What are LIPs (like the Columbia River Basalt large igneous province)?
We came across an interesting article in IFLScience that pertains to our own Washington and Oregon backyard and might be of interest to our fans. Here’s a short excerpt from the article that goes much more in depth about the ramifications of past LIPs and the potential comparable effects of our current contributors to global climate change. Siberia, India, Southwest China, Ethiopia, and Yemen – dotted around the globe, there are areas that stand out, geologically speaking, from the rest of the world. Why? Because they’re large igneous provinces (LIPs): massive, sprawling regions of igneous rocks, formed tens or even hundreds of millions of years ago in volcanic eruptions so huge that they changed the face of the planet itself. “You have the potential for truly enormous eruptions, possibly up to 10,000 cubic kilometers erupted in a single event,” Leif Karlstrom, an Earth scientist at the University of Oregon, told PBS. “And that will happen repeatedly over the course of a large igneous province event.” “These lava flows blanket the earth, and they travel for hundreds of kilometers,” he explained. “The flow rate is so high that they are not cooling – [they’re] flooding the landscape, filling in topography, and forming a stack of basaltic rocks that can be kilometers thick.”So, what would an LIP eruption look like? Well, think of the biggest volcanic eruption you know. Krakatoa, maybe, which, when it erupted in 1883, was responsible for more than 35,000 deaths and could be heard as far away as Australia; perhaps Mount Tambora, whose eruption in 1815 was the largest in recorded history, sending ash raining down over thousands of kilometers in every direction and producing the so-called “Year Without a Summer” in 1816. Anything like that will do. Now scale that up by a factor of, oh, let’s say 10,000, and you have an idea of what a large igneous province event might look like. “A LIP is not a single dramatic event like Mount Pinatubo, or the explosive Mount Tambora eruption in 1815,” explained Stephen Grasby and David Bond, geologists at the Geological Survey of Canada and the University of Hull respectively, in a 2023 article for Elements magazine. Instead, radiometric dating “indicates that LIPs extruded lava flows over tens if not hundreds of thousands of years,” the pair wrote. “As such, LIP events are better thought of as a long series of many thousands of seemingly mild Laki-like eruptions, rather than a single massive explosive eruption.” “Mild” may be understating it. Laki, they acknowledge, is a volcanic fissure in Iceland which, when it erupted in 1783 and 1784, “decimated Iceland’s livestock and crops, leading to a famine that killed approximately a quarter of the island’s human population,” as well as “cool[ing] the Northern Hemisphere so much that crops failed and livestock across Europe was poisoned, leading to – according to some historians – the French Revolution.” In other words: an LIP event is akin to some of the biggest, most impactful volcanic eruptions – but if they simply never stopped erupting. And after a while, the world just can’t cope with such an onslaught. Read more
Introducing IAFI’s K-12 Education Grant Program
Empowering Teachers to Share the Ice Age Floods Story with Students Mini-grants of up to $500 now available for K-12 educators Open Application Period The Ice Age Floods Institute is proud and excited to announce a groundbreaking initiative to bring one of Earth’s most dramatic geological stories into classrooms across the Pacific Northwest. Our new K-12 Education Grant Program provides targeted funding to help teachers and students explore, understand, and share the remarkable Ice Age Floods narrative with their communities. The Challenge We’re Addressing The Ice Age Floods story may seem straightforward to those who’ve studied it, but explaining these catastrophic events to newcomers can be surprisingly complex. Teachers need effective guidance and quality materials to bring this geological phenomenon to life in their classrooms. Students who become fascinated by the floods can inspire others. IAFI recognizes that reaching K-12 students is one of the most effective ways to educate young people, and through them to share this incredible story with their families and communities. Our Mini-Grants Solution: Grants up to $500 That Make a Difference These carefully designed mini-grants help defray the costs of materials, field experiences, and project development for classroom instruction throughout Idaho, Montana, Washington, and Oregon. By providing this crucial support, we’re creating a ripple effect of interest and knowledge that extends from students to their families and friends. How Grants Can Be Used We’ve designed this program with flexibility in mind, understanding that teachers and students have diverse needs and creative approaches to sharing the Ice Age Floods story. These grants are meant to support classroom activities including curriculum materials, educational supplies, guest speaker fees, and field trip expenses to Ice Age Floods sites throughout the Pacific Northwest. The Power of Student Engagement When students develop genuine interest and excitement about the Ice Age Floods, they become natural ambassadors for the story. They share their enthusiasm with family members over dinner, explain geological concepts to friends, and carry this knowledge forward throughout their lives. This program doesn’t just fund classroom teachers—it creates a generation of informed advocates for geological education, research and preservation. What Makes This Program Special Our grant program initially focuses on 4th grade educators in support of the IAFI 4th Grade Curriculum Project. This strategic approach allows us to build a strong foundation