NewsletterHeader

Ice Age Floods Institute

July 2024 Newsletter
Direct questions and comments to Newsletter Editor Lloyd DeKay

More Ways to Explore the Ice Age Floods

In this newsletter we give you some more ideas and inspirations for where to go and what to see while exploring Ice Age Floods landscapes!
For more information and suggestions visit our website at IAFI.org

Explore Historical Ice Age Floods Field Research Using Google Maps

Ice Age Floods Institute is now a repository for interactive Google Maps that show the travels and field locations/notes of J Harlan Bretz and other field researchers that led to, and continue to refine, Bretz's theories of massive floods having created the unique Ice Age Floods landscapes of the Pacific NW.
The maps were created by Glenn Cruickshank to enable users to locate individual field sites and associated field notes, and to intimately delve into the research, observations and speculations of adherents and detractors of the Ice Age Floods story in the PacNW.

These interactive maps can be used to zoom in and explore hundreds of Bretz's and others' field locations and notes throughout the area. The map links below open a dizzying realm of opportunities to more deeply explore the elements and thoughts behind the discoveries and historic research into the Ice Age Floods.
Explore Historical Ice Age Floods Field Research with Google Maps and Google Earth
Glenn Cruickshank has approved the hosting of his MyMaps and Google Earth KML/KMZ files on the IAFI.org website. Glenn is a member of the Institute and leads the “IAF Historical Locations on Google Earth” Working Group. The Google Earth KML/KMZ data files and copies of Bretz’s field notes can also be downloaded free of charge and without restriction at NickZentner.com. These maps are supported by Nick Zentner and by the Ice Age Floods Institute through the efforts of webmasters Lloyd DeKay and Chris Sheeran.

"Scabland - The Movie", A GE Odyssey

Scabland - The Movie, A Google Earth Odyssey
"Scabland" is a media complement to CWU Professor Nick Zentner's 2023-2024 A-Z YouTube geology series that reviews the ice age floods and the work of Professor J Harlen Bretz and others.
In this short animation, viewers virtually fly to a selection of locations visited by geologist Dr J Harlen Bretz, with quotes from his original field notes, geolocated in Google Earth and animated with Google Earth Studio. To see more visit https://www.geology.cwu.edu/facstaff/nick/gBRETZ/
This video was done as an experimental prototype by the authors, Glenn Cruickshank and Eric Larson, to showcase Google Earth, virtual special effects techniques, some of the spectacular landforms caused by the floods, the impacts of ice and water during the Last Glacial Maximum and the field locations of J Harlen Bretz.
Eric Larson in Billings MT runs Shashin Studio, a VFX video production company (contact@shashin.studio). Glenn is a retired photojournalist and consultant in Liberty Lake WA.

Credits: Glenn Cruickshank's and Eric Larson's "Two Steps From Hell" made with Google Earth and Google Earth Studio. Thanks to The Families of J Harlen Bretz and Thomas Large, Nick Zentner, Glenn Cruickshank, Bruce Bjornstad, The Ice Age Floods Institute, and many others. Click here to view media.

Discovery Park Bluffs Tell A Glacial Story

Discovery Park bluffs tell the story of Seattle's glacial history
Magnolia Bluff, Discovery Park, Seattle
The cliffs at Discovery Park in Seattle offer a glimpse into the past, revealing layers of sediment left behind by advancing and retreating glaciers. This "layer cake" of rock tells the story of the Cordilleran Ice Sheet's movement over the Seattle area during the most recent ice age.

Before we dive into the specific layers, let's rewind time. Over 100,000 years ago, Seattle's climate was similar to today, with a river system flowing north. As the Earth's climate cooled and became wetter, the Cordilleran Ice Sheet began to form in what is now southeast Alaska and British Columbia.

Fast forward to around 19,000 years ago. The massive ice sheet reached the Canada-US border, pushing southward and splitting into two lobes. One lobe went southwest down the Strait of Juan de Fuca, while the other, the Puget Lobe, advanced south over the Puget Sound region. When this lobe reached Port Townsend, it blocked the existing river, forming a giant proglacial lake.

