Existing comment:
The Colorado Plateau:
Colorado National Monument lies near the northeast edge of the Colorado Plateau, a geologic region covering 150,000 square miles of some of the world's most spectacular scenery. Brilliantly colored rocks, steep cliffs, mesas cut with deep canyons, infrequent rain, and sparse vegetation are hallmarks of the area.
This vast plateau has acted independently of surrounding regions for millions of years -- uplifting, subsiding, eroding, and constantly changing. The most recent uplift, about 10 million years ago, raised the entire plateau to its current elevation, averaging a mile above sea level.
[The Colorado Plateau makes up a major chunk of Utah, Colorado, Arizona, and New Mexico. It includes a large number of national parks including Grand Canyon, Bryce Canyon, Capitol Reef, Arches, Canyonlands, Natural Bridges, Mesa Verde, Canyon de Chelly, Sunset Crater, Petrified Forrest, El Morro, Bandelier, and Black Canyon of the Gunnison.] |