Nurse plant

Like all of the upper layers of the Grand Canyon, the Supai group is sedimentary.  This layer consists of four formations, which are (from top, or youngest, to bottom, or oldest) the Esplanade, Wescogame, Manachaka, and Watahomigi. The Esplanade is the thickest layer (from 200-800 feet) and is often used by travelers, especially in the western portion of the Canyon where it creates a wide bench.
The group was deposited from the Pennsylvanian to early Permian periods, as an ancient ocean receded and advanced, leaving behind sand, mud, and fossils, which compressed into sandstone, mudstone, and limestone. 
The group was named after Supai, the capital of the Havasupai Reservation, which is located within the Grand Canyon. The word Havasupai, meaning “People (Pai) of the Blue-Green Water (Havasu)” was shortened by settlers to Supai, which in itself has no meaning in the Havasupai language.

Supai Group

There are 3 species of Ephedra commonly found in the Canyon. Green Ephedra (Ephedra viridis), also known as Mormon Tea, has been used by Indigenous tribes as well as settlers as a dye, antiseptic, energizing tea, and for many other medicinal purposes. 

Ephedra

Ephedra: There are 3 species of Ephedra commonly found in the Canyon. Green Ephedra (Ephedra viridis), also known as Mormon Tea, has been used by Indigenous tribes as well as settlers as an energizing tea. Indigenous peoples use the plant for flour, as a dye, an antiseptic, and for many other medicinal purposes. 

Landslide Deposit

The sixth layer from the top of the Grand Canyon, Redwall Limestone is named for its reddish color.  The limestone itself is gray when exposed, but is stained red over time as iron oxide washes down from the iron rich layers above. The formation ranges from 500 to 800 feet in height, and was formed 340 years ago in the Mississippian Age when the area was under an ancient ocean. Like many limestones, it is predominantly composed of calcium carbonate from the shells of sea dwellers. Karst topography occurs in this layer, making it conducive to caves, springs, and sinkholes. Unconformities, or contacts between two layers that were not deposited consecutively, occur above and below the Redwall.

Redwall Limestone

Kaibab_Plateau_2006-04-30_MODIS_250m.jpg

More remote than the South Rim, the North Rim of the Grand Canyon is the traditional territory of the Southern Paiute. Elevations on the North Rim are above 8,000 feet, about 1,000 feet higher than the South Rim. This results in cooler temperatures and greater precipitation, conducive to mixed conifer forests, montane grasslands, subalpine meadows, and ponds, which occur on the Kaibab Plateau beyond the rim. 

Photosphere processing...