A new study suggests that the Grand Canyon is younger than previously believed.
Researchers from the University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, led by Karl Karlstrom concluded the Colorado River may have used existing paleocanyons (hanging valleys) and ancient topographies to carve its way through the Grand Canyon instead of using rocks.
The findings of the study were made after analyzing and re-interpreting the work of other scientists. Although the study has clear implications on how the Grand Canyon came to be, it does not shed light on the heated debate over the true age of the Grand Canyon.
The researchers have been working on debunking a study published in the journal Science on Nov. 2012 claiming that the Grand Canyon was over 70 million years old.
"The Colorado River found a path and carved the entire canyon 5 [million] to 6 million years ago," Karlstrom told LiveScience.com. "I agree our data is not in disagreement, but I had the [National] Park Service call me up and say, 'Is it true that the park is 70 million years old?'"
To prove his idea, the researchers analyzed published geologic researchers and looked into four "cooling ages" of the westernmost canyon. The cooling ages can be observed through apatite crystals, which have helium-producing uranium. If the apatite is hotter than 112 degrees Fahrenheit, the helium makes it way out of the apatite. But as the rocks cool, the helium becomes trapped in the crystals. The helium can now be used as a gauge to see how long the rocks have been cooled.
Karlstrom divided the Canyon into several pieces and then calculated how long each of these segments was made. Two of the segments are found out to be less than 6 million years old, which is in agreement with the signage posted in the National Park Service.
The study was published in the Jan. 26 issue of Nature Geoscience.
