Grand Canyon River 4853 Black Poster

East Rim of the Grand Canyon at Lipan Point (7,360 ft high). The Grand Canyon on a fairly cloudy day with thunderstorms passing through proves to be quite beautiful with the interplay of light and shadow. The overall effect is a 'softening' of the Canyon. In the foreground on the right, the tan rock is white Kaibab Formation (270 million years ago = m.y.a.), grey Toroweap formation (273 m.y.a.) and yellow Coconino Sandstone (275 m.y.a.). The rust ridge below is rust Hermit Shale Formation (280 m.y.a.). The red rock at river level and the black rock above it include red shale, limestone and dark lava of the Grand Canyon Supergroup (1,200-740 m.y.a.). The Colorado River is at an elevation of 2,450 feet above sea level and started carving through the rock layers of the Grand Canyon 5 or 6 million years ago. The gorgeous green colour is a result of minerals in the water.