Topaz Canyon

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Topaz Canyon
South Rim from the air.jpg
Topaz Canyon-(left), Slate Canyon-(right)
(center)-Diana Temple, with Marsh Butte at its northeast terminus
USA Arizona location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Topaz_Canyon
Location in the state of Arizona
Floor elevation2,654 ft (809 m) [1]
Length~4.0 misouthwest-northeast
Geography
Location(west)-Grand Canyon, (northern)-Arizona, United States
Coordinates 36°06′37″N112°14′31″W / 36.11026°N 112.24184°W / 36.11026; -112.24184 Coordinates: 36°06′37″N112°14′31″W / 36.11026°N 112.24184°W / 36.11026; -112.24184 [2]
Topo map Grand Canyon, USGS
RiversTopaz Creek

Topaz Canyon is a linear, narrow canyon in the western Grand Canyon, below the South Rim. It lies in a region of four canyons, and a fifth smaller canyon, all trending mostly northeasterly towards the west-flowing Colorado River, in western Grand Canyon National Park. The name of Topaz Canyon was named by the Board of Geographical Names for precious stones of the region. [3] Topaz Canyon is the southeast border of the linear, and major, forested-landform, Diana Temple; (Slate Canyon is Diana Temple’s northwest border).

The northeast terminus of Topaz Canyon intersects with the outfall of Boucher Canyon and the tract of the Tonto Trail (west region). The Boucher Trail starting in Hermit Canyon, (just east of Eremita Mesa), ends at the termini of both Topaz and Boucher Canyons.

Contents

The middle and lower regions of Topaz Canyon are in slopes and rocks of the Tonto Group. The major visible section of Topaz Canyon are the dull-greenish slopes of the Bright Angel Shale. Northeast and closer to the Colorado River are short, erosion-resistant cliffs of Tapeats Sandstone. The sandstone is the Tonto Platform, (also the Great Unconformity, of lost time, ~1,000 million years, and probable lost eroded rock units), the horizontal platform that the Tonto Trail traverses. The upper cliffs of the canyon are rock units of Kaibab Limestone, Toroweap Formation, Coconino Sandstone, and Hermit Shale, down to Supai Group on red-cliffs of Redwall Limestone. These are the rock units northwest on Diana Temple. Vesta Temple southeast between Topaz Canyon and Boucher Canyon, has the upper units of rock mostly removed; but Vesta Temple has a remainder, eroded cliff of Kaibab Limestone, on a shelf of Toroweap Formation, on the upper platform of the non-erosive cliff-former, Coconino Sandstone.

Topaz Canyon watershed

The watershed of Topaz Canyon is a twin-canyon watershed. Vesta Temple lies between Topaz Canyon, northwest, and Boucher Canyon southeast. The headwaters, west, of Topaz Canyon are from Mescalero Point, at the saddle between Diana Temple; the headwaters east (Boucher Canyon), are from Mimbreno Point, and east from the northwest flank of Eremita Mesa, part of the South Rim. Boucher Creek receives Topaz Creek, and the Boucher Creek outfall into west-flowing Colorado River, creates the Boucher Rapids.

Geography/geology

Diana Temple and Mescalero Point

Grand Canyon DEIS Aerial Photo Pollux and Diana Temples (5476511741).jpg

The Upper Topaz Canyon watershed starts at an arcuate section of the South Rim, with Mescalero Point at the southwest (Mimbreno Point at the southeast), and a short saddle below Mescalero Point to Diana Temple. The saddle is only about 1/16 mile distant, and descends down to the upper platform of the resistant Coconino Sandstone. Diana Temple is only about 1.0 mi long, but the eroded ridgeline of Supai Group extends northeast on a platform/shelf of Supai unit 2, the cliff-former Manakacha Formation. The upper platform below of the Redwall Limestone (also a cliff and platform-former), extends further, and is separated at its terminus from Marsh Butte, a remnant eroded cliff of Redwall.

Topaz Canyon-(bottom left, Slate Canyon-(center)
geology of the canyons:
Reds of Supai Group & Redwall Limestone, and dull-greenish slopes of Bright Angel Shale Grand Canyon - Diana, Marsh, Geikie, Pollux, Castor.jpg
Topaz Canyon-(bottom left, Slate Canyon-(center)
geology of the canyons:
Reds of Supai Group & Redwall Limestone, and dull-greenish slopes of Bright Angel Shale

Vesta Temple and Mimbreno Point

(linear)-Vesta Temple in front of Diana Temple Vesta Temple in front of Diana Temple.jpg
(linear)-Vesta Temple in front of Diana Temple

At the southeast of Upper Topaz Canyon is Mimbreno Point and a saddle, about 1/4 mi distant (the saddle upon Supai Group, unit 4 of 4, the platform and cliff-former, resistant Esplanade Sandstone), to Vesta Temple, which trends southwest-to-northeast. Vesta Temple is half the length of Diana Temple, with the same tall cliffs of Coconino Sandstone, on Hermit Formation, on Supai Group, and Redwall Limestone below. The prominence of Vesta is only a remainder cliff (actually, a cliff, but in the shape of a sloping cupola), of Kaibab Limestone on a shelf of Toroweap Formation, and with only sparse vegetation, unlike forested and vegetated Diana Temple.

