the Rim Trail and saw amazing views of the Grand Canyon but also the remains of a recent forest fire. During the next phase of our trip we drove to the West Rim of the Grand Canyon and stayed on the Hualapai Indian Reservation at the Hualapai Lodge for two short days. On the second day of our stay we woke up early for a Hualapai guided “River Runners” trip offered through the lodge on the Colorado River. River Running is an interesting way to explore the Grand Canyon, and the Hualapai Indians make a little money this way. Yesterday we drove from the West Rim of the Grand Canyon over desert and flat plains to the La Posada Hotel in Wilson, AZ. Somehow a car or gas tank exploded causing a toxic field fire that lasted most of the day. The La Posada Hotel is the last great historical railroad hotel in existence; it is also a hacienda. We hope to see the Meteor Crater and the Petrified Forest over the next few days. So far, our vacation to Arizona has been filled with adventure and beautiful natural wonders.

Ecologically speaking, this trip has been rich. I hope to present some of this richness to you, my readers.