Mammoths of Coyote Canyon

(06Nov24) Cataclysmic Ice Age floods (such as those released from Glacial Lake Missoula) Poured across Eastern Washington sweeping many mammoths and other creatures to their creatures to their deaths.  Their carcasses, along with other floating debris, were carried downstream into temporary lakes and back waters. In November 1999 mammoth bones were discovered in quarry south of Kennewick, Washington.  The sit was left undisturbed until it was rediscovered in2008.  At that time, it was established that the bones were located in Ice age Flood deposits. Upon rediscovery, excitement grew that this site might offer a unique opportunity for students, teachers, and researchers to investigate and study a well-preserved mammoth find in the context of Ice Age flood deposits. This presentation will include Columbian Mammoth origins, how this mammoth was discovered, it’s connection with the Ice Age Floods and how CCMS volunteers connect with the public. Ongoing excavation provides an opportunity for students, teachers, scientists, and community volunteers to collaborate among several scientific disciplines.  Also see the article titled “Coyote Canyon Mammoth Dig” on the “News and Event” page. Gary Kleinknecht is a former president of the Ice Age Floods Institute and a retired high school teacher from Kennewick, WA.  He taught Northwest History for decades and incorporated the Missoula Floods into his history course beginning in the 1980’s.  A few years before retirement he became involved with the rediscovery of a Columbian mammoth in the Horse Heaven Hills near Kennewick, Washington in 2010.  He has served as education director of the excavation since. Partial view of the site in 2014.     

Volunteers Help Shape the IAFI!

We’re reaching out to ask for your help. As we work toward our mission of promoting public awareness and education about the Ice Age Floods, our chapters have been facing a significant challenge: a shortage of active member volunteers willing to step into leadership roles or assist with essential chapter functions. Many of our current leaders are in their 70s and 80s, and the demands of their roles are becoming challenging. While our dedicated leaders works to maintain our organization’s momentum, we need support to ensure our continued growth and success. Your involvement will be crucial in helping to: Organize events: Assist with planning field trips, chapter functions, and speaker series. Provide administrative support: Help with recordkeeping, website updates, and newsletter contributions. Engage with the community: Connect with local schools and media outlets to spread awareness about our mission. Contribute fresh perspectives: Share your ideas and expertise to help us adapt to a changing world. Here are some ways you can get involved: Volunteer for events: Help plan and execute field trips, workshops, and conferences. Join a committee: Contribute to our leadership team and help make important decisions. Share your expertise: Offer your skills in areas like marketing, communications, or technology. By becoming more involved, you can: Strengthen your chapter: Contribute your time and skills to make your local chapter more vibrant and effective. Share your knowledge: Bring new ideas and contemporary skills to our organization. Support the organization: Help IAFI achieve its goals and become the foremost provider of Ice Age Floods information. No matter your level of experience or commitment, we welcome your participation. Whether you can volunteer a few hours a month or are interested in taking on a leadership role, your involvement will make a significant difference. The involvement of many will lighten the load on the few, and also bring a much-needed infusion of energy and fresh perspectives. We believe that by working together, we can strengthen our organization and better serve our mission of promoting public awareness and education about the Ice Age Floods. Your participation is essential. To get involved, please contact your local chapter through the IAFI.org website

The Case for Rapid and Recent flooding in the Upper Grand Coulee

24Sep2024 –  This month we are honored to have Dr. Karin Lehnigk, Postdoctoral Researcher at Georgia Tech, as our speaker. Upper Grand Coulee, the largest flood-carved canyon in the Channeled Scabland, has long intrigued scientists and non-scientists alike. Due to its large size, researchers have thought that it likely took multiple glaciations to incise upper Grand Coulee. However, recent geochemical dating and hydraulic simulations of flooding in and around upper Grand Coulee suggest that the canyon was carved by <10 floods, and that this erosion took place entirely during the last Ice Age. The young age and rapid growth of upper Grand Coulee indicates that the Missoula Floods were exceptional agents of landscape change, even compared to other highly-erosive events. The Channeled Scablands of eastern Washington is a perfect location to see how surface processes have changed the appearance of the landscape. Huge glacial outburst floods during the last ice age (Fraser) carved impressive canyons into the basalt bedrock, and the ice, water, and deposited sediment have left a complicated trail to decipher. Karin performed cosmogenic nuclide exposure dating on flood-transported boulders to determine what path the floods took at different points in time. Additionally, she simulated individual flood events by hydraulic modeling over various topographic reconstructions, to constrain the discharges of these floods. Her previous work has focused on river network geometry, using the shapes of fluvial networks on Mars to understand how volcanic activity influenced the movement of water during episodic meltwater floods. Originally from Virginia, Karin was drawn to geomorphology by the range of landscapes she encountered throughout the Mid-Atlantic. She completed her PhD at UMass Amherst, where she studied the landscape impacts of outburst floods in the Channeled Scabland, as well as in Nepal and Norway. She is currently investigating water/sediment interactions in outburst floods in the Himalaya and on Mars, as well as hazards from modern dam-break floods, as a postdoc at Georgia Tech.

