Ice Age Floods Trail – Long-range Interpretive Plan Completed
One of the many steps in making the Ice Age Floods National Geologic Trail a reality is the development of a Long Range Interpretive Plan by and for the National Park Service who will administrate for the trail. This 108 page document is now complete, marking a major step forward in this process. Click here to view and/or download the low-res PDF version of this report. If you would like a printed copy or the high resolution version of the digital copy, please email Denise Bausch of the National Park Service at [sf_email]denise_bausch@nps.gov[/sf_email]
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 Ripples along the Columbia River at West Bar! The ripples at West Bar are 20 feet high, spaced up to 100 yards apart. Giant Current Ripples at Camas Prairie, Montana are also described. The Montana ripples helped Joseph Pardee understand that Glacial Lake Missoula had emptied suddenly. Learn more about Glacial Lake Missoula, Lake Bonneville and the Ice Age Floods at http://hugefloods.com/
Ice Age Floods Facebook Page
You may want to ‘Like‘ the Ice Age Floods Institute Facebook page to stay abreast of all the News and Shares coming out from the Institute. We’re sharing news and articles well beyond the Floods, including geology, natural history, general articles about the area, videoed talks, events, and any number of articles of general interest. Floods of water, floods of lava, rockin’ rocks, 2-Minute Geology, paleontology, and the mystical birth of the universe all get their 15+ seconds of fame. We’ll keep our eyes open to find and share items of interest to you, and of course you can share with us too.
Palagonite Maar Near Hood River
Palagonite Maar 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 the result of a “phreatic” eruption when lava erupted explosively from a volcanic vent through water, like a lake or groundwater. The rapid heating expansion of water to steam blew the rising lava out of the vent as tephra (volcanic rock fragments) ranging from ash-size to volcanic bombs (blobs of lava) up to several inches in diameter. Rapid oxidation of the water-quenched tephra turned the iron content to rust, producing the orangeish color of the tephra. The lava bombs were heavily fractured due to rapid cooling of the blob as it came in contact with the water and as it flew through the air. The tephra deposits dip inward on either side of a central gap toward the gap, with NE dips in the western section and NW dips in the eastern section, forming an inverted cone that converges downward toward the central gap. This feature is a “maar” deposit; an inverted cone of tephra and lava resulting from rapidly rising magma interacting with groundwater causing a steam-driven explosive eruption that builds the surrounding maar. The vent of this maar was in the area of the central gap.
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 Northwest is truly Disneyland for Geologists! The program begins in Lewiston, Idaho where the floods of lava and water are beautifully on display near the mouth of Hells Canyon. Early on, the Columbia River Basalts – eruptions of fluid lava from deep fissures – are featured. The Missoula Floods from Montana and the Bonneville Flood from Utah – the Ice Age Floods – are surveyed at an introductory level. And finally, the interaction between bedrock and fluid dynamics of the floodwater are highlighted through discussion of Ice Age erosional and depositional landforms. Key locations in the Pacific Northwest are featured, including the Snake River Canyon, Grand Coulee, Dry Falls, the Drumheller Channels, Wallula Gap, and the Columbia River Gorge. Tom Foster and Nick Zentner (Central Washington University) had been hiking together in eastern Washington for years. The result? A series of short videos that showcase geological wonders in the Pacific Northwest. This 16-minute video – Huge Floods in the Pacific Northwest – offers an introductory overview of spectacular geologic events that impacted much of Washington, Oregon, and Idaho. More than a dozen “2 Minute Geology” episodes are now available on Nick’s 2-Minute Geology YouTube channel.