By 18,000 years ago, the unstoppable ice sheet had overridden the lake and covered Seattle. Water was forced to find a new route south through the Chehalis River system. Around 16,900 years ago, the glacier reached its maximum extent, pushing all the way to Olympia and reaching thicknesses of up to 3,000 feet over Seattle.
Now, let's explore the layers of sediment visible at Discovery Park:
  • Olympia Formation: This is the oldest layer, formed before the most recent glacial advance. It consists of sand, clay, and silt deposited by a river system in a non-glacial environment. Imagine a climate similar to Seattle's present-day with streams, ponds, and backwaters.
  • Lawton Formation: As the ice sheet approached Seattle, a lake formed at the edge of the glacier. This layer is made up of dark clay deposited on the bottom of that lake. The fine-grained materials suggest deep, calm water.
  • Esperance Formation: As the ice got even closer, the particles deposited changed. This layer consists of sand, with some gravel lenses, deposited by glacial meltwater in a high-energy environment.
  • Vashon Formation: This layer, not visible at this specific location but found nearby, is the glacial till left behind by the retreating ice sheet. It's a mix of all sorts of materials – clay, silt, sand, pebbles, and boulders – deposited as the glacier melted.
These layers at Discovery Park serve as a record of Seattle's glacial past, offering a window into a time when massive ice sheets ruled the landscape.
Click here to read a more detailed article by Dale Lehman, President of the Puget Lobe Chapter, about this interesting glacial feature.

Hike to Erratics at Gingko Petrified Forest

In the approximate center of the state of Washington is the Gingko Petrified Forest State Park. And within the park is a trail, unnamed, which offers opportunities to view evidence of the terrific capabilities of the Ice Age Floods to transport huge boulders and leave large deposits of rock material.
Hike to Large Erratics in Gingko Petrified Forest State Park
The trail is off I-90 at exit 136 to the town of Vantage. After exiting the freeway travel north through Vantage for almost a quarter mile and turn right onto Recreation Dr. There is a sign to “Rocky Coulee Recreation Area.” It’s the old Highway 10 leading down to Lake Wanapum. This 0.3 mile section of road from the turn is bisecting the western margin of an eddy flood bar. The bar is about 0.75 mi in length and 0.25 mi in width. It extends down to the recreation area. At the end of this 0.3 mile section of road is the trailhead on your left. Parking is available here. A Discover Pass is required. The road continues another quarter mile to the Rocky Coulee Recreation Area at which restroom facilities are available. You could also park there.
The trail starts along a slope above the Rocky Coulee. The bedrock here is all dark colored basalt. But deposited intermittently on the ground are light colored granitic rocks. Because they are not from this bedrock and are of a different composition than the basalt they are termed erratic. Where did they come from and how did they get here? That is the story of this hike.
The last outburst floods from Glacial Lake Missoula are thought to have happened about 15,000 years ago. Huge chunks of ice, icebergs, broke away and carried whatever rocky material they had impounded during years of emplacement. The icebergs likely came from the Cordilleran Icesheet as it failed.
This material was often granitic boulders and cobbles. Erratics here might have come from Rocky Mountain “Belt” bedrock or from glacial ice transporting Columbia-Okanogan valley bedrock and alluvium.
When the flood waters made their way to this location, some 200 miles from their origin near Pend Oreille, they encountered some constrictions in the terrain which slowed their progress. The most significant constriction affecting this area was Wallula Gap, 70 miles south. It was less than 2 miles in width. That sounds like a wide gap but it was enough to prevent free flowing of these huge floods. Another, but less significant one, was Sentinel Gap, 10 miles to the south. Upon the waters slowing, eddies formed and the icebergs got caught up in those. The temporarily impounded water backed up onto these slopes. This resultant body of water has been named Glacial Lake Lewis. Inevitably some of the bergs became grounded on the slopes in the area. The highest erratic here is at 1,263 ft. The maximum water depth was about 800 ft. That’s about 700 ft above the existing water surface of Lake Wanapum reservoir. In the adjacent Schnebly Coulee erratics go up 3.5 miles. It’s estimated Lake Lewis existed and then drained within a few days, probably no more than a week. Upon the water finally receding through the gaps, with much less energy than upon arriving, the icebergs were left behind. Over time the bergs melted leaving behind their loads. These slopes are littered with hundreds of erratics. As you walk you can spot them along the trail. Most of them are small to moderate in size: less than 3ft².

