A growing collection of information resources about the Ice Age Floods
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[wptabtitle]IAFI Floods Articles[/wptabtitle] [wptabcontent]
6 New ‘Nick On The Rocks’ Episodes
6 new short episodes of ’Nick On The Rocks’ aired on PBS this past winter! Each of these gems are short enough to be taken in by even the busiest of us, and yet have enough information to whet the … Read more…
Beryllium-10 dating of late Pleistocene megafloods and Cordilleran Ice Sheet retreat
Balbas et. al. use cosmogenic beryllium-10 dating methods to further constrain the timing of ice sheet retreat, as well as the potential pathways for megafloods from both Lake Missoula and Lake Columbia. Read this fascinating Geology article summarizing their findings. … Read more…
Castle Lake Basin
Castle Lake fills a plunge-pool at the base of a 300-ft tall cataract at the opposite (east) end of the Great Cataract Group from Dry Falls, above the east end of Deep Lake. A set of steel ladders put in … Read more…
Drumheller Channels
Drumheller Channels National Natural Landmark, Butte-and-Basin Scabland Best Observation Points By Automobile From Othello, drive 9.1 miles northwest on McManamon Road, a roadside pullout will be on your right, located at N 46.904049°; W 119.307105°. A short (<100 yard) trail leads … Read more…
Floodscapes Map
The map below shows a growing collection of locations and information about Ice Age Floodscapes (landscapes affected by the Ice Age Floods). Use Ctrl+Scroll to zoom, click-hold to drag the map around, click on markers for details, photos, and links … Read more…
Frenchman Coulee Drone Video
Bruce Bjornstad is at it again with his awesome Ice Age Floodscapes drone videos, this one from Frenchman Coulee. Watch it below and visit his Ice Age Floodscapes YouTube channel.for many more. Read more...
Glacial Lake Missoula
This feature-filled video by Tom Foster and Nick Zentner explores the evidence for Glacial Lake Missoula, and provides a treasure trove of places to visit and sights to see when you plan your field trip to the area. Read more...
Glacial Lake Missoula – A Portrait
In this video Tom Davis flies you back some 13,000 years ago to see and hear what the landscape of Glacial Lake Missoula might have looked and sounded like. A virtual recreation of the magical ice-age lake and its catastrophic … Read more…
Grant’s Getaways – Oregon’s Erratic Rocks
This episode of Grant’s Getaways features Lower Columbia President Rick Thompson and the Floods-borne erratics of the Willamette Valley Read more...
Historical Ruins to Visit While Exploring Floods Prehistory
If you love exploring in Washington, you’re probably at least somewhat curious about its past. And with plenty of documented historic and archaeological sites statewide, you can definitely learn quite a bit just by exploring. Washington’s history is so fascinating. … Read more…
Ice Age Flood Simulation Video
An interesting, 4 minute captioned video from UC Santa Cruz (ingomar200) of a satellite-view computer simulation illustrating flood paths and transient lakes of an Ice Age Flood. The video shows a physics-based computer simulation of the Great Flood from Glacial Lake Missoula … Read more…
Ice Age Floods – Giant Current Ripples
Check out this 2-Minute Geology expedition with Nick Zentner and Tom Foster exploring the Giant Current Ripples at West Bar and Camas Prairie. Ice age floodwater 650 feet deep – moving at 65 miles per hour – left Giant Current … Read more…
Ice Age Floods Touchet Bed Rhythmites
The Touchet Beds at Burlingame Canyon, White Bluffs, and Granger, WA are stacked lake deposits (rhythmites) from temporary lakes that formed as Ice Age Flood waters backed up behind the hydraulic dam constriction at the narrow Wallula Gap. Sediment thicknesses and … Read more…
Ice Age Floods’ Features
This is an amazing compilation of extra ordinary photographs that have been expertly labeled to assist the viewer’s understanding of the evidence supporting the creation of the Channelled Scablands in Eastern Washington State, USA. The photographs are panned and zoomed … Read more…
Lake Lewis High Water Markers Installed
In April, 2017, Lake Lewis members George Last and Bruce Bjornstad worked with Friends of Badger volunteers Jim Langdon (Trail Master) and David Beach to install Markers showing the Lake Lewis high water marks on Badger and Candy Mountains near … Read more…
Lake Lewis Isles
The crests of several hills south of the Tri-Cities rose above maximum flood level (~1,200 feet) during Ice Age flooding, making them islands in temporary Lake Lewis (Figure 1). Only the very tops of Badger and Candy Mountain poked out … Read more…
Lake Lewis Isles Tour
Lake Lewis Isles, Badger Mt. Centennial Preserve and Skyline Trail Best Observation Points By Auto: 1. Along State Route, SR 240 near mile posts 24-26, and along SR 224 and Interstate, I-82, in Richland and Kennewick, WA. 2. Along I-182 near … Read more…
Lava + Ice + Water = Floods Geology
Floods of lava (Columbia River Basalts) and Ice Age Floods of water (Lake Missoula floods and the Bonneville Flood) are world-famous topics among geologists. To have both sets of floods in the same area means the geology of the Inland … Read more…
Missoula Flood Rhythmites
Lake Missoula filled many times and emptied catastrophically in many Missoula Floods. Rhythmite sequences [a series of repeated beds of similar origin] at numerous localities provide this evidence: slack-water rhythmites in backflooded tributary valleys below the dam indicate multiple floods, … Read more…
Nova – Mystery of the Mega Flood
Monument Valley, the Grand Canyon, Niagara Falls: these ancient wonders show how nature’s forces have shaped the face of our planet on a vast timescale, how great landmarks are the work of millions of years of slow, imperceptible erosion by … Read more…
Palouse Falls
Palouse Falls State Park – Flood-Streamlined Hills, Marmes Rockshelter Best Observation Points By Automobile Palouse Falls is best seen from the overlook at Palouse Falls State Park, 2.3 miles east off State Route (SR) 261, approximately 60 highway miles from Pasco, Washington. … Read more…
Rowena Crest – Tom McCall Nature Preserve
Overlooking a major chokepoint along the Ice Age Floods path, Rowena Crest lies at nearly 700 feet above the Columbia River at the upstream end of Rowena Plateau, a miles-long promontory that protrudes into the path of the river. This … Read more…
The Great Blade – Bruce Bjornstad Video
“…there were a few double falls each member of which receded at approximately the same rate, so that the island in mid-channel became very much elongated, like a great blade, as the falls receded and the canyons lengthened.” J Harlen … Read more…
Uncovering a Columbian Mammoth
There’s a Columbian Mammoth hiding out in Coyote Canyon down Kennewick way, and MCBONES Research Center Foundation is working to uncover his/her hiding place. For a small contribution you can tour this hide-and-seek site, or you can volunteer to help … Read more…
Wallula Gap
