Thor Temple
Landform in the Grand Canyon, Arizona
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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[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(s) | 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
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.
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Looking south from Francois Matthes Point, 1951.
