There are many different ideas of how the Grand Canyon was formed. There are theories from evolutionary geologists; the old-earth creationists; and the young-earth creationists. This topic is of great interest to me, and I would like to highlight the view points of the youth-earth creationists, because I found their theories to be most in line with scripture.
The Grand Canyon is about three hundred miles long, a mile deep, and varies in width from four to twelve miles across. This is a big geological structure which makes it very obvious to all of us that it took a great event/process to create such a beautiful place.
According to evolutionary geologist and even old-earth creationists, the Grand Canyon began forming about 17 million years ago. Although scientists say that they aren't for sure how the Grand Canyon was formed, they believe that there were several steps in creating the Grand Canyon. The biggest factor mentioned in creating the Grand Canyon, even if it is located in a desert, was through erosion both by water and wind.
Young-earth creation scientists believe that the layers of rock in the Grand Canyon were created about five thousand years ago by the world wide flood which Noah, his family and animals representing all the "kinds" survived in the ark. If we consider the current rates of erosion, it would take about 71,000 years to erode the amount of Grand Canyon that is missing as of today. That would leave over 70 million years worth of eroded material unaccounted for. The big question basically ends up being is did it form slowly over millions of years with a little water or quickly with a lot of water.
This quote from a page from the Answers in Genesis website http://www.answersingenesis.org/creation/v18/i2/grand_canyon.asp explains the geological formation of the Grand Canyon from a creatinist and catastrophist view:
Creationist geologist Dr Steven Austin says:
'The crystalline-basement rocks exposed deep within the Canyon (schist, granite, and gneiss) represent some of earth's oldest rocks, probably from early in Creation Week. Tilted, deeply buried strata (the "Grand Canyon Supergroup") show evidence of catastrophic-marine sedimentation and tectonics associated with the formation of an ocean basin midway through Creation Week, and may include ocean deposits from the post-Creation, but pre-Flood world. The Canyon's characteristic horizontally stratified layers (the "Paleozoic Strata") are up to 4,000 feet thick [1,200 metres] and are understood to be broad sedimentary deposits in northern Arizona dating from the early part of Noah's Flood. Remnants of strata overlying the rim of Grand Canyon (the "Mesozoic Strata") are associated with a widespread erosion surface.'2
Dr Austin says that these features suggest tectonics, sedimentation, and erosion during the last half of the Flood year as the Colorado Plateau was lifted more than a mile above sea level.
'The catastrophic erosion of Grand Canyon (probably a result of drainage of lakes) was associated with river-terrace gravels, lake sediments, landslide deposits, and lava flows of the post-Flood period,' he says.3
Rather than being easily explained by evolutionists, the formation of the Grand Canyon is a problem for evolutionists, but fits well into the framework of the Bible.
I believe that the creation days in Genesis were 24 hour days, and, therefore find myself in agreement with the young-earth creationist on the formation of the Grand Canyon. Here are links to more Answers in Genesis articles about the Grand Canyon that may be of interest:
The Case of the 'Missing' Geologic Time:
http://www.answersingenesis.org/creation/v14/i3/time.asp
Grand Canyon Limestone-Fast or Slow Deposits:
http://www.answersingenesis.org/creation/v17/i3/limestone.asp
Grand Canyon: Startling Evidence for Noah's Flood (foot prints and sand 'dunes' in Grand Canyon sandstone):
http://www.answersingenesis.org/creation/v15/i1/flood.asp
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