Wallula Gap National Natural Landmark and Two Sisters Trail Best Observation Points By Automobile Drive south on eastbound US 12 from Pasco, WA. After crossing the Snake River, notice the gaping void across the Horse Heaven Hills to the south. … Read more…
Washington’s Ice Age Floods – ESRI Story Map
The Washington Geological Survey (formerly the Division of Geology and Earth Resources) has just released an ESRI story map about the Ice Age Floods in Washington. The story map: “tells the story of cataclysmic outburst floods that shaped the landscape … Read more…
West Bar Giant Current Ripples
Massive current ripples and dunes cover the surface of the West Bar pointbar. These unusual, huge current ripples deposited by Ice Age floods in eastern Washington are probably the largest and best example of giant current ripples on Earth. Video … Read more…
White Bluffs
White Bluffs – Hanford Reach National Monument – Rhythmites and Overlook Best Observation Points By Automobile Follow an unpaved road off State Route (SR) 24, approximately 17 highway miles southwest of Othello, Washington or 53 miles north Richland. At milepost … Read more…
Williams Lake Cataract Video
Williams Lake Cataract is an ancient, dry waterfall left behind along the Cheney-Palouse Scabland Tract in eastern Washington after Ice Age flooding recessionally ripped out underlying basalt to produce this massive cataract. Video produced by Bruce Bjornstad, Ice Age Floodscapes Read more...
[wptabtitle]IAFI Geology Articles[/wptabtitle] [wptabcontent]
6 New ‘Nick On The Rocks’ Episodes
6 new short episodes of ’Nick On The Rocks’ aired on PBS this past winter! Each of these gems are short enough to be taken in by even the busiest of us, and yet have enough information to whet the … Read more…
Castle Lake Basin
Castle Lake fills a plunge-pool at the base of a 300-ft tall cataract at the opposite (east) end of the Great Cataract Group from Dry Falls, above the east end of Deep Lake. A set of steel ladders put in … Read more…
Columbia Gorge Geology in 22:22 Minutes
This video by Tom Foster and Nick Zentner about the Columbia River Gorge features an incredible variety of geology and human history as it slices through the Cascade Range of the Pacific Northwest. The Columbia River Basalts, the Missoula Floods, … Read more…
Drone Footage Of Icelandic Lava River
Lake Of Fire: Drone Footage Of Icelandic Lava River 1:46 mins A drone camera flies over a red hot lava lake in freezing cold Iceland and nearly melts in the process. The everchanging rivers of glowing lava shining through the … Read more…
Drumheller Channels
Drumheller Channels National Natural Landmark, Butte-and-Basin Scabland Best Observation Points By Automobile From Othello, drive 9.1 miles northwest on McManamon Road, a roadside pullout will be on your right, located at N 46.904049°; W 119.307105°. A short (<100 yard) trail leads … Read more…
Exploring the “Volcanic Legacy Scenic By-Way”
VOLCANIC LEGACY SCENIC BYWAY, Ore. — Quartzite mountains. Pumice plains. Cinder cones. Volcanoes are the geology that shaped the Pacific Northwest — and there’s an easy way to view them on an incredible, scenic road trip. This 500-mile Volcanic Legacy Scenic … Read more…
Ice Age Floods Touchet Bed Rhythmites
The Touchet Beds at Burlingame Canyon, White Bluffs, and Granger, WA are stacked lake deposits (rhythmites) from temporary lakes that formed as Ice Age Flood waters backed up behind the hydraulic dam constriction at the narrow Wallula Gap. Sediment thicknesses and … Read more…
Lake Lewis Isles
The crests of several hills south of the Tri-Cities rose above maximum flood level (~1,200 feet) during Ice Age flooding, making them islands in temporary Lake Lewis (Figure 1). Only the very tops of Badger and Candy Mountain poked out … Read more…
Lava + Ice + Water = Floods Geology
Floods of lava (Columbia River Basalts) and Ice Age Floods of water (Lake Missoula floods and the Bonneville Flood) are world-famous topics among geologists. To have both sets of floods in the same area means the geology of the Inland … Read more…
Ortley Thrust in the Columbia Gorge
The near vertical beds known locally as The Pinnacles lie on the Washington side of the Columbia River Gorge, just west of Doug’s Beach and across the Columbia from Rowena OR, and are readily visible from I-84. The WA Interactive … Read more…
Palagonite Maar Near Hood River
Just west of Hood River is a distinctive, short (<500 m) section of stratified orangeish oxidized volcanic tephra and highly fractured lava bombs. This mixture of oxidized volcanic particles ranging down to sub-micrometer sizes mixed with the larger lava bombs is a palagonite tuff. This deposit is … Read more…
Palouse Falls
Palouse Falls State Park – Flood-Streamlined Hills, Marmes Rockshelter Best Observation Points By Automobile Palouse Falls is best seen from the overlook at Palouse Falls State Park, 2.3 miles east off State Route (SR) 261, approximately 60 highway miles from Pasco, Washington. … Read more…
Pillow Basalt and Palagonite – Lava Flowing into Water
Pillow basalt and palagonite are the result of lava flowing into water. We have a striking example in the Columbia River Gorge at the intersection of Hwy 30 and US 197 at the east end of The Dalles. This video gives … Read more…
Rowena Crest – Tom McCall Nature Preserve
Overlooking a major chokepoint along the Ice Age Floods path, Rowena Crest lies at nearly 700 feet above the Columbia River at the upstream end of Rowena Plateau, a miles-long promontory that protrudes into the path of the river. This … Read more…
Sediment Chimney at Lava Flow Base
This feature is seen in a roadcut on WA SR-14 just east of Chamberlain Lake Rest Area. We believe it is the result of a lava flow advancing in separate lobes onto a shallow marshy area. The lobes bulldozed the … Read more…
The Great Blade – Bruce Bjornstad Video
“…there were a few double falls each member of which receded at approximately the same rate, so that the island in mid-channel became very much elongated, like a great blade, as the falls receded and the canyons lengthened.” J Harlen … Read more…
Wallula Gap
Wallula Gap National Natural Landmark and Two Sisters Trail Best Observation Points By Automobile Drive south on eastbound US 12 from Pasco, WA. After crossing the Snake River, notice the gaping void across the Horse Heaven Hills to the south. … Read more…
West Bar Giant Current Ripples
Massive current ripples and dunes cover the surface of the West Bar pointbar. These unusual, huge current ripples deposited by Ice Age floods in eastern Washington are probably the largest and best example of giant current ripples on Earth. Video … Read more…
White Bluffs
White Bluffs – Hanford Reach National Monument – Rhythmites and Overlook Best Observation Points By Automobile Follow an unpaved road off State Route (SR) 24, approximately 17 highway miles southwest of Othello, Washington or 53 miles north Richland. At milepost … Read more…
Williams Lake Cataract Video
Williams Lake Cataract is an ancient, dry waterfall left behind along the Cheney-Palouse Scabland Tract in eastern Washington after Ice Age flooding recessionally ripped out underlying basalt to produce this massive cataract. Video produced by Bruce Bjornstad, Ice Age Floodscapes Read more...
