IAFI Gorge(ous) Night Out in Salem & Olympia
Columbia Gorge Chapter of IAFI has joined the party It’s easy to see what makes the Gorge a spectacular experience to visitors, but what makes it special to those who live here, work here, and raise our families here? What parts do we play in the larger economic and political fabrics of the states and nation we’re part of? One Gorge (a young Gorge advocacy group) is trying to share who we are and why we matter at the state and national levels, and to promote the big infrastructure factors to help the Gorge community excel. To help our states of Oregon and Washington to better understand and recognize the who, what, and why of interests in the Gorge, One Gorge has worked with Gorge legislators to organize a 2nd annual Gorge(ous) Night Out for Oregon legislators in Salem, and a first-time event with Washington legislators in Olympia. These casual events bring a selection local businesses and organizations sharing products and information together with legislators just to make them more aware of the vibrancy of the Gorge. We’re bringing Columbia Gorge(ous) Geology and the Ice Age Floods to these parties. Two new 40″ x 60″ displays were finished in time for the Salem event on Feb. 3rd and they were extremely popular. Some suggested we were second in popularity only to Insitu UAVs, but we were also located immediately adjacent to the food table, so factor that into the popularity poll. Now everything is ready and tested for the Olympia event on Feb. 9th for Washington legislators, and we’re hoping to build some support there for the Ice Age Floods National Geologic Trail that is focused to a large extent on Washington. Although the main purpose of the Ice Age Floods Institute usually appears to be for education, outreach, and research, it is important to realize that we also have a strong advocacy role to play. When you support the Institute you are also a player in all our education, outreach, research, and advocacy efforts. Thanks to all for your support.
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 a good idea of how these basalt pillows form and what they look like.
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, 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!