Thor Temple is a 6,741-foot (2,055 m)-elevation summit located in the Grand Canyon, in Coconino County of northern Arizona, United States.[2] It is situated 2.5 miles (4.0 km) west-northwest of Cape Royal on the canyon's North Rim, 3.5 miles (5.6 km) east of Brahma Temple, and 2 miles (3.2 km) north-northwest of Wotans Throne. It rises 4,300 feet (1,300 m) above the Colorado River in 5 miles (8.0 km). According to the Köppen climate classification system, Thor Temple is located in a cold semi-arid climate zone.[4]
| Thor Temple | |
|---|---|
 North aspect, from North Rim | |
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 6,741 ft (2,055 m)[1] |
| Prominence | 769 ft (234 m)[1] |
| Parent peak | Wotans Throne (7,740 ft)[1] |
| Isolation | 2.12 mi (3.41 km)[1] |
| Coordinates | 36°07′50″N 111°58′51″W / 36.1304645°N 111.9808601°W[2] |
| Geography | |
  Thor Temple Location in Arizona  Thor Temple Thor Temple (the United States) | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Arizona |
| County | Coconino |
| Protected area | Grand Canyon National Park |
| Parent range | Kaibab Plateau Colorado Plateau |
| Topo map | USGS Walhalla Plateau |
| Geology | |
| Rock type | limestone, shale, sandstone |
| Climbing | |
| First ascent | Alan Doty, May 1977[3] |
| Easiest route | class 4 climbing[1] |
Thor Temple is named for Thor, the hammer-wielding god associated with lightning, thunder, and storms in Germanic mythology, and son of Wotan.[5] This name was applied by geologist François E. Matthes, in keeping with Clarence Dutton's practice of naming geographical features in the Grand Canyon after mythological deities.[6][7] A variant name for this landform is "Thors Hammer."[2] This geographical feature's name was officially adopted in 1906 by the U.S. Board on Geographic Names.[2]
Geology
editThor Temple is composed of strata of the Pennsylvanian-Permian Supai Group. Further down are strata of Mississippian Redwall Limestone, Cambrian Tonto Group, and finally Proterozoic Unkar Group at creek level.[8] Precipitation runoff from Thor Temple drains southwest to the Colorado River via Clear Creek.
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Looking south from Francois Matthes Point, 1951.
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b c d e "Thor Temple – 6,741' AZ". Lists of John. Retrieved 2021-01-15.
- ^ a b c d "Thor Temple". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved 2021-01-15.
- ^ Harvey Butchart, Grand Canyon Treks 12,000 Miles Through the Grand Canyon, 1998, Spotted Dog Press, ISBN 978-0964753020, p. 140.
- ^ Peel, M. C.; Finlayson, B. L.; McMahon, T. A. (2007). "Updated world map of the Köppen−Geiger climate classification". Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci. 11. ISSN 1027-5606.
- ^ N.H. Darton, Story of the Grand Canyon of Arizona, 1917, page 81.
- ^ Stephen J. Pyne, Voyager: Seeking Newer Worlds in the Third Great Age of Discovery, 2010, Penguin Group.
- ^ Randy Moore and Kara Felicia Witt, The Grand Canyon: An Encyclopedia of Geography, History, and Culture, 2018, ABC-CLIO Publisher, p. 151.
- ^ N.H. Darton, Story of the Grand Canyon of Arizona, 1917.
External links
edit
- Weather forecast: National Weather Service
- Thor Temple from Francois Matthes Point. 1969 photo