Thor Temple | |
---|---|
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 | |
Location |
Grand Canyon National Park Coconino County, Arizona, US |
Parent range |
Kaibab Plateau Colorado Plateau |
Topo map | USGS Walhalla Plateau |
Geology | |
Type of rock | limestone, shale, sandstone |
Climbing | |
First ascent | Alan Doty, May 1977 [3] |
Easiest route | class 4 climbing [1] |
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 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]
Thor 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.