[wptabtitle]IAFI Newsletter Articles[/wptabtitle] [wptabcontent]
Featured IAFI articles found in IAFI Newsletters and elsewhere
- A Brief History of the IAFI - Pritchard; J.; Winter 2005; v. 2; issue 4; p. 3.
- Bretz's Flood: The Remarkable Story of a Rebel Geologist and the World's Greatest Flood - Book Review by John Soennichsen; Winter; 2009; v. 6; n. 4; pg. 2.
- Cacti of Washington State - A History - Dixie Dringman; reprinted with permission from http://www.wenatcheeoutdoors.org; Fall; 2008; n. 5; v. 3; pg. 2.
- Castle Lake Cataract and Plunge Pool Hike - Excerpted from: On the Trail of the Ice Age Floods: The Northern Reaches; by Bruce Bjornstad and Eugene Kiver; Summer 2011; v 8; n 2; pg 6.
- Dry Falls - As the name suggests, Dry Falls no longer carries water, but is the remnant of what was once the largest waterfall known to have existed on earth.
- Dry Falls Trail - Bruce Bjornstad and Gene Kiver; Summer 2012; v 9 n 2
- Erratic Behavior on Rattlesnake Mountain; South-Central Washington - Bjornstad; B.; E. Jennett; J. Gaston; and G. Kleinknecht;; Spring 2004; v. 1; issue 1; p. 3.
- Floods Noah Had Nothing To Do With; A Road Tour from Missoula to Astoria - By Marv McCamey; Summer; 2007; v. 4; n. 2; pg. 3.
- Geology of the Yakima Bluffs - G. V. Last; K. R. Fecht; and B. N. Bjornstad; Summer 2009; v. 6; n. 2; pg. 3
- Glacial Lake Missoula Strandlines - The slopes on the northwestern facing aspects of the hills around Missoula, MT, have well developed strandlines or shorelines left over from Glacial Lake Missoula about 20,000 years ago.
- Gorge Discovery Center Kolk Pond - Just outside the giant windows at the end of the Columbia Gorge Discovery Center main gallery lies a large, water-filled Kolk pond dug into the basalt bedrock by turbulent flood waters during one or more of the Ice Age Floods.
- Green Monarch Divide Trail - By Bruce Bjornstad and Gene Kiver; Summer 2013; v 10; n 2; pg. 14
- Hoodoo Scablands at John Day Dam - Hoodoo Scablands just upstream of the John Day Dam are characterized by rubbly low-relief mounds and unusual standing spires (hoodoos) of remnant, Floods battered basalt.
- How Large Must an Iceberg be to Carry an Erratic - Husa; I.; Winter 2005; v. 2; issue 4; p. 4.
- Ice Age Floods Final Rest - The sediment-laden Ice Age Floods swept down the then exposed Columbia River channel, now the Astoria and Willapa Submarine Canyons, and on across the deep water Astoria Fan, Escanaba Trough and Tufts Fan.
- Ice-Age Floods Through the Western Channeled Scabland: Some Highlights of the Upcoming Field Trip - Bjornstad; B.N.; Spring 2006; v. 3; issue 1; p. 3-4.
- In Search of the Mid-Columbia's First People - Stapp; D.; Winter 2004; v. 1; issue 4; p. 3.
- J Harlen Bretz; (1882-1981) - Part 2 (continued from March Issue) - Cassandra Tate is a staff historian for http://www.historylink.org; the online encyclopedia of Washington State history. Her HistoryLink.org Essay 8382 article; is reprinted with permission.
Summer 2008; v. 5; n. 2; pg. 2. - J Harlen Bretz; (1882-1981) - Part I - by Cassandra Tate; Spring 2008; v. 5; n. 1; pg. 2.
Cassandra Tate is a staff historian for http://www.historylink.org; the online encyclopedia of Washington State history. Her HistoryLink.org Essay 8382 article; is reprinted with permission. - Mammoth Impacts of the Ice-Age Floods - Last; G.V.; Summer 2005; v. 2; issue 2; p. 3.
- Monster Rock, Ephrata Fan - The basalt and granite boulders now littering the Ephrata Fan were carried there by torrents of water that gushed out of a canyon called the Grand Coulee. The largest of these, “Monster Rock”, is estimated to be about 8m (25 feet) in diameter and contains over 500 cubic yards of rock that weighs over 1,500 tons!
- Mosier Granodiorite Erratic - In the bowels of an immense State of Oregon gravel pit, the eye is immediately caught by the huge lone boulder of white granodiorite in a sea of much smaller-sized chunks of black basalt.
