What came first, the Colorado Plateau, the Colorado River, or the Grand Canyon?

Answer 1

if i remember correctly


Colorado plateau
Colorado river
grand canyon



river runs on plateau and over millions of years it made the grand canyon.

Answer 2

Pegminer above is correct. The Colorado River (following a slightly different course) was there before the Colorado Plateau. It was the uplifting of the Colorado Plateau that caused the river to cut so deep and form the canyon. Essentially, the river stayed at about the same elevation and the land rose up around it, similar to pushing a piece of wood into a fixed bandsaw.

So the order is: River, Plateau, Canyon (with the plateau and canyon happening at about the same time)

Answer 3

1st of course would be the Colorado plateau. Where would the river flow if it came first before the plateau?

2nd would be the Colorado river. As time went by, the Colorado river continually eroded the plateau until it had carved out a deep canyon from the plateau. This would then be the start of the Grand Canyon.

Answer 4

If you mean the Colorado Plateau as it is today, elevated, I would say that the Colorado River came first and the Grand Canyon was formed by the Colorado River as the Colorado Plateau was elevated.

Answer 5

Think of it as any large piece of land. You start with a plateau, a river starts flowing across it, and over long periods of time, it cuts a groove in the plateau eventually turning into a canyon as it cuts deeper and deeper. It's the plateau first.