Earth Sciences Commons^™

Relating Bedrock Strength To Hydraulic Driving Forces Along The Large-Scale Profile Of The Colorado River In Glen And Grand Canyons, Rob D. Mackley

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The role of bedrock on the longitudinal profile of the Colorado River has intrigued workers for over a century. The river's profile exhibits large-scale (10 to 100 km) variations in geomorphology that are qualitatively associated with changes in rock type. This study provides the first bedrock-strength data to quantitatively test the relation of bedrock-resisting to hydraulic-driving forces in Glen and Grand canyons. The intent of this study is to explore the role, if any, that bedrock has on large-scale geomorphic variations along the profile of the Colorado River. Rock-strength data collected at 84 sites along the river corridor in Glen …