Grand Canyon National Park大峡谷国家公园

熊娟娟

有人說，不曾见过科罗拉多大峡谷便不算到过美国，这道色彩奇幻、壮阔奇绝的“地球之痕”究竟有着怎样的奥秘？你是否也对这得天独厚的自然奇观充满好奇？走进科罗拉多大峡谷，揭开它的神秘面纱吧！

入选时间（Date of Inscription） 1979 年

遴选标准（Criteria） （vii） （viii） （ix） （x）

遗产面积（Property ） 493，270 公顷

档案编号（Dossier） 75

Carved out by the Colorado River， the Grand Canyon （nearly 1，500 m deep）is one of the most spectacular gorge in the world. Located in the state of Arizona，it cuts across the Grand Canyon National Park. Its horizontal strata retrace thegeological history of the past 2 billion years. There are also prehistoric traces ofhuman adaptation to a particularly harsh environment.

The Grand Canyon is among the earth’s greatest on-going geologicalspectacles. Its vastness is stunning， and the evidence it reveals about theearth’s history is invaluable. It twists and turns 445 km and was formed during6 million years of geological activity and erosion by the Colorado River on theupraised earth’s crust. The buttes， spires， mesas and temples in the canyon arein fact mountains looked down upon from the rims. Horizontal strata exposedin the canyon retrace geological history over 2 billionyears and represent the four major geologic eras.

Some people claim that the Grand Canyon， locatedin the northwest of Arizona， is the only natural wonder visible from space. This unique geologicallandscape is a masterpiece of the ColoradoRiver， renowned as one of the world’ s largestcanyons and one of the seven wonders ofnature on earth.

The Colorado River， which it is namedafter， is a famous river that runs through sevenwestern U.S. states， carrying the melting snowof the Rocky Mountains and the rain water ofthe Pacific Ocean. The river concurs numerous1）tributaries， 2）traverses the red formations ofUtah and Arizona， and travels more than 2，300kilometers， irrigating parched and 3）barrentracts of land in the western United Statesbefore flowing into the narrow Gulf of California.

How was the stunning canyon formed？That was because the Colorado River made itthrough 4）erosion. Erosion happened when bitsof the ground was worn away. The river thenran over the ground and a canyon was madeafter many years.

In 1919， the Grand Canyon became anational park and since then it has been themost popular tourist destination in the UnitedStates. It attracts not only energetic youngclimbers but also sightseers who prefer drivingand walking. Visitors can enjoy an awe-inspiringview of the magnificent ancient canyon from thesteep cliff， which is definitely an unforgettableexperience.

Every year tourists from all over the world come to see this gorgeousnatural scenery. The first sight of the canyon can leave visitors speechless.Depending on the time of day， the sun lights up the rock walls in red， orange，and golden colors. The bright colors are the result of minerals in the rock.Their appearance changes endlessly—with the light， the time of year，and the weather. It is universally recognized that the Grand Canyon is amagnificent geological phenomenon and a typical landmark of America’ srich cultural 5）heritage and natural splendor.

科羅拉多大峡谷深约1500 米，由科罗拉多河长年侵蚀而成，是世界上最为壮观的峡谷之一。大峡谷位于亚利桑那州境内，横亘了整个大峡谷国家公园。

大峡谷的水平层次结构展示了20 亿年来地球的地质学变迁，同时它也保留了大量人类适应当时恶劣环境的遗迹。

大峡谷是地球上最伟大的地质奇观之一。它的广阔令人惊叹，它揭示的关于地球历史的证据是无价的。它蜿蜒曲折445 千米，是在600 万年的地质活动和科罗拉多河对隆起的地壳的侵蚀中形成的。峡谷中的小山丘、尖顶、台地和寺庙实际上是从边缘俯瞰的山脉。峡谷中暴露的水平地层追溯了20 亿多年的地质历史，展示了四大地质时代的变迁。

据说，在太空中俯瞰地球，唯一能用肉眼看到的自然奇观就是这条盘踞在亚利桑那州西北部的狭长山谷——科罗拉多大峡谷。它拥有着得天独厚的地质景观。科罗拉多大峡谷是科罗拉多河的杰作，被誉为世界上最大的峡谷之一，是世界七大自然界奇观之一。

科罗拉多河是纵贯美国西部七个州的著名河流，负载着落基山的融雪和太平洋的雨水。这条河与许多支流汇合，穿过犹他州和亚利桑那州红色地层的泥浆，长驱2300 多千米，灌溉和滋润了美国西部大片干渴而贫瘠的土地，然后注入狭长的加利福尼亚湾。

这道震撼人心的峡谷是怎样形成的呢？那是由科罗拉多河侵蚀而成的。当地表被磨损，就会发生侵蚀作用，河水流经地表，多年后便形成了峡谷。

科罗拉多大峡谷于1919 年成为一座国家公园，自此变成美国最热门的旅游目的地，不仅适合体力充沛的登山者，也适合只爱开车、散步看美景的人们。

游客在这里可以从陡峭的悬崖边欣赏壮观的远古峡谷中的狭长景色，这绝对是无与伦比的难忘体验。

每年，世界各地的游客纷至沓来只为欣赏这道亮丽的风景。游客们第一眼看到大峡谷就被其美景美到窒息。在一天中的不同时间，太阳用红色、橙色和金色照亮岩壁。这些明亮的颜色是岩石中含有矿物质的结果。它们随着光线、季节和天气的变化而不断变化。科罗拉多大峡谷被公认为一个令人惊叹的自然景象，亦是美国丰富的文化遗产和自然风光的典型地标。