Isis Temple
Isis Temple | |
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![]() Isis Temple is the landform on the right with the summit block (capstone). (Flat-topped & heavily forestedShiva Templeprominence to left) | |
Highest point | |
Elevation | 7,006 ft (2,135 m)NGVD 29[1] |
Prominence | 1,666 ft (508 m)[1] |
Coordinates | 36°08′27″N112°08′17″W/ 36.1408156°N 112.137948°W[2] |
Naming | |
Etymology | Isis[3] |
Geography | |
Location | Grand Canyon Coconino County,Arizona. U.S. |
Topo map | USGSShiva Temple |
Geology | |
Age of rock | Permiandown toProterozoic |
Type of rock | sedimentary, uponUnkar Groupquartziteandsedimentary Coconino Sandstone-(prominence), Hermit Shale, Supai Group, Redwall Limestone, Muav Limestone Temple Butte Formation Tonto Group–(units 2,v3 of 3) 3_Muav Limestone, 2_Bright Angel Shale, Unkar Group-(units 1,2,3 of 5) 3_Shinumo Quartzite, 2_Hakatai Shale, 1_Bass Limestone, Vishnu Basement Rocks |
Isis Templeis aprominencein theGrand Canyon,Arizona,Southwestern United States. It is located below the North Rim and adjacent to theGranite Gorgealong theColorado River.The Trinity Creek and canyon flow due south at its west border; its north, and northeast border/flank is formed by Phantom Creek (Phantom Ranch,about 2,460 ft (750 m)) and canyon, a west tributary of Bright Angel Creek; the creeks intersect about 3 mi (4.8 km) southeast, and 1.0 mi (1.6 km) north of Granite Gorge.[4]The Isis Temple prominence (a short remaindercaprockof bright-whiteCoconino Sandstone,on an erosionslopeof brownishHermit Formation), is only about 202 ft (62 m) lower thanGrand Canyon Village,the main public center on Grand Canyon’s South Rim.
Isis Temple is about 5 mi (8.0 km) directly north ofGrand Canyon Villageon the South Rim, Grand Canyon; the Village is the west terminus ofArizona Route 64(East Rim Drive), and north terminus ofU.S. 180,fromValle, Arizona,andWilliams(about 58 mi (93 km) south).
Isis Temple is part of an uplifted, and sub-faultedblock (about 3.5 mi (5.6 km) long and 2.0 mi (3.2 km) wide),[5]with a sub-peak landform,Cheops Pyramid5,392 ft (1,643 m),[5]about 1,600 ft (488 m) lower in elevation, and 1.0 mi (1.6 km)[6]southeast of the Isis Temple prominence. The Isis prominence is composed of erosion resistantcliff-formingCoconino Sandstone.
Trails
[edit]TheNorth Kaibab Trailaccesses the Bright Angel Canyon route. Views of Isis Temple, or routes to the region are from the middle, or lower Bright Angel Canyon-Phantom Creek region, the flatlands around Isis, Cheops and the block southeast, called Utah Flats; one of the trails leads to the viewpoint at the Isis-Cheops Saddle. From the North Rim, theTiyo Point Trailhas views of Isis Temple from the north.
Geology
[edit]![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fe/USA_09855_Grand_Canyon_Luca_Galuzzi_2007.jpg/360px-USA_09855_Grand_Canyon_Luca_Galuzzi_2007.jpg)
From Dana Butte region upon (west)-Tonto Trail,south Granite Gorge.
Right of Isis peak is the southwest cliff of the ridgeline: The Colonnade, at Tiyo Point; behind Isis peak is Tiyo Point, North Rim, and the Kaibab-Toroweap-Coconino Sandstone cliff sequence-(white-dark-white), andforestedtop, about 5.5-mi[7]from Dana Butte, Tonto Trail.
The prominence of Isis Temple is composed of theCoconino Sandstone,at 7,012 feet (2,137 m), (a similar elevation to the North Rim, Grand Canyon,Kaibab Plateau,and the Coconino is geologic member no. 2 of the 4 units ofPermianage; unit 4,Kaibab Limestonemakes up the Kaibab Plateau). Below the cliff-former Coconino Sandstone is eroded,slope-formingHermit Shale,upon the uppermostSupai Group'redbeds' member the cliff-forming,Esplanade Sandstone-(seeTuckup Trail). After the thick sequence of 'redbeds', the cliff-formingRedwall Limestonesits above highly eroded slopes ofMuav LimestoneandBright Angel Shale.These slopes are deposited upon the cliff-forming unit ofShinumo Quartzite.The Shinumo Quartzite forms the cliff-base of Isis Temple, with highly erodable units forming the slopes below, the colorful, yellows, reds, and purplish colors from theHakatai Shale,above the bottomUnkar Groupmember,Bass Formation-(in other photos shown as a well-bedded, grayish, multi-layered member, sitting onVishnu Basement Rocks,at the top of Middle Granite Gorge).
The Shinumo Quartzite lies above theslope-formingunit of the Hakatai Shale, above Bass Formation. The two slope formers can be seen as reddish, yellowish, and purplish in photographs. From the south, three colorful slope-forming sections below the Shinumo Quartzite cliffs can be observed from a distance, one each below Isis Temple and Cheops Pyramid; a lower prominence has the third slope directly upon Granite Gorge, with the intersection of Bright Angel Creek/Canyon, located at the southeast section of the uplifted fault-block, that Isis Temple and Cheops Pyramid are part of.
