Description

Cataclysms on the Columbia – The Great Missoula Floods
By John Eliot Allen, Marjorie Burns, Scott Burns
204 pp. Ooligan Press, 2009. NEW EDITION!

This new edition of a popular book tells two stories. One follows geological research that challenged the scientific paradigm of the early 20th century, and the other chronicles the results of that research: the discovery of the powerful prehistoric floods that shaped the Pacific Northwest. The last Ice Age created the scabland buttes, dry falls, and dried river channels that nature enthusiasts admire and enjoy, but it took the detective work of geologist J Harlan Bretz to prove to the scientific community–and the world–that ancient floods could have scarred the earth so deeply. With a lifetime of research and an unshakeable belief, Bretz made history and changed geology forever.

This fascinating new edition of Cataclysms on the Columbia will take you on a journey back millions of years into the Pacific Northwest’s prehistoric past with updated scientific information and color photographs. Follow John Eliot Allen, Marjorie Burns, and Scott Burns as they examine Bretz’s groundbreaking geological studies and his personal struggle to change scientific theory. The story of the Ice Age Floods and the force of one man’s convictions is one that will leave a lasting impression.

This book is part of an Open Book Series by Ooligan Press, Portland State University. They are committed to becoming an academic leader in sustainable publishing practices.