|
|
|
|
|
|
IAFI Leadership Losses
|
|
We're heartbroken to report the passing of two impactful members of the IAFI Leadership Team, Norman Smyers and Michael Doran.
|
|
|
|
|
|
"Norm" has been instrumental for many years in the establishment and growth of the Ice Age Floods Institute, as well as in the creation and designation of the Ice Age Floods National Geologic Trail. His guidance and devotion to IAFI has been critically important to the growth and health of the organization.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
"Mike" stepped up to take over the leadership of the Ellensburg Chapter at a critical time and helped to keep it on track and moving forward. Mike was always enthusiastic, ready and willing to take on the new challenges of leading the chapter and helping guide the IAFI organization. Michael Horner has stepped in to fill Mike's leadership position.
|
|
|
|
We're also sad to report that Dr. Gary Ford, the long-time president of the Ice Age Floods Institute, had to suddenly step down for serious health reasons. We hope and pray for his full and quick recovery. Vice-president Gary Kleinknecht is at the helm in the interim.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
We are searching for more leaders with fresh enthusiasm, ideas and drive.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
A free K–12 Educators Workshop was held Sat., Mar. 14 at the Columbia Gorge Discovery Center in The Dalles, and it was a great success. Rick Reynolds, from Engaging Every Student, led a class of 30 educators through our Ice Age Floods Detectives phenomena-based curriculum with information and classroom exercises to help students experience the incredible science story of the megafloods that shaped our landscape and history. The workshop was a success thanks to facility and materials support from the Discovery Center, the Columbia Gorge Stem Hub the Ice Age Floods Institute, and with financial support from the Avista Foundation.
|
|
|
|
|
Workshop featured
- Engaging classroom and field-based activities, including exciting ways to model Floods phenomena
- Stories of the megafloods that transformed the Northwest 18,000–12,000 years ago at the end of the Last Glacial Period
- Up to 7 Washington STEM Clock Hours and/or PDUs for license renewal in Oregon and other states
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Were pleased to announce that we've received and conditionally approved our first two grant requests for field trip support. And we've received over $1600 in additional donations to support the grant program.
|
|
IAFI and our 11 chapters are committing $5,000 annually to launch this effort,
|
|
With member support, we can reach even more students, classrooms, and communities. Your donations will directly fund real-world education — one classroom, one science fair, one budding geologist at a time.
|
Help us make the Ice Age Floods story come alive
|
|
|
|
|
Explore - Things to See and Do
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
On a cool morning in late March 2026, a group of 16 curious field trip participants stood atop a scenic viewpoint in Richland, Washington looking out over the Pasco Basin, with the Yakima and Columbia Rivers silently flowing below. George Last, a local geologist and field trip leader for the Lake Lewis Chapter of the Ice Age Floods Institute, was explaining a sequence of geologic events that shaped the region surrounding the Tri-Cities. Massive lava flows filled the Columbia Basin with layers of basalt thousands of feet thick. The successive flows combined with tectonic forces uplifted and formed the anticlines along the local section of the Olympic-Wallowa Lineament - on clear display here as a chain of large rolling hills stretching from Rattlesnake Mountain to our northwest to the Horse Heaven Hills southeast of our vantage point. Ancestral rivers, responding to the changes in topography, changed courses across the landscape, cutting new routes towards the Pacific Ocean. Finally, a series of cataclysmic ice age floods roared in from its northerly source, backing up behind the natural constriction of Wallula Gap to form temporary Lake Lewis. The hilltop we occupied would have been completely overtopped by over 400 feet of debris-laden floodwaters.
|
|
As we looked out onto this geologic foundation, a different landscape emerged in every direction. Our hilltop is capped by a community park. Below us, and along the hillsides of the looming anticlines nearby, the shrub-steppe slopes are blanketed with view-lot homes. Spreading out all around us is a fabric of roadways, housing developments, and commercial and industrial zones. Stretching out to the horizon are the irrigated fields, vineyards and orchards that have been an economic staple of the region since the early days of frontier settlement.