- Potholes Coulee - Bruce Bjornstad; Winter 2011; v 8; n 4; pg. 2
- Preliminary Paleontology and Geology of the Coyote Canyon Mammoth Site; Benton County; Washington - By George V. Last ; Bax R. Barton ; and Gary C. Kleinknecht; Spring; 2013; v 10; n 1; pg. 10
- Rowena Crest - Overlooking a major chokepoint along the Ice Age Floods path, Rowena Crest lies at nearly 700 feet above the Columbia River at the upstream end of Rowena Plateau, a miles-long promontory that protrudes into the path of the river.
- Rowena Gap - Terry Hurd; Summer 2012; no 9; v 2
- The Ice Age Oregon Trail; Part One: From the Whitman Mission to the John Day River - Rick Thompson; v 11; n 1; Spring; 2014; pg. 13
- The Ice Age Oregon Trail; Part Two: John Day River to the Willamette Valley - Rick Thompson; Lower Columbia Chapter; Summer 2014; v 11; n 2; pg. 16
- The Kuray Ice Age Floods; Altai Mountains; Russia - George V. Last; Spring; 2007; v. 4; n. 1; pg. 3.
- The Lake and a Rug - By Norm Smyers; Spring 2008;v. 5; n. 1; pg. 4.
- The Tualatin And Yamhill Valleys In Northwest Oregon - Rick Thompson; Spring 2012; v 9; n 1; pg 6.
- Viewing the Ice Age Floods from a Trike - By Tom Tabbert; Spring 2013; v 10; n 1; pg. 14.
- Water That Was: Unearthing the Many Secrets of Glacial Lake Missoula - Stephens; P.; Summer 2006; v. 3; issue 2; p. 3-4.
[wptabtitle]Online Resources[/wptabtitle] [wptabcontent]
- A description of the Ice Age Floods - by Ronald J. Wasowski; C.S.C.
- Aftermath of the Ice Age Floods: A Bird’s Eye View - An illustrated overview of the Ice Age Floods highlighted with descriptions of aerial photos and maps. Compiled by Bruce Bjornstad (Pacific Northwest National Laboratory)
- An Age of Ice - Shows how the different sciences work together to explain what is presently known about the prehistoric past of the Pacific Northwest. Also deals with the first evidence of man found in this region.Warriner; G.; 1985; Camera One Productions: Seattle; Washington.
- Animated Video of One Missoula Floods Scenario - Phase by phase map animation of glacial ice damming of Glacial Lake Missoula and the path of a catastrophic Ice Age Flood after collapse of the ice dam. YouTube video by Douglas Merrick
- Applied Geology and Geochemistry Group - Pacific Northwest National Laboratory maintains several files containing slides and publications on the Ice Age Floods.
- Bruce Bjornstad's Website - Includes photos; maps; and aerial videos related to the Ice Age Floods as well as Bruce Bjornstad's geologic guidebook series: On the Trail of the Ice Age Floods
- Bruce Bjornstad's YouTube Channel - Includes photos; maps; and aerial videos related to the Ice Age Floods as well as Bruce Bjornstad's geologic guidebook series: On the Trail of the Ice Age Floods
- Columbia Gorge Geology Field Trip Guide - DeKay, L. & Hurd, T., 2021; A guide book to accompany IAFI-Columbia Gorge Chapter semi-annual field trips through the Columbia River Gorge. The central Columbia River Gorge is like a storybook of the past 40-50 million years, and we open and read from several chapters of that book in a 10 hour bus/walking tour of a 40 mile section of the Gorge between Cascade Locks, OR to Columbia Hills State Park, WA. As we turn some of those pages and take a glimpse into the incredible geology and more of the Columbia River Gorge, we will reveal many secrets that are hidden right in plain sight.
- Columbia River Gorge - HugeFloods (22:21): The Columbia River Gorge features an incredible variety of geology and human history as it slices through the Cascade Range of the Pacific Northwest. The Columbia River Basalts, the Missoula Floods, the Bonneville Flood, the Bridge of the Gods, Celilo Falls, Multnomah Falls, Beacon Rock, Lewis and Clark, the Oregon Trail, the Columbia River Highway, and more! Published on Apr 5, 2015
- Devils Canyon Coulee - Ice Age Floodscapes (7:46 min): An unsuspecting coulee in the southern Channeled Scabland. Published by Bruce Bjornstadt on Nov 13; 2015
- Flood Basalts and Glacier Floods-Roadside Geology of Parts of Walla Walla, Franklin, and Columbia Counties, Washington - Carson, Robert J., and Kevin R. Pogue, 1996, "Flood Basalts and Glacier Floods--Roadside Geology of Parts of Walla Walla, Franklin, and Columbia Counties, Washington," Division of Geology and Earth Resources Information Circular 90, Washington Dept. of Natural Resources, Olympia, Wash.
- GEOLOGY 496: Columbia Plateau/Channeled Scablands Field Course - North Dakota State University
- Geology of the Columbia Plateau - including Miocene basalt flows and Ice Age Floods (USGS).
- Geology of the Columbia River Gorge - US Forest Service site featuring information on the Ice Age Floods; basalt flows; previous paths of the Columbia River; and more.
- Geology of the Columbia River Gorge - Glossary - An illustrated glossary
- Glacial Lake Missoula - HugeFloods (18:51): Glacial Lake Missoula was the source of much of the water for the famous Ice Age Floods of the Pacific Northwest. Featured field evidence for the lake include strandlines above Missoula; Montana; giant current ripples at Camas Prairie; and striking rhythmites along Interstate 90 at Nine Mile Road near Missoula.Published on Jun 14; 2015
- Glacial Lake Missoula Website - This website is maintained by the Montana Natural History Center. The site presents a summary and virtual tour of the area impacted by Glacial Lake Missoula and the Ice Age floods.
- IAFI Floods Features Map - A map and information about Ice Age Floods features and geocaches at Ice Age Floods sites.
- Ice Age Floods, Lake Missoula, Bonneville Flood and the Columbia River Basalts - HugeFloods (18:17): Floods of lava (Columbia River Basalts) and Ice Age Floods of water (Lake Missoula floods and the Bonneville Flood) are world-famous topics among geologists. To have both sets of floods in the same area means the geology of the Inland Northwest is truly Disneyland for Geologists! Published on Dec 8; 2014
- Ice Age Floods' Features - YouTube slideshow prepared by Bruce Bjornstad, published Dec 8, 2012
- Missoula Flood Rhythmites - Ice Age Floodscapes (11:57): Slackwater sediments that record repeated Ice Age floods from Glacial Lake Missoula.Published by Bruce Bjornstadt on Aug 29; 2015
- National Park Service IAF-NGT Study - Study of alternatives for the proposed designation and development of an Ice Age Floods National Geologic Trail. The Trail will be a system of routes linking significant sites and interpretive facilities across the region. Legislation to fund this project is currently being considered. (For more about this project; see The Proposed Trail).
