COPPER CANYON

Copper Canyon is a magnificent system of canyons located at the Western Sierra Madre in southwest Chihuahua, México.

Its origin is a combined phenomenon of tectonics, volcanic activity and erosion. It is also home for the “Tarahumara” or “Rarámuri” indigenous people.

It is perhaps the largest system of canyons in the world, located in a relatively small area (24000 square Miles).
Some 90 million years ago the Tethys sea was occupying what now is the whole state of Chihuahua. At that time, the farallon plate sub ducted underneath the bottom of the sea and started pushing up. The melting of the farallon plate created big energy which had to be released somehow That’s why the volcanic activity accumulated all kinds of volcanic material in Copper Canyon and brought the huge deposits of minerals thorough out this vast territory.
Copper Canyon had at the highlands a pine and oak forest and at the bottom of the canyons it is a tropical deciduous forest. That tells us of a big diversity in fauna.

“The Copper Canyon” by Gustavo Lozano.