|
|
|
|
Throughout the remainder of our field trip, this juxtaposition of human settlement and natural history is ever-present. A vacant lot, surrounded on three sides by a housing development, hosts an outcrop of the Ringold formation, deposited from the ancestral Columbia River or its tributaries between 3.4 and 8.5 million years ago. An 8.5 million year old basalt flow and Ice Age flood deposits ranging from 780,000 to 220,000 years old lay exposed at various abandoned quarries and borrow pits along our route. Unfortunately, several Ice Age Floods features, previously accessible, are now sequestered behind no trespassing signs or have been lost entirely to new construction. Many participants share stories of excavators uncovering a behemoth of a glacial erratic, to be methodically broken down by hydraulic hammer and hauled away to parts unknown.
|
|
|
|
The final stop on the tour was the Coyote Canyon Mammoth Site outside Kennewick, operated by the MCBONES Research Center Foundation. The site is an active paleontology dig of a Columbian Mammoth, buried in late Pleistocene Ice Age flood deposits and loess. While our guide explains the methodical process of documenting each discovery, tour participants gaze upon a half-buried mammoth bone. One day this fragment will be fully exhumed after resting high in the hills for 17,500 years.
|
|
|
|
|
It is stories like MCBONES that remind us that amid all of the re-grading, paving, and backfilling, there are stories of discovery and preservation to be shared as well. Conservation and education organizations, in the Tri-Cities and other communities across the Ice Age Floods National Geologic Trail, work tirelessly to preserve natural areas, establish trail networks, and erect educational markers calling attention to the wide variety of plants, animals and geologic features across the landscape. As development continues to expand across this region, the challenge lies in recognizing that the ground beneath our feet is not just a foundation for homes and infrastructure, but a record of deep geologic time and discovery. By fostering a balance between growth and preservation, and by supporting education, research, and access to these remarkable features, we ensure that the stories written in stone–from ancient lava flows to Ice Age floods–remain visible, accessible, and meaningful for generations to come.
|
|
By John Young, Lake Lewis Chapter, Ice Age Floods Institute Read more
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Tonnemaker Hill Farm Map Location
|
|
It has long been well recognized that the Missoula Floods greatly impacted central Washington, and there are many examples of the magnitude of the floods, its reach, and dynamics. However, there is still debate on the number, size and timing and dating of these events. What is also less well known are some of the casualties of the floods. At least one feature is helping to tell the story of some of the last floods to grace the landscape.
|
In 2015, a mammoth was discovered at Tonnemaker Hill Farm along the north edge of the Frenchman Hills in Grant County, Washington. Luke Tonnemaker was plowing up an alfalfa field when he made the discovery. Intensive study of the site was led by geologist George Last, paleontologist Bax Barton, local soil scientist and geologist Mark Amara, Gary Kleinknecht, education director, from the MCBONES Research Foundation, a volunteer excavation crew from MCBONES and the Tonnemaker family. The researchers coordinated with farm co-owners, Luke and his father, Kole Tonnemaker, and their wives Amanda and Sonia respectively, to professionally excavate, stabilize retrieved mammoth bones, identify as many bones as possible, and recreate the geology and history of the site.
|
|
Mammoth remains are not that uncommon in Washington with several hundred animals discovered in the state, though fewer than 100 of those discoveries are located in eastern Washington. What is significant about this mammoth site is that it is one of the few finds that has received this much intensive study. Over 130 bones and bone fragments from a single Columbia mammoth were recovered with about 69 specimens identified. The animal was estimated to be between 25-30 years of age based on characteristics of its dentition, and it even lived with a damaged rib which had healed.