- Pleistocene Floods in different regions of the world - A brief overview/comparison (Arizona University).
- Recent Alaskan Glacial Outburst Floods - In our own times: A recurring glacial dam in Alaska failed on August 14; 2002. Russell Lake
- Rick Thompson's GIGAFLOOD Website - This site focuses on the largest Lake Missoula Flood; the effect it had in the lesser known NW Oregon and SW Washington areas and the evidence that can still be seen today. It offers books and drive guides so you can explore for yourself.
- Stev Ominski's (Floods Artist) Website - Stev H. Ominski Fine Arts: Long time professional artist; recognized for his attention to detail and thorough research. Ominski’s web site features a section on his continuing work about the Ice Age Floods.
- The Mystery of the Megaflood - PBS NOVA (53:37): Geologist J Harlen Bretz in 1923 was the first to propose a radical geologic theory-that huge geologic features in Americas Pacific Northwest were formed by catastrophic water flow. He named the Channeled Scablands; with its catastrophically water-carved coulees; dry waterfalls; potholes and huge erratic boulders. At that time; most scientists believed these geologic features were formed by gradual erosion and deposition following the notion of uniformitarianism; which ruled out sudden changes in the landscape by catastrophic events.
- The Soap Lake Conservancy - Soap Lake is a unique Ice Age Floods feature. Its highly mineralized water is home to a special collection of flora and fauna.
- Tom Foster's Blog - Photos and videos related to the Ice Age Floods; Glacial Lake Missoula; the Bonneville Flood and geology along Interstate 90 between Seattle and Spokane.
- Tom Foster's Huge Floods Website - Photos and videos related to the Ice Age Floods; Glacial Lake Missoula; the Bonneville Flood and geology along Interstate 90 between Seattle and Spokane.
- Trees of Stone: The Story of Ginkgo Petrified Forest State Park - Video posted to YouTube in 3 parts. Beneath the haunting desert landscape of central Washington lie the petrified remains of an achient forest nearly 15 million years old! This is the story of Ginkgo Petrified Forest State Park; part of a land once covered by trees and lush vegetation and then buried under lava millions of years ago.This video was originally produced by Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission (WSPRC); 1999; Videoland Productions; 22 minutes.
- Washington’s Channeled Scabland - Bretz, J Harlen, 1959, "Washington’s Channeled Scabland," Bulletin No. 45, Washington Division of Mines and Geology, Olympia, Wash.
- Willamette Valley Pleistocene Project - The Willamette Valley Pleistocene Project explores the late Pleistocene and early Holocene of the Willamette River Valley in Northwest Oregon. Composed of local volunteers and resources; avocational paleontologists; land owners; and local government working alongside trained professionals and museum staff; our goal is to discover; study; and preserve our prehistoric past.
[wptabtitle]Pacific NW Geology[/wptabtitle] [wptabcontent]
- A Self-Guided Tour of the Geology of the Columbia River Gorge - 2004; Norman; D.K.; and J.M. Roloff: Portland Airport to Skamania Lodge; Stevenson; Washington ; Open-File Report 2004-7; Washington Division of Geology and Earth Resources; Washington State Department of Natural Resources; Olympia; Washington.
- Benton City Sediments Field Trip - October 16, 2020, George V. Last and Stephen P. Reidel, Prepared for Earth’s History and Evolution, School of the Environment (SOE) - 210 Washington State University Tri-Cities. Explore early, middle and late Pleistocene Touche Beds and cataclysmic Ice Age Flood deposits and local river flash floods. The field trip encompasses 20 miles, includes 4 stops and will take approximately 2 hours to complete.
- Big Black Boring Rock: Essays on Northwest Geology - 2006; Reidel; Steve P.: Battelle Press; Columbus; Ohio; 142 p.
- Cameo Heights Quarry Field Trip - August 19, 2020, Stephen P. Reidel and George V. Last, Prepared for Earth’s History and Evolution, School of the Environment (SOE) - 210 Washington State University Tri-Cities. This field trip visits a single location to explore the Goose Creek member of the Columbia River Basalt, as well as a dike and a strike slip fault cutting through the outcrop. Please stay away from the quarry face as rocks often fall out unexpectedly.
- Cascadia: The Geologic Evolution of the Pacific Northwest - 1972; McKee; Bates : ; McGraw-Hill; New York (textbook).
- Channeled Scablands of Lincoln County - 1999; U.S. Bureau of Land Management: 1 sheet; scale 1:100
- Columbia Gorge Geology and the Ice Age Floods - DeKay, L., 2020; An slide overview of the geology in the Columbia River Gorge, including information about the Ice Age Floods.
- Columbia River Gorge - HugeFloods (22:21): The Columbia River Gorge features an incredible variety of geology and human history as it slices through the Cascade Range of the Pacific Northwest. The Columbia River Basalts, the Missoula Floods, the Bonneville Flood, the Bridge of the Gods, Celilo Falls, Multnomah Falls, Beacon Rock, Lewis and Clark, the Oregon Trail, the Columbia River Highway, and more! Published on Apr 5, 2015
- Columnar Basalt Field Trip - Learn about columnar basalt as we explore outcrops at Frenchman Coulee and Drumheller Channels. Leader: Nick Zentner - CWU Geology. 4.7 Mb field trip guide
- Digital Bibliography of the Geology and Mineral Resources of Washington - The file includes material dating from 1798 and is updated monthly. Compiler and editor is Connie Manson; librarian at the DNR Div. of Geology and Earth Resources Library in Olympia; Wash.; one of the best libraries for Washington geology material.
- Fire; Faults; & Floods: A Road & Trail Guide Exploring the Origins of the Columbia River Basin - 1997; Mueller; M.; and T. Mueller: University of Idaho Press; Moscow; Idaho. This road and trail guidebook introduces readers to outstanding geological features found in the Columbia River Basin. Available through IAFI Bookstore.