See also

Related Research Articles

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Diana Temple (Grand Canyon)</span> Landform in the Grand Canyon, Arizona

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Atoko Point</span> Landform in the Grand Canyon, Arizona

Atoko Point is a 8,382 ft-cliff-elevation Point located in the eastern Grand Canyon, Coconino County of northern Arizona, United States. It is about 6.5 miles south-southeast of the northernmost point on the east of the North Rim, but most of the points south, are on the East Rim of the sub-plateau, the Walhalla Plateau. Atoko Point is 1.3 miles southeast of Roosevelt Point, and also 2.6 miles southeast of the Vista Encantada viewpoint. Two headwater canyons of Upper Kwagunt Creek and Canyon bisect around Atoko Point, and drain east to the south-flowing Colorado River, about 6.5 miles east, in the southernmost stretch of Marble Canyon. Atoko Point lies about one mile east of the Cape Royal Road.

The cliff of Atoko Point is composed of Kaibab Limestone, upon Toroweap Formation, on white cliffs of Coconino Sandstone. Below is soft erodible, dk-burnt red Hermit Shale, on bright-red-orange Supai Group layers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vesta Temple</span> Landform in the Grand Canyon, Arizona

Vesta Temple is a 6,299-foot-elevation (1,920-meter) summit located in the Grand Canyon, in Coconino County of northern Arizona, US. It is situated eight miles west-northwest of Grand Canyon Village, and immediately northeast of Mimbreno Point. Marsh Butte is one mile northeast, Eremita Mesa immediately southeast, and nearest higher neighbor Diana Temple is one mile north. Topographic relief is significant as Vesta Temple rises 3,900 feet above the Colorado River in 2.5 miles. Vesta Temple is named for Vesta, the goddess of the hearth, home, and family according to Roman mythology. Clarence Dutton began the practice of naming geographical features in the Grand Canyon after mythological deities. This geographical feature's name was officially adopted in 1908 by the U.S. Board on Geographic Names. According to the Köppen climate classification system, Vesta Temple is located in a Cold semi-arid climate zone.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Castor Temple</span> Landform in the Grand Canyon, Arizona

Castor is a 6,221-foot-elevation (1,896-meter) summit located in the Grand Canyon, in Coconino County of northern Arizona, United States. It is situated 11 miles west-northwest of Grand Canyon Village, and less than one mile north of Piute Point. Pollux Temple is one mile southeast, and Geikie Peak is three miles to the east. Topographic relief is significant as Castor Temple rises over 3,800 feet above the Colorado River in two miles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fishtail Mesa</span> Mesa in Arizona (western Grand Canyon)

Fishtail Mesa is a linear, narrow plateau, adjacent the west-flowing Colorado River in western Grand Canyon, in Coconino County, Northern Arizona, about 2.0 miles east of Kanab Point, and the outfall of south-flowing Kanab Creek, a major north tributary of the Colorado River, from southern Utah. Fishtail Mesa is part of the North Rim (west) and also lies 4.0 miles west of the outfall of Deer Creek, and Deer Creek Falls at the Colorado, a common stopover campsite for river rafters. The linear and southwest direction of Fishtail Mesa, lies adjacent as the southwest border of Fishtail Canyon ; at the Colorado, the Fishtail Rapids occur as minor rapids of the Colorado River. Some other nearby prominences to Fishtail Mesa, are Paguekwash Point, about 5.0 miles southwest, and Mount Sinyella, 8.0 miles south-southwest, and on the South Rim region of the Grand Canyon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mescalero Point</span> Landform in the Grand Canyon, Arizona

Mescalero Point is a 6,627 foot (2,020 m)-cliff-elevation point located in the central,, Grand Canyon, Coconino County of northern Arizona, United States. Mescalero Point is 3.6 miles from its closest highest scenic viewpoint, Yuma Point (6,654 ft), located east at Eremita Mesa, at the northeast, overlooking Central Hermit Canyon.

Mescalero Point is in a region of points, at the headwaters of canyons, and landforms below the South Rim. Jicarilla Point lies ~1.0 mile west-northwest, and Mimbreno Point lies ~0.7 miles southeast.

Mescalero Point is distinctive because it has separated from the water divide between two canyons, by flat and forested, Diana Temple, which is narrow and linear, about a mile long. A saddle, about 0.1 mi long separates Mescalero Point from Diana Temple. Mescalero Point is at the headwaters of Slate Canyon, northwest, and Topaz Canyon, southeast.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cocopa Point</span> Landform in the Grand Canyon, Arizona

Cocopa Point is a 6,627 foot (2,020 m)-cliff-elevation Point located in the central,, Grand Canyon, Coconino County of northern Arizona, United States. Cocopa Point is 1.1 miles from its closest highest scenic viewpoint, Yuma Point (6,654 ft), located east at Eremita Mesa, at the northeast, overlooking Central Hermit Canyon.

Cocopa Point is in a region of points, at the headwaters of canyons, and landforms below the South Rim. Mimbreno Point lies ~1.7 miles west, and Hermit Canyon and Pima Point, at the west-terminus of West Rim Drive, are about 1.5 mi and 2.0 miles due-east. Cocopa Point is at the northwest of Eremita Mesa; Yuma Point is at the northeast; the mesa lies between Hermit Canyon, east, and Upper Boucher Canyon, west. Cocopa Point is a sheer-walled cliff, sitting at the northwest headwaters of short, Travertine Canyon. At the west of Lower Travertine Canyon, adjacent the Colorado River, sits Whites Butte, about 1.2 miles distant from Cocopa Point.

References