5Grand Canyon is one of Earth's most recognizable landscapes. Though scientists have studied the canyon for more than 150 years, a definitive answer as to how and when the canyon formed eludes them. The one thing they do agree on is that the canyon was carved by the erosive power of the Colorado river, but the river itself carried away the evidence of its earlier history.

Carving Grand Canyon examines the many intriguing ideas and innovative theories that geologists have developed over time about the formation of the canyon. In the last seven years since the publication of the first edition of Carving Grand Canyon, new theories have been brought forth, and this second edition of the book captures these fresh ideas and examines them in the light of other theories. This story of a fascinating landscape is told in an engaging style that is inviting to casual readers interested in the mystery of Grand Canyon's formation.