- Flood Basalts and Glacier Floods-Roadside Geology of Parts of Walla Walla, Franklin, and Columbia Counties, Washington - Carson, Robert J., and Kevin R. Pogue, 1996, "Flood Basalts and Glacier Floods--Roadside Geology of Parts of Walla Walla, Franklin, and Columbia Counties, Washington," Division of Geology and Earth Resources Information Circular 90, Washington Dept. of Natural Resources, Olympia, Wash.
- Geologic Road Trips in Grant County - 1996; Amara; Mark S.; and George E. Neff: Washington; ; Adam East (Now Moses Lake) Museum and Art Center ( 509-766-9395); Moses Lake; Wash.
- GEOLOGY 496: Columbia Plateau/Channeled Scablands Field Course - North Dakota State University
- Geology of the Columbia Plateau - including Miocene basalt flows and Ice Age Floods (USGS).
- Geology of the Columbia River Gorge - US Forest Service site featuring information on the Ice Age Floods; basalt flows; previous paths of the Columbia River; and more.
- Geology of the Columbia River Gorge - Glossary - An illustrated glossary
- Ginkgo Petrified Forest Virtual Field Trip - 2020, Stephen P. Reidel and George V. Last - Explore the settings and origins of the Ginkgo Petrified Forest in this virtual field trip to the Wanapum Recreation Area near Vantage, WA.
- HOODOO CHANNEL AND VALLEY: Remnants of the Ice Age Floods - When travelling north on Idaho State Hwy 95 out of Coeur d’Alene, you will be travelling on Ice Age Flood deposits that constitute the Rathdrum/Spokane Aquifer, the primary source of water for over 500K people living between Spokane, WA and Careywood, ID.
- Ice Harbor Volcano Field Trip Guide - 2020, September 26; Stephen P. Reidel, George V. Last: Prepared for Earth’s History and Evolution, School of the Environment (SOE) - 210, Washington State University Tri-Cities
- Leavenworth to Wellington Field Trip Guide - This field trip will take us on a transect from the eastern edge of the northeastern Cascades in Leavenworth to just west of the Cascade Crest at the old Great Northern railstop of Wellington. Enroute, we will see evidence for a variety of rock types, geologic structures, climates, glaciations, river and stream processes, vegetation, landslides, wildfires, and snow avalanches. This transect is an area of much historical significance because it has been a main transportation corridor since 1893. It is perhaps because of the intersection of transportation with geology, topography, climate, and vegetation that this area is most famous. While fire and avalanches have impacted this area for centuries, it is only in the last century with the growth of human population and infrastructure in the mountains that that these events have truly become hazards. Our final stop will explore a classic Cascade hazard—snow avalanches--at Wellington, the site of the deadliest snow avalanche disaster in North America. Leader: Karl Lillquist - CWU Geography. 4.5 MB Field Trip Guide
- Lower Grand Coulee Field Trip Guide - The Lower Grand Coulee extends from Dry Falls to Soap Lake. It is perhaps the most striking of the coulees of the Missoula Flood-created Channeled Scablands. We will explore saline lakes, ice age lakes, hanging valleys, flood bars, giant current ripples, folded Columbia River Basalts, butte and basin topography, potholes, caves, rhino casts, and human activity related to the ice age floods in the Lower Grand Coulee. Stops will include the Ephrata Expansion Bar south of Soap, Soap Lake (a closed basin lake at the downstream end of the Lower Grand Coulee), a flood bar covered with giant current ripples at the mouth of East Lenore Coulee, Lake Lenore caves (notable as models of human occupation sites in the area), and Dry Falls at the head of the coulee. Leader: Karl Lillquist - CWU Geography.
- Moses Coulee to Chelan Field Trip - The Mid-Columbia River between Moses Coulee and Chelan lies at a key natural boundary. Geology, physiography, climate, and vegetation change dramatically from west to east along this boundary. To the wetter west, lies the coniferous forest-shrouded Cascade Range and associated crystalline rocks of the Swakane and Chelan Mountains terranes. To the east, we see more arid, shrub steppe of the Columbia Plateau and underlying Columbia River Basalts. The northern portion of this area was shaped directly by the late Pleistocene Okanogan Lobe of the Cordilleran Icesheet while ice age floods impacted areas to the south. Our trip will focus on evidence for these intermingled glaciers and floods in this distinctive boundary environment. Stops will focus on key features of the flood and glacial story between Moses Coulee and Chelan. Leader: Karl Lillquist - CWU Geography. 4.5 Mb Field Trip Guide
- Northwest Exposures: A Geologic Story of the Northwest - 1995; Alt; David D.; and Donald W. Hyndman: Mountain Press; Missoula; Mont.
- Northwest Geological Society - The Northwest Geological Society provides information and links on a variety of geological topics in the Pacific Northwest; including the Ice Age Floods.
- Old Blewett Pass field trip (Fall 2015) - Explore the geology of the Old Blewett Pass area with Leader Nick Zentner of CWU Geology. 6.7 Mb field guide
- On the Trail of the Ice Age Floods - Northern Reaches - 2012; Bruce Bjornstadt; Publisher: Keokee Co. Publishing Inc.; 480 pages. This remarkably detailed and authoritative guide leads you by trail; road and aerial tour to discover for yourself the amazing world of cataclysmic flood geology. Available through IAFI Boorkstore.
- On the Trail of the Ice Age Floods: A Geological Field Guide to the Mid Columbia Basin - 2006; Bjornstad; Bruce N.: Keokee Publishing Inc.; Sandpoint; Idaho; 307p. During the last great Ice Age that ended some 15;000 years ago; the Pacific Northwest was repeatedly decimated by cataclysmic floods unlike anything of modern times. Available through IAFI Bookstore.
- Rattlesnake Ridge Facies Field Trip - 2020, August 28: George V. Last, Stephen P. Reidel; Prepared for Earth’s History and Evolution, School of the Environment (SOE) - 210, Washington State University Tri-Cities. There are three stops on this 50+ mile road trip. The trip starts at the Benton City river access area (Recreation Area and Boat Launch) and will take approximately 2 hours to complete.