before expanding to all K-12 teachers and students in future years. It’s For Educators Teachers can apply for funding to enhance their Ice Age Floods curriculum through: Classroom materials and educational resources Field trip expenses to visit actual flood-carved landscapes Hands-on demonstrations and interactive activities Professional development opportunities Simple Application Process We’ve designed our process to be straightforward and educator-friendly. Applications are accepted year-round starting January 2026, with a two-month review period. Once approved, recipients have one year to complete their projects, followed by a six-month window to share their results with the IAFI community. Educators can use the online application below to get started. Join Us in Making Floods History Come Alive This Scholar Support Grant Program represents more than just funding—it’s an investment in geological literacy, scientific curiosity, and the preservation of our region’s remarkable natural heritage. By supporting teachers and students as they explore the Ice Age Floods, we’re ensuring that this incredible story continues to inspire wonder and understanding for generations to come. Get Involved – YOUR support directly impacts the next generation Whether you’re an educator ready to apply or a potential donor, an individual member, local business, organization committed to education, or simply curious to learn more, we invite you to be part of this exciting initiative. Contact us at IAFIGrants@gmail.com. And your donation will help ensure that more students and teachers can access the resources they need to share the Ice Age Floods story effectively. Donate tax-deductible and fee-free through our Zeffy Fundraiser or IAFI Gorge Chapter’s PayPal Giving Fund (***note: Zeffy’s “tip” request is optional***). $5,000 Annual IAFI Program Funding Commitment and Growth The program is initially funded by the Ice Age Floods Institute and our 11 local chapters with a $5,000 annual commitment to support multiple projects each year. We’re committed to growing this program through donations from IAFI members, businesses, educational grants, and other philanthropic sources. We anticipate significant interest from current members and believe that a successful grant program will help attract new supporters to IAFI’s mission. Grant Cycle Applications will be accepted on an ongoing basis. Grant awards will be approved and announced within 2 months of application and 90% of an grant will be awarded upon approved. The awarded grant must be used and a final report shared with IAFI within 12 months – the final 10% of of the grant will be awarded after completion of these requirements. Questions? Email us at IAFIgrants@gmail.com
Free Educators Workshops: Bringing the Ice Age Floods Story to Classrooms
Every student in the Northwest should experience the incredible science story of the megafloods that shaped our landscape and history. To help bring this story to life, the Ice Age Floods Institute, Engaging Every Student, and our partners are excited to invite K–12 educators to free special training events. Thanks to support from the Avista Foundation, we are offering free hybrid workshops where you will gain access to valuable resources designed to inspire students to investigate their local environment.
Stunning Fossil Site Reveals Life Rebounding After Major Extinction Event
Just over half a billion years ago, Earth was rocked by a global mass extinction event, a dramatic interruption of the Cambrian explosion of life on Earth. It wiped out an estimated 50% to over 90% of animal species, particularly in marine environments. What happened next, in the direct aftermath of this event, has mostly been a mystery – until now. A newly discovered fossil site in Hunan, South China, has captured an entire ecosystem in recovery, in extraordinary detail, including soft tissues and internal structures. Nearly 60 percent of the species found within are previously unknown to science. Named the Huayuan biota, the collection boasts 153 animal species spanning 16 major groups, for a grand total of 8,681 fossil specimens recovered from a single site – and it was all recorded around 512 million years ago, hot on the heels of the Sinsk extinction around 513.5 million years ago. The richness of species and level of preservation rivals Canada’s famous Burgess Shale. Earth’s Cambrian Period, which lasted from around 540 to 485 million years ago, was a time of great change for our planet. It was during this time that the first major diversification of animal life took place – the Cambrian explosion. But the tree of life was trimmed shortly after with the Sinsk extinction event, which may have been triggered by tectonic activity. Thanks to a handful of BST Lagerstätten from around the Sinsk event, paleontologists have managed to reconstruct some of the effects it had on life on Earth. The Burgess Shale in the Canadian rockies is about 508 million years old; the Qingjiang biota and the Chengjiang biota, both in China, are about 518 million years old. These sites helped scientists discover that, while many shallow-water species were killed off in the Sinsk event, life managed to rebound within a few million years. Dated to around 513 million years old, the Huayuan biota is a direct window into the immediate aftermath of the extinction event. It shows that at least some ecosystems – namely, deeper waters – served as safe refuges. The fossils themselves reveal a rich and diverse ecosystem, filled with predators and prey alike. Their preservation includes far more than just their external shapes and textures – in many cases, internal organs and soft tissues were captured in exquisite detail, including nervous systems and even cellular structures. Other structures preserved include gut diverticula and optic