Tapeats Sea, Shinumo Quartzite, and Unkar Group Horst
[edit]NoTapeats Sandstonewas deposited upon the Shinumo Quartzite. In theTapeats Sea,themarine transgressionsequence ofsandstone-(conglomerates)-shale-limestonefound two 'mountain island' members, theCardenas Basalt(sections), and the Shinumo Quartzite, as erosion resistant 'prominences'. Only the Bright Angel Shale and Muav Limestone were deposited above the 'mountain island' prominences; Tapeats Sandstone was deposited around the 'Shinumo Quartzite island' perimeter, and can be seen in Bright Angel Canyon, west and northwest, the Phantom Creek drainage, north, and in the Trinity Creek drainage down the west perimeter, and upstream.
The Isis Temple-Cheops Pyramid is part of a localizedfault-block, uplifted; (it also contains 3 sub-faults[8]within it, parallel to the fault at its north border, Phantom Creek);[9]the fault bordering the fault-block west, is down Trinity Creek; the fault east is theBright Angel Fault,down Bright Angel Canyon, and on the south (South Rim side, 'south' of Middle Granite Gorge), through Garden Creek (canyon), of theBright Angel Trail.
TheUnkar Group,which forms the base of Isis Temple, consists of the Shinumo Quartzite, Hakatai Shale, and Bass Formation in descending order. The Unkar Group lies upon theVishnu Basement Rocks,which are exposed in Lower, Middle, and UpperGranite Gorge.The Unkar Group, and other subdivisions of the (Grand Canyon Supergroup), are tilted, about 15 degrees, as seen in photographs, or while viewing in Grand Canyon.
List of geologic units of Isis Temple
[edit]The following is the list of geologic units below the Isis Temple prominence (for 5-member Unkar Group fault–block, members 3 through 1):
- Coconino Sandstone,(prominence, Permian unit 3 of 5 in Grand Canyon)
- Hermit Shale,Permian
- Supai Group,(4 units, Pennsylvanian–Permian)
- 4 –Esplanade Sandstone,(Permian)
(Typically forms a resistant (& thick) cliff, thickening in Western Grand Canyon) - 3 –Wescogame Formation
- 2 –Manakacha Formation
- 1 –Watahomigi Formation
- 4 –Esplanade Sandstone,(Permian)
- (noSurprise Canyon Formation)
- Redwall Limestone
- Temple Butte Formation
- Muav Limestone,(Tonto Group,unit 3 of 3)
- Bright Angel Shale,(Tonto Group, unit 2 of 3)
- 3 –Shinumo Quartzite-(Unkar Group,1–3 of 5)
- 2 –Hakatai Shale
- 1 –Bass Formation
- Vishnu Basement Rocks
Trinity Canyon/Trinity Creek landforms
[edit]The headwaters of Trinity Canyon lies at the south face ofShiva Temple (Grand Canyon).The eastern watershed north to south is Isis Temple with two side canyons of the western extension arms of the Isis Temple. The western watershed north to south is theClaude Birdseye Pointprominence on a western arm of Shiva Temple (Arizona). Next is a series of three connected landforms, lowering in height southward –Osiris Temple(ht 6613 ft),Horus Temple(ht 6150 ft), andTower of Set(ht 6012 ft), bordering the outfall region into Granite Gorge and theColorado River.
Observation viewpoints
[edit]Isis Temple can be viewed from the South Rim, from the viewpoints, west and east ofGrand Canyon Village, Arizona.Hopi Point(west), andYavapai Point(east), andMather Point,are both at Grand Canyon Village, and due-south of Isis Temple.
Isis Temple can be viewed from the North Rim, Bright Angel Point region; Isis Temple prominence is about 3-mi due south of Tiyo Point-(Tiyo Point Trail), and Isis and Cheops Pyramid are about 5-mi southwest ofBright Angel Point.[7]
References
[edit]- ^ab"Isis Temple".ListsOfJohn.Retrieved2016-08-17.
- ^"Isis Temple".Geographic Names Information System.United States Geological Survey,United States Department of the Interior.Retrieved2016-08-17.
- ^Circular of General Information Regarding Grand Canyon National Park Arizona,1928, U.S. Government Printing Office, p. 63.
- ^Arizona Road & Recreation Atlas.Benchmark Maps. p. 28.
- ^abArizona Road & Recreation Atlas, Benchmark Maps, pp. 12–13.
- ^Arizona Road Atlas, Benchmark Maps, p. 12.
- ^abArizona Road & Recreation Atlas, Benchmark Maps, p. 28.
- ^Chronic, Halka.Roadside Geology of Arizona,from Section: "Grand Canyon National Park", pp. 279–87. Graphic,Faults of eastern Grand Canyon show a NW-SE trend superimposed on a NE-SW trend inherited fromPrecambriantime. In Grand Canyon these faults can be studied in three-dimensional detail.(about 35 faults shown), p. 286.
- ^Chronic, Halka.Roadside Geology of Arizona,p. 286.
Additional sources
[edit]- Arizona Road & Recreation Atlas, Benchmark Maps, 2nd Edition, 1998, 112 pages, pp. 28–29, 62–63.
- Arizona DeLorme Atlas & Gazetteer, 5th Edition, 2002, 76 pages, pp. 31, 23.
- Chronic, Halka.Roadside Geology of Arizona,1983, 23rd printing, Mountain Press Publishing Co. 322 pages. pp. 229–32 (US 89A Marble Canyon – Fredonia), pp. 179–180. (softcover,ISBN978-0878421473)
- Lucchitta, 2001.Hiking Arizona's Geology,Ivo Lucchitta, 2001, Mountaineers's Books. (softcover,ISBN0898867304)
External links
[edit]![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/30px-Commons-logo.svg.png)
- Isis Temple, (at Phantom Creek, Trinity Creek, Bright Angel Canyon), above Granite Gorge (lat-long ), coordinates, Coconino County, AZ
- Geologic map – Isis Temple and Bright Angel Fault region
- Geologic map: Isis Temple region & Bright Angel Fault, website photos
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