|
|
|
George Last's prepared diagram
The presence of three distinct volcanic ash (tephra) layers and soil analyses suggests that at least four different Missoula flood event episodes are represented in the sediments beneath the mammoth bone bed. Dating of the site revealed that the animal post-dated identified Mount St Helens tephra eruptions that deposited ash in distinct horizons below the bones in water borne deposits. Dates associated with ash samples identified at WSU confirmed two of the layers correspond to Mount St. Helens S series while the topmost tephra shows some compositional variability but had similarities to the J or S series. Tephra ages ranged roughly from 14,000-16.000 years ago. Further dating through Utah State University was provided by optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) samples which gave dates ranging from 16-19,000 years ago. Since the bones are above the highest tephra and OSL sampling sites, the find is definitely younger than 16,000 years ago and was on the edge of one of last Pleistocene Missoula floods slack water lakes to cover this part of Washington. These conclusions were corroborated by analyzing the stratigraphy of the site and describing the soil which confirmed environments of deposition.
|
|
Since the bones were above the aforementioned tephra layers and OSL sampling locations, and are at the interface of apparent windblown silts and Missoula floods slackwater deposits, it is still unclear how and when the animal died. However, the co-location of the mammoth remains with apparent ice-rafted erratic cobbles and boulders in fine-grained Missoula flood sediments, supports interpretation that the mammoth could have been carried in and left behind by a late breaking Missoula flood. Alternatively, it could have become mired in the mud along the shoreline and/or was killed by predators or even died in a subsequent drier period. Still the intensive studies to date have shown that this is an area with unique geologic history, one that is still unfolding.
|
|
|
|
|
The Tonnemaker family has the recovered bones on display at their farm store and annually, including 2026, hold tours of the mammoth site during the Othello Sandhill Crane Festival held in March each year. There are a variety of papers, poster presentations and articles published or defended at meetings held by the Northwest Scientific Association and Geological Society of America, and a final report of findings between 2016-2024, with summaries highlighted, is available for viewing at the farm.
|
|
Article by Mark Amara, Geologist, IAFI Lower Grand Coulee Chapter Webpost
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Without aerial views of the Ice Age Flood lands, we would still be debating the origins and nature of these features. Satellite and aircraft photos provide a broad overview of the channeled scablands, but in recent years, drones have given us a low-cost tool for close-up aerial photography. The detailed close-up view of the scablands showcases not only the region's geology but also its incredible beauty. When I first saw Twin Lakes at sunrise, with the ethereal sight of fog rising from the lakes, I realized drones can help bring the scablands to the public.
|
|
|
|
The dry cataracts at Potholes Coulee are another stunning feature not visible from the Ancient Lakes Trailhead but accessible by small aircraft. The trailhead is a popular starting point for exploring the coulee, with a rugged trail leading to the remnant cataracts that overlook the Columbia River. When the drone turned around and the dry falls came into view, I was awed by the cliffs towering over Babcock Bench. The photos tell a story of raging floods and giant waterfalls that have been silent for thousands of years.
|
|
|
|
Lakeview Ranch (North of Odessa, WA) tells another story. The floodwaters flowing down Lake Creek Coulee spread out in this area, carving a random, chaotic landscape as they entered Crab Creek near Odessa. Bob's Lakes, central to this area of chaos, are a central feature of this terrain, and the surrounding buttes and cliffs stand as a testament to the flood.
|
|
|
|
Large Crater on Crater Loop Trail
|
|
A short distance to the northeast of Lakeview Ranch (on state road 21) is an excellent collection of structures called kolks, also called potholes. These are circular depressions drilled out by vortices in the flood waters and are not obvious from the road. All of these channeled scabland features are paradoxically difficult to see from ground level!
|
|
|
|
Flood Channel into Coffeepot Lake
|
The first time I flew a drone over Coffeepot Lake, part of the Lake Creek coulee system, the flood channels feeding into the lake became immediately obvious! Another paradox is that extremely high-altitude photos, such as those from satellites or high-altitude aircraft, make finer landscape features less obvious or even invisible. Low-flying aircraft, such as helicopters, are a possibility, but are costly to operate. Drones strike the middle ground with affordability and reasonable photographic scale. Unmanned aircraft have been flying since World War II, but with the mass production of powerful batteries, motors, and microprocessors, the aircraft's reliability, size, and cost have become accessible to the average person.