neuropils, offering rare glimpses into ancient digestive systems and nervous tissue. The site will keep scientists busy for many years to come. Earth has quite a few tricks up its sleeve for fossilization, but the Huayuan biota is truly a shining rarity. It belongs to an elite class of fossil deposits known as Lagerstätten – fossil beds that have both exceptional richness and exceptional preservation. But it’s not just any Lagerstätte; a team led by paleontologist Maoyan Zhu of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has classified the Huayuan biota as a Burgess Shale-type (BST) Lagerstätte – the very rarest and finest type of fossil bed, where soft-bodied animals and delicate internal tissues are preserved as a rule, not an exception. The biota contains arthropods such as trilobites and apex-predator radiodonts, and invertebrates like sponges, comb jellies, and sea anemones. What makes this special is that many of these animals appear to have been preserved where they lived, rather than being swept in from elsewhere. This means that researchers can make inferences about their behavior; for example, a number of vetulicolians were preserved in groups, suggesting that they shoaled together in life. Perhaps the most surprising discovery is that of the world’s oldest known pelagic tunicate, a group of filter feeders that today play a major role in the ocean’s carbon cycle. The presence of free-swimming tunicates in the biota suggests that surprisingly modern-style ocean ecosystems were already taking shape soon after the Sinsk extinction. The other really exciting part is that the researchers compared their biota with other Cambrian Lagerstätten. They found that the Huayuan biota bears some striking similarities to the Burgess Shale fossil site. Several iconic animals once thought to be unique to the Burgess Shale, such as Helmetia and Surusicaris, appear in the Huayuan assemblage as well, even though the two sites are separated by thousands of kilometers and millions of years. It’s an absolutely magnificent find, and one that’s likely going to become crucial for understanding the Cambrian Earth. “The extraordinary biodiversity of the Huayuan biota provides a unique window into the Sinsk event by revealing the post-extinction recovery or radiation in the outer shelf environment,” the researchers write. “It indicates that the deep-water environment might have played a crucial role for structuring the global marine animal diversification and distribution since the early Cambrian.” The research has been published in Nature. This article is taken from a Science Alert article by Michelle Starr
IAFI Store – Winter Inventory Reduction Sale
The IAFI Store is having a special Winter Inventory Reduction Sale to make room available to add new items and updated items as they become available. This is a great opportunity to get Floods-related presents for family, friends, and maybe yourself at (often) steeply reduced prices. And every order will include a free IAFI window decal you can use to let others know you’re passionate about the features and the science behind the cataclysmic Ice Age Floods story. Share the Ice Age Floods story this Christmas! The IAFI Store’s Winter Inventory Reduction Sale is here – and it’s your chance to dive deep and share the story of these spectacular events. 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 turn this Christmas into a journey through deep time.
New Ice Age Floods Animation Brings Ancient Catastrophe to Life
An Ice Age Floods Animation Developed Through Science, Partnership, and Interpretation Imagine explaining a geological event so massive it reshaped the entire Pacific Northwest—not once, but dozens of times—across landscapes spanning four states. Now there’s a powerful new tool to help tell this remarkable story. The Ice Age Floods National Geologic Trail has just released a groundbreaking animation that brings these ancient cataclysms to life. Available now through the National Park Service and the Ice Age Floods Institute, this public-domain resource represents years of collaborative effort between scientists, educators, and park partners. Why Animation Was Essential The Missoula Floods weren’t a single disaster—they occurred dozens of times during the last ice age as ice dams repeatedly formed and failed. Each flood carved the Channeled Scablands, transported house-sized boulders, and deposited thick sediment layers across the region. The challenge? Physical evidence is scattered across vast distances, and static maps can’t capture the movement, scale, and repetition that defined these events. Visitors see individual features—coulees, erratics, deposits—without understanding how they connect to a continental-scale story unfolding over thousands of years. Animation bridges this gap by showing how ice dams failed, how floodwaters surged across landscapes, and how repeated flooding shaped what we see today. A Collaborative Achievement Scientists specializing in glacial dynamics, flood hydraulics, and geomorphology worked alongside interpreters and media specialists through multiple reviews, balancing scientific accuracy with public accessibility. The result is a flexible, modular tool designed for visitor centers, classrooms, ranger programs, and online learning. Because it’s in the public domain, partners can freely adapt segments for their specific needs—whether illustrating basalt erosion or the cumulative effects of repeated flooding. Why This Matters The Missoula Floods represent one of North America’s most dramatic geological events, yet they’ve remained difficult to comprehend. This animation finally provides a shared visual framework that makes the story accessible while honoring the complex science behind it—offering an unprecedented window into the forces that carved the Pacific Northwest.
