| Isis Temple | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Isis Temple is the landform on the right with the summit block (capstone). (Flat-topped & heavily forestedShiva Temple prominence to left) | |
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 7,006 ft (2,135 m) NGVD 29[1] |
| Prominence | 1,666 ft (508 m)[1] |
| Coordinates | 36°08′27″N112°08′17″W / 36.1408156°N 112.137948°W /36.1408156; -112.137948[2] |
| Naming | |
| Etymology | Isis[3] |
| Geography | |
  Isis Temple | |
| Location | Grand Canyon Coconino County,Arizona. U.S. |
| Topo map | USGS Shiva Temple |
| Geology | |
| Rock age | Permian down toProterozoic |
| Rock type(s) | sedimentary, uponUnkar Groupquartzite andsedimentary Coconino Sandstone-(prominence), Hermit Shale, Supai Group, Redwall Limestone, Muav Limestone Temple Butte Formation Tonto Group–(units 2,v3 of 3) 3_Muav Limestone, 2_Bright Angel Shale, Unkar Group-(units 1,2,3 of 5) 3_Shinumo Quartzite, 2_Hakatai Shale, 1_Bass Limestone, Vishnu Basement Rocks |
Isis Temple is aprominence in theGrand Canyon,Arizona, Southwestern United States. It is located below the North Rim and adjacent to theGranite Gorge along theColorado River. The Trinity Creek and canyon flow due south at its west border; its north, and northeast border/flank is formed by Phantom Creek (Phantom Ranch, about 2,460 ft (750 m)) and canyon, a west tributary of Bright Angel Creek; the creeks intersect about 3 mi (4.8 km) southeast, and 1.0 mi (1.6 km) north of Granite Gorge.[4] The Isis Temple prominence (a short remaindercaprock of bright-whiteCoconino Sandstone, on an erosionslope of brownishHermit Formation), is only about 202 ft (62 m) lower thanGrand Canyon Village, the main public center on Grand Canyon’s South Rim.
Isis Temple is about 5 mi (8.0 km) directly north ofGrand Canyon Village on the South Rim, Grand Canyon; the Village is the west terminus ofArizona Route 64 (East Rim Drive), and north terminus ofU.S. 180, fromValle, Arizona, andWilliams (about 58 mi (93 km) south).
Isis Temple is part of an uplifted, and sub-faulted block (about 3.5 mi (5.6 km) long and 2.0 mi (3.2 km) wide),[5] with a sub-peak landform,Cheops Pyramid 5,392 ft (1,643 m),[5] about 1,600 ft (488 m) lower in elevation, and 1.0 mi (1.6 km)[6] southeast of the Isis Temple prominence. The Isis prominence is composed of erosion resistantcliff-forming Coconino Sandstone.
TheNorth Kaibab Trail accesses the Bright Angel Canyon route. Views of Isis Temple, or routes to the region are from the middle, or lower Bright Angel Canyon-Phantom Creek region, the flatlands around Isis, Cheops and the block southeast, called Utah Flats; one of the trails leads to the viewpoint at the Isis-Cheops Saddle. From the North Rim, theTiyo Point Trail has views of Isis Temple from the north.
The prominence of Isis Temple is composed of theCoconino Sandstone, at 7,012 feet (2,137 m), (a similar elevation to the North Rim, Grand Canyon,Kaibab Plateau, and the Coconino is geologic member no. 2 of the 4 units ofPermian age; unit 4,Kaibab Limestone makes up the Kaibab Plateau). Below the cliff-former Coconino Sandstone is eroded,slope-formingHermit Shale, upon the uppermostSupai Group 'redbeds' member the cliff-forming,Esplanade Sandstone-(seeTuckup Trail). After the thick sequence of 'redbeds', the cliff-formingRedwall Limestone sits above highly eroded slopes ofMuav Limestone andBright Angel Shale. These slopes are deposited upon the cliff-forming unit ofShinumo Quartzite. The Shinumo Quartzite forms the cliff-base of Isis Temple, with highly erodable units forming the slopes below, the colorful, yellows, reds, and purplish colors from theHakatai Shale, above the bottomUnkar Group member,Bass Formation-(in other photos shown as a well-bedded, grayish, multi-layered member, sitting onVishnu Basement Rocks, at the top of Middle Granite Gorge).
The Shinumo Quartzite lies above theslope-forming unit of the Hakatai Shale, above Bass Formation. The two slope formers can be seen as reddish, yellowish, and purplish in photographs. From the south, three colorful slope-forming sections below the Shinumo Quartzite cliffs can be observed from a distance, one each below Isis Temple and Cheops Pyramid; a lower prominence has the third slope directly upon Granite Gorge, with the intersection of Bright Angel Creek/Canyon, located at the southeast section of the uplifted fault-block, that Isis Temple and Cheops Pyramid are part of.
NoTapeats Sandstone was deposited upon the Shinumo Quartzite. In theTapeats Sea, themarine transgression sequence ofsandstone-(conglomerates)-shale-limestone found two 'mountain island' members, theCardenas Basalt (sections), and the Shinumo Quartzite, as erosion resistant 'prominences'. Only the Bright Angel Shale and Muav Limestone were deposited above the 'mountain island' prominences; Tapeats Sandstone was deposited around the 'Shinumo Quartzite island' perimeter, and can be seen in Bright Angel Canyon, west and northwest, the Phantom Creek drainage, north, and in the Trinity Creek drainage down the west perimeter, and upstream.
The Isis Temple-Cheops Pyramid is part of a localizedfault-block, uplifted; (it also contains 3 sub-faults[8] within it, parallel to the fault at its north border, Phantom Creek);[9] the fault bordering the fault-block west, is down Trinity Creek; the fault east is theBright Angel Fault, down Bright Angel Canyon, and on the south (South Rim side, 'south' of Middle Granite Gorge), through Garden Creek (canyon), of theBright Angel Trail.
TheUnkar Group, which forms the base of Isis Temple, consists of the Shinumo Quartzite, Hakatai Shale, and Bass Formation in descending order. The Unkar Group lies upon theVishnu Basement Rocks, which are exposed in Lower, Middle, and UpperGranite Gorge. The Unkar Group, and other subdivisions of the (Grand Canyon Supergroup), are tilted, about 15 degrees, as seen in photographs, or while viewing in Grand Canyon.
The following is the list of geologic units below the Isis Temple prominence (for 5-member Unkar Group fault–block, members 3 through 1):
The headwaters of Trinity Canyon lies at the south face ofShiva Temple (Grand Canyon). The eastern watershed north to south is Isis Temple with two side canyons of the western extension arms of the Isis Temple. The western watershed north to south is theClaude Birdseye Point prominence on a western arm of Shiva Temple (Arizona). Next is a series of three connected landforms, lowering in height southward –Osiris Temple (ht 6613 ft),Horus Temple (ht 6150 ft), andTower of Set (ht 6012 ft), bordering the outfall region into Granite Gorge and theColorado River.
Isis Temple can be viewed from the South Rim, from the viewpoints, west and east ofGrand Canyon Village, Arizona.Hopi Point (west), andYavapai Point (east), andMather Point, are both at Grand Canyon Village, and due-south of Isis Temple.
Isis Temple can be viewed from the North Rim, Bright Angel Point region; Isis Temple prominence is about 3-mi due south of Tiyo Point-(Tiyo Point Trail), and Isis and Cheops Pyramid are about 5-mi southwest ofBright Angel Point.[7]
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