A meteor may have led to the formation of the Grand Canyon, new study says
New study may have found how the Grand Canyon was formed
- A new study suggests a meteor impact may have contributed to the formation of the Grand Canyon.
- Published in Geology, the research links Arizona's Meteor Crater, formed 56,000 years ago, to the canyon's development.
- The study hypothesises that the meteor impact triggered landslides that blocked the Colorado River, creating a paleolake within the canyon.
- This theory explains the presence of 56,000-year-old driftwood and lake sediments found in Stanton's Cave, located 150 feet above the river.
- The age of the driftwood matches the geologic age of the asteroid impact and the proposed landslide dam, supporting the connection.