- Ringold Landslide Field Trip - 2020, September 14; George V. Last, Stephen P. Reidel; Prepared for Earth’s History and Evolution, School of the Environment (SOE) - 210, Washington State University Tri-Cities - This trip will take about a 30 minute drive from WSU-TC to the main parking area. There is also a 0.4 mile hike on a gravel road to the first stop at the Miocene-Pliocene Ringold Formation and landslide. The second stop will examine Pleistocene age Flood gravels.
- Roadside Geology of Idaho - 1989; Alt; David D.; and Donald W. Hyndman: Mountain Press; Missoula; Mont.
- Roadside Geology of Montana - 1986; Alt; David D.; and Donald W. Hyndman: Mountain Press; Missoula; Mont.
- Roadside Geology of Oregon - 1978; Alt; David D.; and Donald W. Hyndman: Mountain Press; Missoula; Mont.
- Roadside Geology of Washington - 1984; Alt; David D.; and Donald W. Hyndman: Mountain Press; Missoula; Mont.
- The Channeled Scablands of Eastern Washington: The Geologic Story of the Spokane Flood - 1989; Weis; P.L.; and W.L. Newman; Eastern Washington University Press; Cheney; Wash.; second edition. This 25 page booklet gives a fantastic brief overview of the Ice Age Floods story. Available through IAFI Bookstore.
- The Geological History of the Wenatchee Valley and Adjacent Vicinity - 2006; Mason; Charles L.; World Publishing; Wenatchee; Washington; 167p. Describes the last two hundred million year unparalleled buffet of geological events in the Wenatchee Valley area. Available through IAFI Bookstore.
- The Magnificent Gateway: A Layman’s Guide to the Geology of the Columbia River Gorge - Allen, John Eliot, 1984, Timber Press, Portland, Ore. Describes in layman's terms the geological forces which have produced the Columbia River Gorge.
- The Restless Northwest: A Geological Story - Williams, Hill, 2002, Washington State University Press, Pullman, Wash. The Restless Northwest provides a brief, easy-to-follow overview of the geologic processes that shaped the Northwest. One of the attractions of the Northwest is its varied terrain, from the volcanic Cascade Range to the flood-scoured scablands of eastern Washington and the eroded peaks of the northern Rockies. These vast differences are the result of a collision of the old and the new.
- Touchet Bed Clastic Dikes Olympic-Wallowa Lineament Seismicity - Abstracts of papers prepared by Kevin Pogue of Whitman College.
- Washington’s Channeled Scabland - Bretz, J Harlen, 1959, "Washington’s Channeled Scabland," Bulletin No. 45, Washington Division of Mines and Geology, Olympia, Wash.
- Webber Canyon Field Trip - 2020, August 25; Stephen P. Reidel, George V. Last, Prepared for Earth’s History and Evolution, School of the Environment (SOE) - 210, Washington State University Tri-Cities; We are going to look at some Touchet beds, ash layers and 3 lava flows.
- Wenatchee Valley Ice Age Floods Geological Trail: Self Guided Driving Tours - Wenatchee Valley Convention and Visitors Bureau; 2005
- Yakima Bluffs Virtual Field Trip - 2020, George V. Last and Stephen P. Reidel - This field trip is 9 miles (about a 15 minute drive) from WSU-TC. From there it involves about 0.9 miles on unimproved trail with some bushwhacking in sometimes steep, uneven terrain. There are 4 main stops to examine the geologic history over the last 8.5 million years - starting with the oldest rocks and proceeding upward to younger and younger geologic outcrops
[wptabtitle]Press Articles[/wptabtitle] [wptabcontent]
- An Exquisite Scar - Magazine article describing the Channeled Scablands accompanied by a beautiful gallery of photographs. The article originally appeared in the Fall 2004 issue of Washington State Magazine.
- Erratics - Article in the Spring 2004 issue of Northwest Science & Technology on the distribution of erratics in the Pasco Basin. Features IAFI member Bruce Bjornstad. Reproduced with permission; Northwest Science & Technology Magazine; a publication of the University of Washington; Spring 2004; pp. 24-28.
- Ice Age Floods Trail Quite A Hike - Discusses the proposed Ice Age Floods National Geologic Trail. CBS News; 11/10/03.
- Possible park would tell story of Ice Age - Another article on the proposed National Geologic Trail. Bremerton Sun; 6/5/2000.
- Prosser Boulder believed to be from Ice Age flood - Discusses Floods origin of large granite erratic boulder. Features IAFI members Bruce Bjornstad and Gary Kleinknecht. Tri-City Herald; April 3; 2002.
- Sedimental Journey - Follows the path of the Ice Age Floods; with descriptions of many local features along the way; and numerous photos. Montanan (Univ. of Montana); Winter 2001.
- Sky-high icebergs carried boulders from the Rockies to south-central Washington - Web coverage of recent research on ice-rafted erratics by IAFI member Bruce Bjornstad and colleagues.
- The Clovis Conflict: 1987-1992 - A retrospective report by the Wenatchee World on the discovery and subsequent controversy surrounding the spectacular trove of stone tools made by the Clovis people. The stunning and beautiful arrow heads were found in an apple orchard on Pangborn Bar; the collossal Ice Age Floods gravel bar in East Wenatchee; WA. This special website is a valuable read for anyone interested in Washington state archaeology; Paleoindian studies; anthropological research; and historic preservation.
[wptabtitle]Tourism Resources[/wptabtitle] [wptabcontent]
- Bergstrom Aircraft - Floods Tours by Air - Located at the Pasco Airport; is a sponsor of the IAFI. A flight with Bergstrom’s offers a unique way to see flood features. It truly is the best way to see some kinds of features; and may be the only way to see others. We suggest scheduling your flight very early in the day- within a few hours of dawn- so that the low-angled light accentuates the contours. Evening hours work as well when mega-ripple features just jump out at you under a low-sun. More information at http://www.bergstromaircraft.com/
- IAFI Floods Features Map - A map and information about Ice Age Floods features and geocaches at Ice Age Floods sites.
- Tri-Cities; WA; Car Tour Map - A map for visiting and learning about Ice Age Floods features near Richland; WA. Link is to web page hosted by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL); where you can view an interactive Google Maps version and download a PDF version of the map (11 MB). To obtain a paper copy of the map; please contact the Tri-Cities Visitor and Convention Bureau; Mailing Address: PO Box 2241; Kennewick; WA 99302; Street Address: 6951 W. Grandridge Blvd.; Kennewick; Phone Number: 509.735.8486 / 800.254.5824; Fax Number: 509.783.9005.
