Grand Canyon born by continental lift

"Drip" within the Earth may have raised the Colorado plateau

For all its glorious views, the Colorado plateau remains an ugly mystery to geologists. They can’t figure out why and how it rose thousands of feet over the millions of years it took to carve spectacular natural wonders like the Grand Canyon and Monument Valley.

HIGH AND MIGHTY The Colorado Plateau, home to the Grand Canyon and other wonders, may have risen to its current heights through a geological process that chips away at heavier rock from below.