October 7 @ 7:00 PM Puget Lobe Chapter Meeting: The case for rapid & recent flooding in upper Grand Coulee

     Dr. Karin Lehnigk The Channeled Scablands of eastern Washington is a perfect location to see how surface processes have changed the appearance of the landscape. Huge glacial outburst floods during the last ice age carved impressive canyons into the basalt bedrock, and the ice, water, and deposited sediment have left a complicated trail to decipher. Karin performed cosmogenic nuclide exposure dating on flood-transported boulders to determine what path the floods took at different points in time. Additionally, she simulated individual flood events by hydraulic modeling over various topographic reconstructions, to constrain the discharges of these floods. Her previous work has focused on river network geometry, using the shapes of fluvial networks on Mars to understand how volcanic activity influenced the movement of water during episodic meltwater floods. In person Bellevue College Main Campus R building room 110                                        Live streamed on Zoom    

Discovery Park bluffs tell the story of Seattle’s glacial history

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 written by Dale Lehman, President of the Puget Lobe Chapter, about this interesting glacial feature.

Unearthing the Secrets of Spokane Valley: A Recap of the IAFI June Jamboree

This year’s IAFI June Jamboree delved into the fascinating geological history of Spokane Valley, contrasting it with the iconic Grand Coulee and Dry Falls, explored during last year’s Jubilee. Challenging the Landscape: Unlike the open spaces of Dry Falls, Spokane Valley presented a unique challenge – showcasing evidence of Ice Age Floods within an urban environment. Our chapter tackled this brilliantly, organizing hikes and car caravans departing from convenient public parks and commercial areas. Evening Explorations: The program’s highlights included captivating lectures. Professor Emeritus Dean Kiefer shed light on J Harlen Bretz’s Spokane associates, while renowned naturalist Jack Nesbit brought the story of the first Columbian Mammoth discovered near Latah Creek in the 1800s to life. Celebrating Success: The Jamboree culminated in a relaxed gathering at Mirabeau Meadows. Registrants, leaders, and participants exchanged insights and experiences, with a resounding appreciation for the chapter’s efforts. Comparisons were drawn, highlighting how our Spokane Valley exploration continued the excellence of the Puget Lobe’s outing at Dry Falls last year. A Delicious Finale: The grand finale was a catered Longhorn Barbecue overflowing with delicious food. Everyone left satisfied, with many even taking home doggie bags to savor the flavors afterward. Check out more images from the event in this Google Photo Album. Meet the Masterminds: Linda & Mike McCollum: This dynamic professor emerita and a research geologist duo co-led tours and car caravans, sharing their latest research on the Spokane area’s Ice Age Floods, and shaping the Jamboree’s theme. Michael Hamilton: A gifted geologist, Michael led hikes and the bus trip, encouraging questions and offering honest answers. Don Chadbourne & Chris Sheeran: Don, the chapter treasurer, managed logistics with expertise, while Chris, our media and registration guru, ensured a smooth experience. Melanie Bell Gibbs: A past president and national board member, Melanie oversaw participant check-in and badge distribution. Dick Jensen: Dick handled bus transportation and provided crucial support throughout the Jamboree. Jim Fox: The chapter vice president secured speakers and offered his assistance wherever needed. We also owe a great deal to the participant volunteers who proved invaluable in assisting us in all our efforts. Through the combined efforts of many the IAFI June Jamboree was a resounding success, fostering exploration, education, and a deeper appreciation for the Spokane Valley’s unique geological heritage. Being present with so much information and conversation among such extensive expertise was to witness the scientific process in action. Meeting people from other chapters was particularly nice, putting faces with names we know.  We all learned a lot.

Scabland – The Movie, A Google Earth 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 re-treads 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 of these locations, visit https://www.geology.cwu.edu/facstaff/nick/gBRETZ/ This video was done as an experiment/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). Google Earth Glenn is a retired photojournalist and consultant in Liberty Lake WA. Credits: Glenn Cruickshank Eric Larson 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.