- Wenatchee Valley Ice Age Floods Geological Trail: Self Guided Driving Tours - Wenatchee Valley Convention and Visitors Bureau; 2005
[wptabtitle]Videos and Slideshows[/wptabtitle] [wptabcontent] A growing number of videos and slideshows are available online and/or on DVD
- Aftermath of the Ice Age Floods: A Bird’s Eye View - An illustrated overview of the Ice Age Floods highlighted with descriptions of aerial photos and maps. Compiled by Bruce Bjornstad (Pacific Northwest National Laboratory)
- An Age of Ice - Shows how the different sciences work together to explain what is presently known about the prehistoric past of the Pacific Northwest. Also deals with the first evidence of man found in this region.Warriner; G.; 1985; Camera One Productions: Seattle; Washington.
- Animated Video of One Missoula Floods Scenario - Phase by phase map animation of glacial ice damming of Glacial Lake Missoula and the path of a catastrophic Ice Age Flood after collapse of the ice dam. YouTube video by Douglas Merrick
- Columbia Gorge Geology and the Ice Age Floods - DeKay, L., 2020; An slide overview of the geology in the Columbia River Gorge, including information about the Ice Age Floods.
- Columbia River Gorge - HugeFloods (22:21): The Columbia River Gorge features an incredible variety of geology and human history as it slices through the Cascade Range of the Pacific Northwest. The Columbia River Basalts, the Missoula Floods, the Bonneville Flood, the Bridge of the Gods, Celilo Falls, Multnomah Falls, Beacon Rock, Lewis and Clark, the Oregon Trail, the Columbia River Highway, and more! Published on Apr 5, 2015
- Devils Canyon Coulee - Ice Age Floodscapes (7:46 min): An unsuspecting coulee in the southern Channeled Scabland. Published by Bruce Bjornstadt on Nov 13; 2015
- Geocaching and the Ice Age Floods - Bjornstad; B.N.; 2005; Geological Society of America meeting; www.iafi.org/pdf/Bjornstad_GSA05.pdf.
- Glacial Lake Missoula - HugeFloods (18:51): Glacial Lake Missoula was the source of much of the water for the famous Ice Age Floods of the Pacific Northwest. Featured field evidence for the lake include strandlines above Missoula; Montana; giant current ripples at Camas Prairie; and striking rhythmites along Interstate 90 at Nine Mile Road near Missoula.Published on Jun 14; 2015
- Ice Age Floods, Lake Missoula, Bonneville Flood and the Columbia River Basalts - HugeFloods (18:17): Floods of lava (Columbia River Basalts) and Ice Age Floods of water (Lake Missoula floods and the Bonneville Flood) are world-famous topics among geologists. To have both sets of floods in the same area means the geology of the Inland Northwest is truly Disneyland for Geologists! Published on Dec 8; 2014
- Ice Age Floods' Features - YouTube slideshow prepared by Bruce Bjornstad, published Dec 8, 2012
- Missoula Flood Rhythmites - Ice Age Floodscapes (11:57): Slackwater sediments that record repeated Ice Age floods from Glacial Lake Missoula.Published by Bruce Bjornstadt on Aug 29; 2015
- Mystery of the Megaflood - Video available through the IAFI Bookstore. The Washington State “Scablands”; covering 16;000 square miles and one of the earth’s weirdest landscapes; poses a giant scientific riddle. NOVA Public Television; 2005; WGBH; Boston; 56 min.
- Really, Really Big Floods - Learn about the history of the Ice Age floods that shaped parts of the Pacific Northwest; aerial photography and animations help us visualize these enormous floods.KUFM Public Television; 2002.
- Sculpted by Floods The Northwest's Ice Age Legacy - Tells a story of the earth’s power; scientific discovery and human nature—the greatest story that is still just barely told.Produced by KSPS Public Television; 2001; 57 min. Available through IAFI Bookstore.
- Streamlined Palouse Hills Video - This 11-minute video is the 19th in a series of online YouTube videos that focus on the many unique and spectacular features created by Ice Age Megafloods. Streamlined Palouse Hills is the latest installment to the Ice Age Floodscapes YouTube Channel. In 1923, J Harlen Bretz wrote about Streamlined Palouse Hills: "It seems clear that they are but remnants of a once continuous cover of the basalt, and that the scablands have resulted from removal of the Palouse Hills by erosion by some unusual way. The basalt of the scablands is the firm and resistant foundation on which the hills stand."
- The Giant Lake Sacajawea Flood Bar Along the Snake River; Washington - Bjornstad; B.N.; 2002; available on the web in October 2006 at www.iafi.org/pdf/lsb2.pdf.
- The Great Ice Age Floods: Catastrophic Transformation of the West - Two programs on one DVD; available through the IAFI Bookstore; about the spectacular floods that radically changed the landscape of the Pacific Northwest some 17;000 years ago when Ice Age glacial dams near Missoula; Montana broke apart and unleashed an inland sea-what geologists believe is the greatest flood known to humankind.Program 1 produced by Washington State University in cooperation with Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area; National Park Service; program 2 produced by Oregon Public Broadcasting.
- The Mystery of the Megaflood - PBS NOVA (53:37): Geologist J Harlen Bretz in 1923 was the first to propose a radical geologic theory-that huge geologic features in Americas Pacific Northwest were formed by catastrophic water flow. He named the Channeled Scablands; with its catastrophically water-carved coulees; dry waterfalls; potholes and huge erratic boulders. At that time; most scientists believed these geologic features were formed by gradual erosion and deposition following the notion of uniformitarianism; which ruled out sudden changes in the landscape by catastrophic events.
- Trees of Stone: The Story of Ginkgo Petrified Forest State Park - Video posted to YouTube in 3 parts. Beneath the haunting desert landscape of central Washington lie the petrified remains of an achient forest nearly 15 million years old! This is the story of Ginkgo Petrified Forest State Park; part of a land once covered by trees and lush vegetation and then buried under lava millions of years ago.This video was originally produced by Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission (WSPRC); 1999; Videoland Productions; 22 minutes.
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