The Pulse of Rocks
“All creatures, objects, places, and elements have a spirit.” Patrick Saltonstall, Sugpiag (Aleut) Are rocks alive? Hmm. You might be visualizing a small stone or large boulder just sitting there…doing nothing. If life has to originate from a cell, then a no vote seems reasonable. Let’s give the Mineral Kingdom a few minutes to speak on behalf of its constituents: “Our rocky friends react to temperature, expand and contract; they can absorb moisture, and they can transform their makeup entirely, like petrified wood changing into stone. Taxonomy – In the 19th . century, rocks and minerals were first classified based on their chemical make-up. As with animals and plants, new members are added yearly to the mineral kingdom’s nearly 10,000 species. Movement – Rocks sure move around, from riding glacier waves, to being catapulted for miles out of fiery volcanoes to being gently tumbled downstream by…streams, and through time, broken down into sandy beaches. Or, if you’re pumice, you can simply float downstream at your leisure. Any pebble has placed many travel stickers on its luggage finding itself in many lands during its long life. Stalagmites and stalactites check off another life form requisite by respectively growing up and down in caves with the help of slowly dripping water. Rock serves us well in concrete, road building materials, sculptures, and stone homes, all making us Salt of the Earth. Reproduction and Growth – Kidney stones are minerals and salts formed in urine. They form and grow in the bladder and kidneys. The imbalance of too many minerals in the urine and not enough liquid causes the minerals to reproduce and grow. Cooperation – Practically all living things rise out of soil, which is a mixture of organic and inorganic magic. Plants need both. Animals need minerals too. Salty seas cover a major chunk of our planet providing a swimming pool habitat to countless known and still to be known species Awe Inspiring – Rocks are the basis for our most beloved national, natural treasures, from the timeless Grand Canyon, to Yosemite’s granite walls, towering Mt. Rainier, the sandstone Arches, and the Grand Tetons, among many others. We are moved to witness sunrise and sunset light beaming red, and filtered white on mountain peaks. We climb boulders; we summit mighty bare rock and snow-covered mountains for the view, for the peace, perhaps for the love, too. The Fine Line – Everything that is living on our precious planet originated with and within the rocky world, making it a challenge to separate the line between non-life and existence. We are made of stars. We are made of star spirit. A wildlife biologist/naturalist reflects on lithologic ‘life’, Bill Weiler, January 2026
Doug Huber – Key Puget Lobe Chapter Volunteer
Doug Huber has been an active member of the Puget Lobe Chapter of IAFI almost since its inception in 2007. For the past ten years, Doug has been the unseen hero of our chapter meetings, where he has ensured that the computer, audio, and projection systems were maintained and working as they should at the start of our meetings. In addition, Doug has served as our webmaster, updating the chapter webpage so that our members and members of other chapters alike had access to information on our field trips, meetings, and special events. Hats off to you, Doug, for your tireless efforts to help our chapter stay strong!
