A Land To Humble The Soul
Estimate that the rocks of the Grand Canyon are about 2,000 million years old, nearly half the age of our planet.
John Wesley Powell, American explorer, geologist, and ethnologist (March 24, 1834 – September 23, 1902)
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During the Civil War (1862), John Wesley Powell lost most of his right arm when struck by a minie ball while in the process of giving the order to fire. The raw nerveendings in his arm would continue to cause him pain for the rest of his life.
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In 1867, John Wesley Powell launched a career as a leader in scientific expeditions. On an expedition in Colorado territory, he was joined by Jack Sumner and they plan an expedition of the Colorado River to map an uncharted course of the Colorado River that is 500 miles long and 200 miles wide.
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On August 13, 1869, the expedition finally arrive at the Grand Canyon. The Spaniards, who first discovered the canyons in the 1500’s named the river Colorado, meaning red, and determined the canyon impassible.
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Powell returned to the Colorado River two years later, backed by an appropriation from the U.S. Congress and an 11-man crew that included several trained scientists. The second voyage (which lasted from May 22, 1871, to September 7, 1872) produced the first reliable maps of the Colorado River.
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Following the journey, Powell devotes the rest of his life to the Grand Canyon and the conservation of this national treasure.
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This week, JEN H. asks us to share our vision of the magnificent Earth through our lens.
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