|
|
More Details About Drones
|
Drones put high-quality flying cameras in the hands of geologists and others interested in geology. A drone, also known as an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), is controlled by a pilot on the ground using a radio control system. The drone uses a high-quality camera to take images. So what can all of this fancy technology do? Many things!
|
|
Search and rescue, mapping, power line inspections, and motion pictures are common uses for UAVs. They provide access to geologic features that are inaccessible or too dangerous for direct inspection. This access is a huge win for people studying the Ice Age Floods!
|
|
|
|
|
|
Ice Age Floods National Geologic Trail News
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Spring is bringing renewed energy across the Ice Age Floods National Geologic Trail, and I am pleased to share several updates on ongoing work and collaborations that continue to strengthen how we tell the floods story with our partners.
|
Trail Brochures Heading Out Across the Region
The National Park Service recently placed an order with the Government Publishing Office for a new printing of Trail brochures. A total of 21,600 brochures will be distributed to twenty-eight partner organizations across the four-state region. These partners play an essential role in delivering high-quality flood information into the hands of visitors, educators, and residents who want to explore this remarkable landscape.
|
Supporting Long-Range Planning for the Trail
Work is underway with planning staff from the Pacific West Regional Office and the Denver Service Center on a Preliminary Planning Project. This early planning effort will allow the National Park Service to begin shaping a more comprehensive management approach for the Trail and ensure that long-term needs and partner expectations are built into future planning conversations.
|
Teacher Workshops and Educational Partnerships
The National Park Service is proud to continue partnering with the Education Committee of the Ice Age Floods Institute. The Institute has taken the lead in organizing teacher-training workshops, developing a new fourth-grade curriculum, and launching a grants program to help school districts adopt it. The Institute’s leadership on these efforts is making a measurable difference in how young learners across the region are introduced to the Ice Age floods.
|
|
New Interpretive Animation
The NPS Ice Age floods animation released in January brought a new tool to communities, educators, and interpreters, and we are already hearing excellent feedback. Many partners have found creative ways to use the animation in public programs, museum settings, classrooms, and community presentations. I want to extend sincere thanks to the members of the Ice Age Floods Institute for their support throughout the development of this tool. Its value is clearly demonstrated by how widely and enthusiastically it is being used.
|
Exploring New Technology for Interpretation and Data Sharing
The Trail is in the early planning stages of two technology-focused efforts with the National Park Service: Natural Resource Stewardship and Science, Inventory and Monitoring Program. The first is a potential condition assessment to help the Trail better understand the state of key flood features. The second is an exploratory effort to determine whether AI-generated three-dimensional mapping could improve how geologic information is organized and shared.
|
At the Institute’s most recent board meeting, I presented work from Terrain 360 to help illustrate what innovative visualization tools can offer. We will continue to coordinate discussions among subject matter experts and content developers to explore new ways to organize and present data, information, and interpretation related to the Trail.
|
Thank you to the Institute’s members, volunteers, and partners for your continued dedication to the story of the Ice Age floods. I look forward to seeing many of you out on the Trail in the months ahead.
Justin Radford
National Park Service
Ice Age Floods National Geologic Trail
|
|
|
|
|
|
Science in the News
|
To feed our members' interest in life-long learning, we share information about the Floods and other science topics. Use our online form to submit an article or question that others might appreciate.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The three major types of volcanoes—cinder cone, composite, and shield—each exhibit unique, lesser-known subterranean and surface features, including lava bombs, lahars, and spatter. Other types of volcanoes include lava domes, calderas, fissure volcanoes, and Maars and tuff rings.
|
Even if you don’t live near a volcano, you’ve been impacted by their activity.
|
It’s estimated that more than 80% of our planet’s surface has been shaped by volcanic activity. They’ve helped create our mountain ranges, plains, and plateaus, and have even helped fertilize the land that we now use to grow crops.
|
These critical mounds come in many shapes and sizes. This graphic by Giulia De Amicis provides a brief introduction to volcanoes, explaining their different types of shapes and eruptions.
