Ochoa Point facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Ochoa Point |
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| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 4,761 ft (1,451 m) |
| Prominence | 141 ft (43 m) |
| Isolation | 1.03 mi (1.66 km) |
| Parent peak | Apollo Temple |
| Geography | |
 Ochoa Point
Location in Arizona
Ochoa Point
Location in the United States
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| Location | Grand Canyon National Park Coconino County, Arizona, US |
| Parent range | Kaibab Plateau (Walhalla Plateau) Colorado Plateau |
| Topo map | USGS Desert View |
| Geology | |
| Age of rock | Cambrian down to Mesoproterozoic |
| Mountain type | sedimentary rock: shale, sandstone, siltstone, mudstone, volcanic rock: basalt, sandstone, mudstone, dolomite |
| Type of rock | Bright Angel Shale-(prominence-(slope-debris)) Tapeats Sandstone, Grand Canyon Supergroup-members, Nankoweap Formation Unkar Group-members-(5) 5_Cardenas Basalt, 4_Dox Formation |
Ochoa Point is a tall cliff-summit in the eastern Grand Canyon, Arizona. It stands 4,761 feet (about 1,451 meters) high! This amazing landform is located in Coconino County, USA. It's part of a ridge that extends southeast from another peak called Apollo Temple.
Ochoa Point is about one mile away from Apollo Temple. It's also close to the famous Colorado River, which flows about 1.5 miles to the southeast. If you look west from the East Rim of the Grand Canyon, you'll find Ochoa Point about 3.5 miles away.
What is Ochoa Point Made Of?
Ochoa Point is special because of the different types of rock layers that make it up. These layers tell a long story about Earth's history.
Dark Basalt and Red Layers
The lower parts of Ochoa Point and Apollo Temple have dark, almost black, cliffs. These are made of a rock called Cardenas Basalt. Basalt is a type of volcanic rock, formed from ancient lava flows.
Below the dark basalt, you can see bright reddish slopes. These are made of a rock formation called the Dox Formation. These layers are tilted at about 15 degrees.
Colorful Nankoweap and Flat Sandstone
Above the reddish Dox Formation, you'll find the Nankoweap Formation. This rock unit is very colorful and has many different bands or layers. It's a beautiful sight!
On top of all these tilted layers, there's a flat, short cliff made of Tapeats Sandstone. This flat layer is part of what geologists call the Tonto Platform. The place where the flat Tapeats Sandstone sits on top of the tilted older rocks is known as the Great Unconformity. This is a huge gap in time, showing millions of years of missing rock layers!
