Going Into the Grand Canyon: AP Environmental Science Field Trip

On May 25th, thirty AP Environmental Science students explored the geology and ecology of the Grand Canyon, by descending 1,200 vertical feet and 250 million years in time on the South Kaibab Trail down to Cedar Ridge.

Students were exploring how geologic formations and fossil evidence can be used to learn about how climate changes over time. The group started on the rim at 7,000 feet on the Kaibab Limestone looking for ancient fossil sponges, corals, crinoids, and ammonites that indicate how the region was a warm shallow tropical sea.

As students descended further, they went through the Toroweap Formation, consisting of a limy sandstone/siltstone material indicating near shore mudflats that were repeatedly inundated by rising and retreating seas and covered with terrestrial sediments.

Next was a dramatic shift in geology as students descended into the Coconino Sandstone, ancient lithified sand dunes of a great ancient desert. Some of these dunes were likely over 1,000 feet tall. Cross-bedding indicates the direction of the slopes of various dunes and can help determine the direction of the prevailing winds. Students looked for animal track and analyzed how the direction of the tracks correlates to the slope angle of the sand dune.

Last we descended down to Hermit Shale layer at Cedar Ridge to see fossils of animals that lived in an ancient swamp ecosystem. The students had a wonderful time exploring the canyon and learning about the ecosystems both past and present.