"The real voyage of
discovery
consists not in seeking
new landscapes
but in having new eyes."
--- Marcel Proust
The unique map below shows the placement of rock formations
(typically
in the form
of mountains
or ) in
and around
the
Valley of
the Sun,
in central
Arizona.
Find out
why the
Phoenix area
is such .
Explore it!Click
on names
for some
great views
of the
Valley,
geological
information,
and
recommendations
for the most
scenic
resort
settings and
landscapes.
Each name connects you to a series of scenes. For more
geologic
information,
and a
FREE map
download,
please
see below*.
The area shown above measures about 50 miles (80 km) West to East, by 40 miles (64km) North to South, and encompasses approximately 2000 square miles (5200 km).
Population (year 2010) of the Phoenix metropolitan area is estimated to be about 4.4 million. Towering sun-blasted rock formations and exotic cacti abound in this northern region of the vast Sonoran Desert.
* There is
more
accompanying
information
on our
GeoHistory
page.
(<
>)
You can also download and print a more
geologically
detailed
version of
this map
and its
accompanying
color-coded
GeoHistory
in PDF
format
(.7MB).
If you don't have Adobe Acrobat Reader (with which to view it), you
can download
it from the
page.
This map and all contents, except view below, (C) 2024
by Richard Allen.
All
rights
reserved.
Looking
south
(current
image,
usually updated
every 15
minutes), from
North
Mountain,
at downtown
Phoenix,
with
South
Mountain
in the
background,
and the
Sierra
Estrella
in the
distance on
the right.
The angle of
view is
shown on the
map above by
a "^".
Central
Avenue is
the
prominent
road running
from the
right
foreground
into the
distance.
View courtesy of Arizona Department of Environmental Quality, at Phoenix Visibility Web Cameras.