About a quarter of a mile into the hike the road starts taking a 90° right turn. As you round that turn you can see that Rocky Coulee below you takes a sharp turn to the south before again traversing to the east. It is quite possible the slope on which we are standing, a landslide, blocked the coulee and constricted that tributary’s water flow. As the water rose high enough to overcome the barrier it found a newer path to the south of its original course. We’ll see more evidence of the landslide up the trail.
In another quarter mile, about half way to our destination there is a group of erratics on the right of the trail. There is more than one within a 3 foot radius so that makes it a cluster. But with fewer than 10 rocks in a 30 foot transect and the ground surface not greater than 3 feet higher than the surrounding terrain this is defined as a Low Density Erratic Cluster. This is a definition derived by a Central Washington University Masters student, Ryan Karlson in 2006. It incorporates a definition given by Bruce Bjornstad.
At this same location you can look to the north and see a head scarp from a translational landslide. This whole hike is on a landslide. Looking to the east you can see hummocky terrain. So, there are 3 signs of landslide on this hike: head scarp, hummocky terrain, and the irregular tributary channel seen earlier.
The soil here is very thin and nutrient poor: lithosol. It forms from weathered basalt, windblown loess, and volcanic ash. (You can still find ash from the 1980 Mt St. Helens eruption). It mainly supports a few species of sagebrush and bunchgrass along with seasonal wild flowers. Among the fauna found here are deer mice and ground squirrels. There are abundant Elk droppings you will see when leaving the trail to reach the destination erratic. I have seen a video of an Elk herd I would estimate was well over a hundred, perhaps two or three hundred running across nearby terrain. It was incredible!
Traveling up the trail another quarter of a mile you can see the destination erratic off to the left on the trail. It will take about a quarter of a mile walk off the trail to get to it.
This erratic is the single largest one in the park area at 85 ft². It’s 10 feet long and 8.5 feet high. It lies in a High Density Erratic Cluster, so designated because there are more than 10 in a 30 foot transect and the terrain has less than a 3 foot rise. This is a typical elevation for an erratic of this size. It is not at the highest level. It makes sense that a larger erratic would be in a larger berg. And a larger berg would come to rest on a slope well before reaching the maximum height. High density clusters would need at least 45 feet of water.

Another category of erratic, and an intriguing one is bergmounds. It also requires 10 erratics in a 30 foot transect but accompanied by a greater than 3 foot topographic relief. There are only 3 bergmounds in this park area. and none are seen on this trail. The bergs transporting them would have needed at least 100 feet of water.
Even though erratics here are predominately granitic, there are other types such as quartzite, diorite, and gneiss. Walking back down the trail I was fortunate to spot a Quartzite found on the trail.
This hike is probably most pleasantly done on a nice spring day. The grass will be green and the wild flowers in bloom. If it’s done in the summer, as I did, it’s best to go in the early morning. Later in the day the ground can heat up and act as a secondary heat source in addition to the sun. Bring plenty of water, sun screen and a hat. The trail is cobbly so wear study walking shoes or hiking boots.

Back in the town of Vantage, on Ginkgo Ave. is the Gingko Interpretive Center. It’s a nice state park facility with displays of the Ice Age Floods, Columbia River Basalts, and the Petrified Forest. It is a good stop before or after the hike. It also requires a Discovery Pass.

Good Luck and Good Hiking.
Mike Doran, President, Ellensburg Chapter of the Ice Age Flood Institute.