|
|
Magma usually stays underground because of a balance between its upward pressure, the weight of the Earth’s crust above, and the crust’s rock strength. Landslides can reduce crust weight, while built-up gas pressure can strengthen magmastatic pressure.Thin, runny flows spread quickly before cooling, producing expansive layers that build over time into wide shield volcanoes. The ejection and fast hardening of thicker lava flows and pyroclastic material create steep slopes and the characteristic cone shape of composite volcanoes.
|
|
|
Volcanoes vary in size and structure, depending on how they’re formed. Most volcanoes types fall into four main groups:Shield Volcanoes - Shield volcanoes are built slowly, from low-viscosity lava that spreads far and quick. The lava eventually dries to form a thin, wide sheet, and after repeated eruptions, a mount starts to form.
From the top, these types of volcanoes look like a shield, hence the name. While these volcanoes take a while to form, they aren’t necessarily low. In fact, the world’s tallest active volcano, Mauna Kea in Hawaii, is a shield volcano.Stratovolcanoes - Also known as composite volcanoes, stratovolcanoes are built relatively fast, at least compared to shield volcanoes. This is because, in between lava eruptions, composite volcanoes emit ash and rock, which helps add structure to the mound rather quickly. Some well-known composite volcanoes are Mount Fuji in Japan, Mount St. Helens in Washington, and Mount Cotopaxi in Ecuador.
|
|
Volcanic Domes- Opposite to shield volcanoes, volcanic domes are formed when lava is highly-viscous. Because the thick lava can’t travel very far, it starts to pool around the volcano’s vent.This can sometimes create a pressure build-up, meaning dome volcanoes are prone to explosive eruptions.
|
|
Cinder Cones - These types of volcanoes typically don’t release lava. Rather, their eruptions typically emit volcanic ash and rocks, known as pyroclastic products. Cinder cones are characterized by a bowl-shaped crater at the top, and usually don’t exceed 400 m (1,312 ft) in height.
|
|
|
|
The composition of magma affects the explosivity of volcanic eruptions. Silicate-rich magma contains extensive molecular chains that trap dissolved gases like water and carbon dioxide. These gases build pressure until they violently escape, creating explosive eruptions. Low-silica magmas produce gentler eruptions categorized as effusive.
|
Magma usually stays underground because of a balance between its upward pressure, the weight of the Earth’s crust above, and the crust’s rock strength. Landslides can reduce crust weight, while built-up gas pressure can strengthen magmastatic pressure.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
IAFI Store's Inventory Reduction Sale is your chance to dive deeper into the story of the spectacular Ice Age Floods.
|
We're making room for exciting new items, which means steep discounts of 10% to over 40% on a selection of Ice Age Floods merchandise. Whether you're shopping for the Floods enthusiast in your life, a curious student, or treating yourself to something extraordinary, now's the perfect time to explore the fascinating world of the cataclysmic floods that carved the Pacific Northwest.
|
What Makes This Sale Special?
From educational materials that bring ancient catastrophes to life, to unique gifts that celebrate the power of water and ice, our collection offers something for every curious mind. These aren't just presents – they're gateways to understanding the massive forces that shaped our landscape thousands of years ago.
|
As an added gift for you, every order comes with a free IAFI window decal – your badge of honor showing you're passionate about the incredible science behind the Ice Age Floods story. It's more than just merchandise; it's a conversation starter about one of the world's most dramatic chapters.
|
Limited time only. Shop now while inventory lasts and discover why the Ice Age Floods continue to captivate scientists and nature lovers alike.
|
|
Ready to explore? Visit the IAFI Store today and make this Christmas a journey into the catastrophic world of the Ice Age Floods.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Ice Age Floods Institute (IAFI) is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt, non-profit educational organization (EIN 91-1658221), founded in 1995 and recognized as an official authority on the Ice Age Floods, providing accurate, scientific-based advice to members and the public. We were instrumental in 2009 Federal legislation authorizing National Park Service designation of the
Ice Age Floods National Geologic Trail (IAFNGT).
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