Puget Lobe Chapter Newsreels – A Continental Ice Sheet Background Perspective

(27Jan2024)  This post contains the newsreels shown at the bginning of our Chapter meetings.  Newsreels oroginally contain:  the current presenter, future presenter, Chapter/IAFI current information, and the “newsreel” of selected technical information germane to Continental Ice Sheets. The newsreel after the meeting is then parsed to show just the selected technical information about Continental Ice Sheets.   Each chapter describes a certain facet of the history of the ice sheets.  These chapters are an exact copy of what was shown at the meeting and are designed to fill the 10-15 minutes prior to the meeting start.  Subsequently, the chapters will be revised to add additional subject matter about that chapter subject.  And a revision date will be included so you, the viewer, will be able to see the expanded information. You need to click on the links below, then click the little window that shows up to see the synopsis/newsreel:  Since it’s a .pdf file, you may have to adjust the size of the page as you scroll through the newsreel on your computer. The current Synopsis is for meeting on:   In work intro: Chapter 1  Introduction – Milankovitch Hypothesis 01 Newsreel CH 1 pdf dtd: 29Sep2020 Chapter 2 Earth’s orbital perimeters 02 Newsreel CH 2 pdf dtd: 25Oct2020 Chapter 3 Defining the Pleistocene 03 Newsreel CH 3 pdf updtd: 05Oct2021. Chapter 4 Marine Sediment Cores 04 Newsreel CH 4 pdf updtd: 06Feb2021 Chapter 5 Fraser Glaciation Puget Lobe 05 Newsreel CH 5 pdf updtd: 06Feb2021 Chapter 6 Double Bluff/Possession LGM 06 Newsreel CH 6 pdf updtd: 07Feb2021 Chapter 7 Hood Canal Geology 07 Newsreel CH 7 pdf updtd: 07Feb2021 Chapter 8 Alpine, Cordilleran, Surging Glaciers 08 Newsreel CH 8 pdf 02Mar2021 Chapter 9 Dungeness River, Pillow Basalt 09 Newsreel CH 9 pdf dtd: 01Sep2021 Chapter 10 FS23 Olympic NF, Kame Terrace 10 Newsreel CH 10 dtd: 24Oct2021 Chapter 11 FS2340 and Dennie Ahl Esker field 11 Newsreel CH 11 dtd: 07Dec2021 Chapter 12 FS2340 Outwash Channel/Crag& Tail 12 Newsreel CH 12 dtd: 15Jan2022 Chapter 13 FS23, Rock Creek Canyon, Spider Lake 13 Newsreel Ch 13 dtd: 02May2022 Chapter 14 Port Ludlow Geological History  14 Newsreel Ch 14 See current Synopsis. DRAFT in work – URLs work.

Postmortem on the southern Cordilleran Ice Sheet

(21Feb2024) On 18 March 2924 at 7:00pm the Puget Lobe Chapter io the IAFI will have Dr Ralph A Haugerud give his presentation “the Postmortem on the Southern Cordilleran Ice sheet.  Death of an ice sheet can have many causes, as shown by retreat of the southern Cordilleran ice sheet about 15,000 years ago. East of the Cascades, the margin of active south-flowing ice retreated north as less snow fell and more melted.  West of the Cascades, the Juan de Fuca lobe of the ice sheet appears to have floated away in response to rising sea level, perhaps without a proximal climatic cause.  Collapse of the Juan de Fuca lobe diverted ice from the Puget lobe, which consequently stagnated at its margin and rapidly melted back. Later Sumas ice readvance in the Fraser Lowland may reflect stabilization of the remnant ice sheet by grounding as local sea level fell, followed by climate-driven retreat.             Ralph Haugerud received B.S. and M.S. degrees in Geology from Western Washington University and a Ph.D. in Geological Sciences from the University of Washington. Since joining the USGS in 1986, he has worked in the North Cascades Range, the Salish Lowland, and the Columbia Plateau. From 1990 to 2014 he was technical lead for the Puget Sound Lidar Consortium, and he has been instrumental in developing the GeMS standard for representing geologic maps in a Geographic Information System (GIS). His current efforts focus on the structure of Eocene strata in central Washington, features formed by glacial Lake Missoula outburst floods, and regional map compilation. The in-person portion will be at Bellevue College Bldg R, Rm R103. See separate post for location details.  For this meeting only there will be NO “Zoom” available.

Puget Lobe Chapter New Meeting Location

(24 Sep 2024) The Puget Lobe Chapter has changed its physical meeting location.  We will meet at Bellevue College, Bldg “R”, Room 110, just off I-90.  There is a cost of $3.00 per vehicle to park. We will continue with “Zoom” (https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82985244730) meetings for those that live across the pond or live substantial distances away.    Please note the meeting notice on the Chapter website homepage will be incorrect as of 06 Dec2023 and is awaiting correction.