Information largely taken from Ryan Karlson's Master’s Thesis (2006): Investigation of Ice Age Flood Geomorphology and Stratigraphy in Ginkgo Petrified Forest State Park, Washington. Implications for Park Interpretation, and also from Bruce Bjornstad’s On the Trail of the Ice Age Floods: A geological field guide to the Mid-Columbia Basin.
Thanks to Dr. Karl Lillquist for his advice and guidance.

Ice Age Floods National Geologic Trail

Justin Radford, Program Manager for the Ice Age Floods National Geologic Trail, is on temporary assignment as Acting Park Manager, Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area. We expect to see more updates soon from him about the Ice Age Floods National Geologic Trail. Stay tuned.

National Park Service Volunteer Gigs

National Park Service Volunteer Gigs
National Volunteer Week is an annual celebration established in the U.S. in 1974. The National Park Service marked the occasion by recognizing those who already choose to spend their time volunteering in parks and urging others to consider doing so.
Join Volunteers-In-Parks (VIP) to support the National Park Service in its mission to preserve and protect our national parks. You can volunteer for a day or year-round; on your own or with friends and family; close to home or at a dream destination. Volunteer opportunities are available nationwide including in U.S. Territories.

What Can Volunteers Do?

The possibilities are as diverse as the national parks themselves. Here are some example volunteer activities:
  • Lead or support education and public-facing programs
  • Maintain or rebuild trails or historic buildings
  • Conduct research or monitor wildlife to preserve our natural resources
  • Help families make memories happen as a campground host
  • Teach others about the park and swear in new Junior Rangers in the visitor center
  • Support libraries, archives, and museums in parks to preserve our cultural resources
  • Produce art while staying in a park as an Artist-In-Residence
  • Educate train travelers on the natural and cultural heritage of a region through the Trails & Rails program
Check out National Park Service volunteer opportunities here.
Alternatively, if the prospect of making the country a greener and cleaner place sounds like an intriguing full-time gig for you, learn how you can apply to be one of the inaugural members of the newly formed American Climate Corps.
People-asking-questions

IAFI Question Corner

Interesting articles and answers to questions about things related to the Ice Age Floods
Use our online form to submit an article or question to our Question Corner page

There are 4 Pieces in Our "Big One" Puzzle

There are 4 Pieces in Our "Big One" Puzzle
The ground beneath our feet could be more complex than we thought! The Cascadia subduction zone, a giant underwater fault line stretching from California to Vancouver Island, has the potential to unleash massive earthquakes along the Pacific Northwest. New research reveals this megafault isn't one smooth piece, but rather several sections that could rupture independently.
This means a future earthquake might impact different areas in very different ways. "For places like Seattle and Tacoma," says study co-author Harold Tobin, a UW geophysicist, "it could be the difference between a scary jolt and a total disaster."

Unlike some subduction zones with frequent smaller quakes, Cascadia stays quiet, making it tough to study. But scientists recently gathered new seismic data along a 560-mile stretch of the fault. This data shows the incoming ocean floor isn't just diving under our continent, it's also subdivided into four main zones. One zone, stretching from southern Washington to Vancouver Island, is particularly interesting.
Here, the plates meet at a shallow angle, creating a large area of contact. Bigger area of contact means bigger potential earthquake, according to the study's lead author, Suzanne Carbotte.
The last major Cascadia quake hit in 1700, a monster estimated at magnitude 8.7 to 9.2. We don't know if that quake ruptured the entire fault or just one section. This new understanding of the fault's structure will help scientists predict future hazards, including ground shaking in places like Seattle and Vancouver, as well as tsunami risks along the coast.
The bottom line? This segmentation means scientists can make better predictions about how strong shaking might be in different areas during a future earthquake.
Read more in this Live Science article or watch this PBS YouTube video

Upcoming Calendar Events

July 18, 7-8pm
July 20, 10am-3pm
July 30, 5:30-6:30pm
Sept. 27-28
Dust in the Cockpit: Volcanic Ash Aviation Hazards
Dry Falls Flood Fest
Bill Burgel - Local Columbia Gorge Geology
2024 Ritzville Flood Fest
Find more Calendar events and details at http://iafi.org/events/
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).
Email Marketing Powered by MailPoet