Why do scientists think the Grand Canyon was once covered by an ocean?(1 point)
Responses
Seawater has been found seeping up through the canyon floor.
Seawater has been found seeping up through the canyon floor.
The Grand Canyon is located along coastlines that likely flooded.
The Grand Canyon is located along coastlines that likely flooded.
Only an ocean would have the strength to erode the rock forming the Grand Canyon.
Only an ocean would have the strength to erode the rock forming the Grand Canyon.
The sedimentary rock type forming layers of the canyon formed under the sea.
The sedimentary rock type forming layers of the canyon formed under the sea.
The sedimentary rock type forming layers of the canyon formed under the sea.
The correct answer is:
The sedimentary rock type forming layers of the canyon formed under the sea.
Scientists believe that the Grand Canyon was once covered by an ocean because the rocks that make up the canyon are predominantly sedimentary rocks. Sedimentary rocks are typically formed in layers over long periods of time through processes like deposition of sediments in bodies of water. These layers can later be uplifted and exposed to form landforms like canyons. The presence of marine fossils, such as shells and coral, within the sedimentary layers in the Grand Canyon provides evidence that these rocks were indeed formed under the sea. This suggests that at some point in the past, the area where the Grand Canyon now stands was covered by an ocean.