Explorers Monument is a 4,572-foot-elevation (1,394 meter) summit located in the
Grand Canyon
The Grand Canyon (, yuf-x-yav, Wi:kaʼi:la, , Southern Paiute language: Paxa’uipi, ) is a steep-sided canyon carved by the Colorado River in Arizona, United States. The Grand Canyon is long, up to wide and attains a depth of over a m ...
, in
Coconino County of northern
Arizona,
US.
It is situated 3.5 miles due west of
Mount Huethawali
Mount Huethawali is a summit located in the Grand Canyon, in Coconino County of northern Arizona, US. It is situated 3.5 miles due east of Explorers Monument, 1.5 mile west of Grand Scenic Divide, and immediately southwest of Huxley Terrace. ...
, within a meander of the
Colorado River. It towers over 2,400 feet (730 meters) directly above the river, providing
rafters
A rafter is one of a series of sloped structural members such as Beam (structure), wooden beams that extend from the ridge or hip to the wall plate, downslope perimeter or eave, and that are designed to support the roof Roof shingle, shingles ...
a view of this landmark. Explorers Monument is topped by rock of the
Pennsylvanian Pennsylvanian may refer to:
* A person or thing from Pennsylvania
* Pennsylvanian (geology)
The Pennsylvanian ( , also known as Upper Carboniferous or Late Carboniferous) is, in the International Commission on Stratigraphy, ICS geologic timesca ...
-
Permian Supai Group
The Supai Group is a slope-forming section of red bed deposits found in the Colorado Plateau. The group was laid down during the Pennsylvanian to Lower Permian. Cliff-forming interbeds of sandstone are noticeable throughout the group. The Su ...
which overlays cliff-forming
Mississippian
Mississippian may refer to:
* Mississippian (geology), a subperiod of the Carboniferous period in the geologic timescale, roughly 360 to 325 million years ago
*Mississippian culture, a culture of Native American mound-builders from 900 to 1500 AD ...
Redwall Limestone, which in turn overlays
Cambrian
The Cambrian Period ( ; sometimes symbolized C with bar, Ꞓ) was the first geological period of the Paleozoic Era, and of the Phanerozoic Eon. The Cambrian lasted 53.4 million years from the end of the preceding Ediacaran Period 538.8 million ...
Tonto Group. According to the
Köppen climate classification system, Explorers Monument is located in a
cold semi-arid climate zone.
History
Explorers Monument was originally named "Marcos Monument" by
George Wharton James because it adjoins Marcos Terrace, which is named for
Marcos de Niza, a
Franciscan friar and explorer.
Subsequently, the
United States Geological Survey proposed and in 1908 officially adopted the name "Explorers Monument" to honor Grand Canyon explorers
Joseph Christmas Ives,
George Wheeler,
Edward Beale,
Almon Thompson
Almon Harris Thompson (September 24, 1839 – July 31, 1906), also known as A. H. Thompson, was an American topographer, geologist, explorer, educator and Civil War veteran. Often called "The Professor" or simply "Prof", Thompson is perhaps best ...
, and
John Newberry.
[Randy Moore and Kara Felicia Witt, ''The Grand Canyon: An Encyclopedia of Geography, History, and Culture'', 2018, ABC-CLIO Publisher, page 74.]
See also
*
Geology of the Grand Canyon area
*
History of the Grand Canyon area
The known human history of the Grand Canyon area stretches back 10,500 years, when the first evidence of human presence in the area is found. Native Americans have inhabited the Grand Canyon and the area now covered by Grand Canyon National Par ...
Gallery
File:Explorers Mon AZ.jpg
File:The Grand Canyon from about 30,000 feet.jpg, Explorers Monument centered near bottom within meander. From airliner.
File:Grand Canyon - Explorers Monument.jpg
References
External links
* Weather forecast
National Weather Service* Aerial view Explorers Monument, Mancos Terrace, Colorado River
Flickr{{Geology of the Grand Canyon area, , state=collapsed
Grand Canyon
Landforms of Coconino County, Arizona
Colorado Plateau
Grand Canyon National Park
Grand Canyon, North Rim
Grand Canyon, North Rim (west)