Grand Canyon far older than previous estimate

[trekz 7]

Grand Canyon far older than previous estimate

AFP - Friday, March 7 09:34 pmWASHINGTON (AFP) - A new dating technique has put the age of the Grand Canyon at 17 million years old, three times older than earlier estimates, according to a report in the latest edition of the journal Science.

 

The latest in uranium-lead isotope dating allowed researchers to study the canyon's "cave clouds", the mamillary coatings of carbon deposits that gather on the canyon walls at or near the water table, the journal said in its edition released Thursday.

 

"The canyon is older than we think," said Victor Polyak, a geologist at the University of New Mexico and principal author of the paper.

 

The age of the natural wonder in the US southwest has been in dispute for more than a century, as some methods commonly used to date geological events are unable to trace with precision beyond one million years ago.

 

Polyak and his team also found that, based on the hypothesis that the mineral deposits in the caves were left by a declining water table level as the Grand Canyon deepened, it formed first at its western side and then opened up to the east, with the eastern side cut out more quickly some five to six million years ago.

 

The Colorado river cuts through the 277 mile (446 kilometer) long canyon, but the report states that another western river and some smaller tributaries were also responsible for helping erode the billion-year-old rock.

 

The canyon's revised age estimate is unlikely to surprise many geologists, but the dating was undertaken for the first time with new scientific methods, according to experts Tim Atkinson and Michael Leedere in a related report.

 

The Grand Canyon, a major tourist attraction in the state of Arizona, reaches up to 18 miles (29 kilometres) across and 6,000 feet (1,828 meters) deep.

[Theunicornhunter 2]

However old it is - it is a remarkable place to visit.

[VaBeachGuy 12]

However old it is - it is a remarkable place to visit.

I've never been there, but ever since the first time I saw the Brady Bunch go there I've always wanted to.

[Kor37 9]

I've been to the Grand Canyon at least 4 times. Its like going to another planet. Absolutely awesome scenery.