IAFI at Gorge Tourism Studio
The Columbia River Gorge and Lower Columbia Chapters of the Ice Age Floods Institute recently participated in several Gorge Tourism Studio workshops and events intended to bring businesses, organizations, and individuals together to address Columbia River Gorge area tourism issues. The Columbia River Gorge is a unique tourism destination and scenic location. However, this destination is facing increasing challenges including congestion and overstressed infrastructure in many locations and extreme under-utilization and neglect in many others. Given the State and National significance of this destination, the Tourism Studio was designed to provide a unique opportunity for local stakeholders to develop creative solutions to the challenges facing this destination. The Studio was organized by Travel Oregon, and through a unique bi-state arrangement it included representatives from both sides of the Gorge. The Studio comprised 6 full-day workshops and 6 evening get-togethers addressing: Identifying major tourism issues and developing a vision for what Gorge tourism should look like Culinary & Agritourism – addressing farm-to-table issues of local farms, vineyards, orchards, and restaurants Cultural Heritage Tourism – addressing issues affecting the arts, culture, and heritage sectors Adventure Travel & Outdoor Recreation – addressing issues affecting the outdoor recreation and adventure sectors Tourism Marketing & Communications – learning how to create effective tourism marketing and communications Igniting Tourism Action Teams – developing Action Teams to push forward on solutions to the issues The ultimate intent is to establish a long-term sustainable balance in the utilization of the available resources and in the economic development of the area. There are likely to be many lessons and approaches developed out of these Action Teams that can have significance for addressing similar tourism issues throughout the widespread extent of the Ice Age Floods story. COLUMBIA RIVER GORGE What the Columbia River Gorge should look like in 15 Years – a Vision for Sustainable Tourism The Columbia River Gorge region including the nationally recognized Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area and the majestic Cascades Range of Mt. Adams (12,281 ft.) and Mt. Hood (11,249 ft) within which it’s nestled, offers our target visitor a world-class adventure travel experience. While the mighty Columbia River is its defining feature, nationally designated Wild and Scenic Rivers are the life blood of the region. The Sandy and the Deschutes Rivers flank its east/west boundaries while the White Salmon, Klickitat and the Hood River carve pathways from the Cascades. Free flowing whitewater draws in the adventurous whitewater soul, skilled fishermen and most importantly, salmon. This transition zone from rainforest to desert creates nuclear winds making the Gorge one of the world’s most sought after destinations for windsurfing, kiteboarding and technical sailing. Access to snow sports abounds on the peaks including year-round skiing on the Palmer Glacier. The region’s paved, gravel, and single-track terrain provide bicyclists with a flight-like, captivating experience of the scenic landscape. Signature trails including Gorge Towns to Trails, the Historic Columbia River Highway State Trail and the Pacific Crest Trail are significant draws to the region. These trails that connect waterfalls, world-renowned wildflower meadows, basalt bluffs and the Gorge’s charming towns are frequented by hikers, cyclists and trail runners alike due to the world-class experience that they provide. [TRANSPORTATION] Our seamlessly integrated region-wide transportation system allows visitors to come, travel, explore and connect– all without needing a car. Public and private transit options combined with our bike routes and trail systems have created a multi-modal web knitting together our communities, attractions and outdoor recreation. The region is vibrant with visitation, and traffic congestion is a thing of the past. [CULINARY/AGRICULTRE] The Gorge with its concentration of locally-owned boutique vineyards and small farms boasts an abundant and rich local food scene. Locals and visitors alike can easily eat what’s grown and produced here and visitors are welcomed by growers to have meaningful, quality on-farm experiences. Restauranteurs are well-connected with local growers adding value to locally produced ingredients and offering memorable foodie experiences. The visitor industry has helped contribute to alleviating hunger in the region. [CULTURE] The ‘Gorge Experience’ is unparalleled due to its exposure to history and culture. Locals in the Gorge’s charming communities help travelers gain a deep understanding of peoples who have inhabited the Gorge in the past, of people who reside here now, and of the natural and human forces that have shaped and reshaped the landscape. Stories of this powerful place, both cultural and natural, are infused into every element of the traveler experience. Local guides help travelers personalize and deepen their own connection to the place and an unusual and rich array of classes and events to experience local culture exist. Trails of national historic significance including the Lewis & Clark National Historic Trail, the Ice Age Floods National Geologic Trail, Historic Columbia River Highway State Trail and the Oregon Trail also bring the region’s history to life. [SEASONALITY/CONGESTION] Our intuitive visitor information system has reduced congestion, and spread the benefits to all corners of our region. We have effectively targeted the high-value visitor who appreciates the outdoors and local culture, is sensitive to their surroundings and enjoys people-powered activities. Visitors are coming year-round and staying multiple days. [BALANCE] We have found balance and offer an unforgettable visitor experience while preserving our unique living ecosystem of people, culture and nature. Local residents live in a harmonious and symbiotic relationship with our environment and with the people who travel from around the world to experience a slice of life in the Gorge.
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 gap between floating pieces of cooled crust are mesmerizing. The stunning footage was captured by US videographer Eric Cheng in February, 2015 and shows smoke and fire burning off the black marbled lava. Videographer / Director: Eric Cheng Producer: Mark Hodge, Chloe Browne Editor: Kyle Waters
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.
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 wind and water. But here, across 16,000 square miles of Washington State, abrupt rips and scars in the landscape defy this explanation. What could have formed these tall canyons and immense dry waterfalls? What could have gouged out these gigantic potholes? Whatever happened, the forces unleashed here created one of the Earth’s most enigmatic landscapes. For more than a century, scientists have been grappling with this geological mystery, descending through thousands of years of Earth’s history in a struggle to uncover, layer by layer, how this landscape was formed. Now the clues point to a sequence of events culminating in a massive natural catastrophe. Explore the features and reasoning that lead to the recognition of the “Missoula (Outburst) Floods” and helped to solve “The Mystery of the Megaflood (Spokane Floods or the Bretz Floods)”
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 in and out on providing an overview and close-ups of flood evidence. Music playing in the background helps the viewer focus on the information displayed in an unhurried manner. The viewer can stop the screen at any time to give them more time to study the information displayed in great clarity. For teaching, this methodology is suburb! Much better than a regular film or static photos. YouTube slideshow prepared by Bruce Bjornstad, published Dec 8, 2012