K-12 Ice Age Floods Curriculum: Floods in the Classroom
Thousands of K-12 students across the Pacific Northwest are becoming Ice Age Floods detectives—investigating ancient catastrophic flooding, conducting hands-on experiments, and sharing geological discoveries with their communities. Some may be inspired to become scientists who will ask new questions and conduct research that will advance our understanding of these ancient megafloods. This transformation is happening through Ice Age Floods Detectives, a new grade school science curriculum funded by the Ice Age Floods Institute (IAFI) and developed through partnership with the Ice Age Floods National Geologic Trail (NPS), and Engaging Every Student. The Ice Age Floods Detectives program is comprised of four phenomena-based ~1-hour lessons, targeted to grade 4 but adaptable for grades 3–8, to be taught in order over a week or more. Lesson 1: Modeling Ice Age Floods Erosion. Students create watershed models to visualize how water flows and reshapes the landscape. Lesson 2: Investigating Deposition. Students observe how different rocks and landforms are created by deposition, connecting these small-scale experiments to the massive scale of the Ice Age Floods. Lesson 3: Creating Kinesthetic Classroom Models. Students use physical movement and simple materials to model incredible scale of Ice Age flooding, weathering and erosion. Lesson 4: Exploring the Erosion Energy of Moving Water. Students experiment with water speed and volume to understand its erosive forces and to practice designing scientific experiments. Students will explore the scientific processes geologists use to make discoveries, and how the fascinating area of science—like most other disciplines—is dynamic and constantly changing. The lessons help students explore phenomena and investigate how they relate to observable geologic features. Students are gradually introduced to concepts, processes, and theories that will assist them in forming and revising their own explanations and hypotheses about the Ice Age Floods. These adaptable lessons help train students to be good scientists and critical thinkers, with a unifying theme of exploration and investigation. When the lesson plans are delivered in sequence, a storyline develops, using the creation of our NW landforms as a compelling framework to help cover core concepts and improve student skills. Numerous studies have identified the need for improved STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Mathematics) education that connects to students’ lives and communities. Research indicates that grades 4-6 are particularly critical for engaging students and encouraging them to pursue STEAM fields. Those grades are a particular focus of the program, which will help us address the critical need for more scientists and engineers. The curriculum complies with Next Generation Science Standards + Common Core State Standards, and should not compete with other curricular goals for classroom time. This program updates and complements the earlier NPS Investigating Ice Age Floods K-12 curriculum. We’re bringing this curriculum to educators throughout Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and Montana through regional workshops. Ice Age Floods Institute has also established an IAFI K-12 Education Grant Program to help educators offset attendance costs and classroom implementation expenses. You can also help support the program and play a significant part in inspiring the next generation of scientists: Donate fee-free through our Zeffy Fundraiser or IAFI Gorge Chapter’s PayPal Giving Fund Share information and leads about potential funding sources— contact us at IAFIGrants@gmail.com Share this flyer with educators in your community to help spread the word
Malaga Landslide: Ice Age Catastrophe Along the Columbia River
The east bank of the Columbia River near Malaga, Washington, is home to one of the largest and most visually striking landslides in the Pacific Northwest: the Malaga Slide. Covering an estimated 45 square miles, this massive slope failure poured weakened basalt and sediment into the Columbia River valley at the close of the last Ice Age. Today, it remains easily visible from State Route 28, making it an accessible outdoor classroom for geology enthusiasts and tour participants. The geologic story of the Malaga Slide is a tale of both slow preparation and sudden catastrophe. Layers of basalt from the Columbia River Basalt Group were fractured and weathered over millions of years. Interspersed with weaker sedimentary layers, these formations became prone to failure. Add in groundwater saturation, the erosive power of repeated Ice Age Floods, and over-steepened valley walls, and the stage was set for a massive collapse. Scientists believe the main phase of the Malaga Slide occurred approximately 15,000–13,000 years ago, during the final stages of the Missoula Floods. While the collapse itself was sudden, the landslide likely continued to adjust and move over time, creating the hummocky terrain and displaced boulders still visible today. One of the most intriguing aspects of the Malaga Slide is its interaction with the Columbia River. Some geologists have hypothesized that the massive slide may have temporarily blocked or partially dammed the river. This could have caused short-term ponding upstream, potentially extending back toward Peshastin. Evidence of this interaction remains visible today as enormous boulders and slide debris in the river channel. Travelers heading south from Wenatchee on State Route 28 are treated to a dramatic view of the slide, with scarred slopes and scattered boulders lining the west side of the river. This visibility makes the Malaga Slide an outstanding site for guided geology tours offered by the Wenatchee Valley Erratics Chapter of the Ice Age Floods Institute. Participants learn about Ice Age Flood processes, landslide mechanics, and the long-term evolution of the Columbia River valley. Learn more about Wenatchee-area geology tours: https://wverratics.org or contact@wverratics.org Article by Jeff Becklund, Wenatchee Valley Erratics Chapter President