Jan. 11, 2026

Natural Wonders

Natural Wonders
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Today we're celebrating the Grand Canyon's 1908 national monument proclamation and iconic natural wonders worldwide.

Test your knowledge with five engaging trivia questions, then stick around for the answers and fascinating explanations. Perfect for your morning commute, lunch break, or anytime you want to learn something new!



You may also like ODD ONE OUT. a new podcast with Mark Ellison!  Mark gives you 4 words, you decide which word does not belong.  Three rounds daily, quick and fun,

Portions of today's trivia podcast were made with the help of AI.

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Calaruga Shark Media. Hi, I'm Mark Ellison. In today's theme

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is Celebrating the Grand Canyons nineteen oh eight National Monument

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Proclamation and Iconic natural Wonders Worldwide. Question one. On January eleventh,

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nineteen oh eight, the Grand Canyon gained federal protection as

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a National monument. Which US President issued the proclamation and

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what law granted the authority? Question two. Deep in the

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Grand Canyon's inner gorge lie some of the oldest exposed

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rocks on the continent. What is the name of the

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dark ancient metamorphic formation visible there, dating to roughly one

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point seven billion years ago. Question three? Stretching more than

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twenty three hundred kilometers in the Coral Sea, what is

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the world's largest coral reef system? Renowned for its biodiverse

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city and protected as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Question four,

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known locally as Mossy Oatuna, the smoke that thunders? Which

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spectacular waterfall on the Zambizi River marks the border between

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Zambia and Zimbabwe. Question five. In nineteen forty three, a

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farmer in Mikawaka and Mexico watched a new volcano erupt

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and grow from his cornfield over days. What is the

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name of this Cindercne volcano often cited among modern lists

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of natural wonders. We'll be right back with these answers

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after this break. Welcome back. Question one. Who proclaimed the

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Grand Canyon a National monument in nineteen oh eight and

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under what law? Answer Theodore Roosevelt the Antiquities Act of

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nineteen oh six. Roosevelt used the newly passed Antiquities Act

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to quickly safeguard significant natural and cultural sites. The Grand

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Canyon was later elevated to National Park status in nineteen nineteen.

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Question two. What ancient metamorphic rock in the Grand Canyon

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dates to about one point seven billion years? Answer Vishnu Schist.

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The Vishnu Schist forms the canyon's basement rocks, recording intense

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heat and pressure from Earth's deep past, long before the

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Colorado River began carving the canyon. Question three. What is

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the world's largest coral reef system off Australia? Answer the

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Great Barrier Reef, Built by tiny coral polyps, The Great

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Barrier Reef supports thousands of species and helps protect coastlines.

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It was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in

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nineteen eighty one. Question four, which waterfall is called mosci

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oatuna the smoke that thunders? Answer Victoria Falls. Victoria Falls

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forms one of the largest continue a curtains of falling water.

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Explorer David Livingstone named it in eighteen fifty five, and

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it straddles the Zambia Zimbabwe border. Question five, Which Mexican

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volcano erupted from a cornfield in nineteen forty three? Answer

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Parachutean paracutan's nine year eruption built a cinder cone that

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buried nearby villages, giving scientists a rare chance to observe

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a volcano's birth and development in real time. That concludes

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today's five daily Trivia questions. I'm Mark Ellison, and today's

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questions were crafted with the help of AI technology. See

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you tomorrow.