Shiva Temple (Grand Canyon) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Shiva Temple
South aspect, from South Rim
Highest point
Elevation	7,646 ft (2,331 m)
Prominence	1,351 ft (412 m)
Isolation	2.65 mi (4.26 km)
Parent peak	Dragon Head (7,765 ft)
Geography
Shiva Temple Location in Arizona Show map of Arizona Shiva Temple Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Location	Grand Canyon Coconino County, Arizona, US
Parent range	Kaibab Plateau Colorado Plateau
Topo map	USGS Shiva Temple
Type of rock	Kaibab Limestone Coconino Sandstone
Climbing
Easiest route	class 4 climbing

Shiva Temple is a 7,646-foot-elevation (2,331 meter) summit located in the Grand Canyon, in Coconino County of Arizona, USA. It is situated six miles north of Hopi Point overlook of the canyon's South Rim, about 2.5 mi southwest of North Rim’s Tiyo Point, and two miles northwest of Isis Temple, where it towers 5,200 feet (1,585 meters) above the Colorado River. Shiva Temple is named for Shiva, the Hindu deity, destroyer of the universe. This name was applied by Clarence Dutton who began the tradition of naming geographical features in the Grand Canyon after mythological deities. Dutton believed Shiva Temple was the largest, grandest, and most majestic of the Grand Canyon buttes, with a broad, level, forested top. This mountain's name was officially adopted in 1906 by the U.S. Board on Geographic Names.

In 1937, the American Museum of Natural History led explorations to Shiva Temple and Wotans Throne in the belief that these buttes, isolated for 100,000 years from the plateau, may have evolved new species. The scientists discovered Anasazi ruins, deer antlers, and an empty Kodak film box that had been left behind by pioneer Emery Kolb and his friends, but no new species.

According to the Köppen climate classification system, Shiva Temple has a Cold semi-arid climate.

Geology

Shiva Temple strata

The top of Shiva Temple is composed of Permian Kaibab Limestone overlaying cream-colored, cliff-forming, Permian Coconino Sandstone. The conspicuous band of sandstone, which is the third-youngest strata in the Grand Canyon, was deposited 265 million years ago as sand dunes. Below the Coconino Sandstone is slope-forming, reddish terraces of the Pennsylvanian-Permian Supai Group. Further down are strata of Mississippian Redwall Limestone, and finally the Cambrian Tonto Group. Precipitation runoff from Shiva Temple drains south to the Colorado River via Trinity and Crystal Creeks.

Prominence-A plateau/tableland

The tableland plateau of Shiva Temple’s prominence is made up of a forest of Ponderosa Pine; also pines, junipers, shrubs, and cacti. The animals found in the survey expedition of 1937 were chipmunks, cottontail rabbits, pack rats, mice species, and rock squirrels.

Gallery

Images for kids

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  Geologic layers of Shiva Temple

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  Shiva Temple from southeast at Grandview Point