1123 Grand Canyon From Space
40x28, Landsat MSS data – 9 scenes-115x115 miles (185x185km), 1”=14.3 miles, 1cm=9.1km. The great gorge of the Colorado River, one of the natural wonders of the world; c.1 mi (1.6 km) deep, from 4 to 18 mi (6.4–29 km) wide, and 217 mi (349 km) long, N and central Ariz. The canyon shows in its rocks, exposed by more than 8 million years of chemical erosion, the repeated geological sequence of uplift, erosion (due to the constant wearing force of the Colorado River), submergence, and deposition of materials. The multicolored rocks, the steep and rims, catch the contrast of sun and shadow and glow with constantly changing hues of great beauty. In 1919 it was designated as Grand Canyon National Park (1,218,375 acres/493,059 hectares). Popular tourist activities are raft and boat excursions along the canyon's river bottom as well as overnight hikes down to the base of the canyon. More than 3 million tourists visit the park each year.
