Columbia Gorge

Bill Burgel, retired railroad geologist, will present a talk on "When Yellowstone was in Oregon", on Tuesday evening, July 30, beginning at 5:30 at the White Salmon Valley Community Library. Approximately 50 million years ago, an island the size of Iceland docked onto the west coast of North American. That island was formed similar to the formation of modern-day Iceland, which is being created by a relatively rare combination of mid-ocean ridge volcanism coinciding with a mantle plume. After colliding with the continent in the area of present-day Oregon, this Iceland-like land mass, now known as Siletzia (southern half) and Yakutat (northern half now in Alaska), was scraped off the subducting oceanic crust and imbedded on the west coast of the continent. As the North American continent continued moving westward the motion of now-attached Siletzia was reversed. But the motion of the mantle plume continued its relative motion in the eastward direction, creating volcanoes and calderas on the as the North American plate moved west over it. Bill will explain the circuitous path the plume took through Oregon, creating the Crooked River Caldera (including Smith Rock State Park), then into SE Oregon creating the voluminous Columbia River Flood Basalts before exiting Oregon around 16-million-years ago to form the McDermitt Volcanic area in Nevada, the home of one of the world’s largest lithium deposits. Afterward, the plume's relative path motion was directly through Idaho, forming the Snake River Plain, arriving at its current temporary location in Yellowstone. This saga, though geologically complex, is a fascinating one that will help you make sense of the new research into the 50 million year-long journey of the Yellowstone Hot Spot! Bill Burgel About Bill Burgel - Bill retired in 2010 after a successful 40-year career working for several railroads in both the engineering and operating departments. His work for Union Pacific encompassed the design of the first computer-aided dispatching office in the nation. This office was located in Portland and Bill was the Regional Chief Dispatcher for several years before the office was moved to Omaha. While working for the railroad, his interest and training in geology was often called upon to resolve landslide issues and rerouting studies, implement early earthquake warning strategies, and conduct numerous long railroad tunnel analyses. Bill has given numerous presentations on rail issues as well as earthquake preparedness and topics pertaining to regional geology to local audiences throughout the Pacific Northwest. After retiring from the railroad in 1989, he assisted the Surface Transportation Board as their rail operations manager for two major mergers, once in Washington DC and the second time in Chicago. Bill has managed many rail studies for both Oregon and Washington DOTs as well as for TriMet and Sound Transit in Seattle.

The great scenic beauty of the Gorge owes much to the geological processes that have shaped it.  Earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, landslides and debris flows still occur in the area today, and they can pose hazards to Gorge residents and visitors.  What is the scope, severity, and likelihood of these hazards?  How do scientists use evidence from the geological and historical past to evaluate the hazards, and how do they use models to forecast future hazards and inform our efforts to prepare for them? Join Dr. Richard “Dick” Iverson, Scientist Emeritus at the U.S. Geological Survey’s Cascades Volcano Observatory, as he digs into the geological hazards of the Gorge—and explains why they don’t discourage him from living here! GET TICKETS HERE When: NOVEMBER 13th, 2024 | Doors 6pm, Show 7 pm Where: Columbia Center For the Arts, 215 Cascade Ave, Hood River, OR This event will be livestreamed on our Givebutter page: https://givebutter.com/geologyalive Doors open at 6 pm, show starts at 7 pm. * We encourage people to take their seats by 6:45. * Seats not filled by 6:45 will be made available to our waitlist. * Event tickets are non-refundable. Richard (Dick) Iverson spent 34 years as a research scientist at the U.S. Geological Survey’s Cascades Volcano Observatory in Vancouver, Wash., and he remains affiliated with the observatory as a scientist emeritus. His work there has focused mostly on the dynamics of landslides, debris flows, and volcanic eruptions, with particular emphasis on evaluating hazards downstream from Cascades volcanoes.  Iverson grew up in Iowa, received his Ph.D. from Stanford University, and moved from Vancouver to Hood River in 2018.  

Interpreting Landscapes Of Deep Time: Norway’s Scenic Routes & The Ice Age Floods National Geologic Trail For the past several years, architect Rand Pinson has been researching and exploring the Ice Age Floods National Geologic Trail. That work led to a fellowship with the Architecture Foundation of Oregon and a trip to Norway to study its celebrated Scenic Routes program and National Parks, where world-class architecture supported through infrastructure has transformed how people experience remote landscapes. While there he met with local architects and learn from their experiences designing rest stops, bridges, parking areas and lookouts for Norway's "Scenic Routes" system of carefully selected roads that prioritize nature, innovative architecture, and art. He sees, "Norway’s scenic route system as a compelling model. It’s a great way to integrate architecture and design into scenic settings." He says, "I’m interested in the idea of storytelling in architecture, and this project presents an opportunity to shape a larger narrative that impacts the area." IAF Norway Collage "One of the key challenges of the Ice Age Floods National Geologic Trail," he noted, "is its lack of visibility and cohesive infrastructure. The exciting part of this project is finding the interesting ways history, ecology and architecture intersect,” he shared. “How can we take advantage of the site’s natural beauty, promote it and expand its potential? The National Geologic Trail already features remarkable elements, such as Maya Lin’s land art pieces that integrate seamlessly into nature. What it needs is a unifying vision to tie everything together. My goal is to contribute to growing tourism for this interesting and beautiful national park.” He is using his Norway explorations along with travels along the Ice Age Floods National Geologic Trail and experiences derived from OSU's Gorge Naturalist Program to compile research, develop documentation, drawings and models with the hope of one day bringing those ideas to life for our Trail. In this presentation, Rand shares his discoveries for the potential of the Ice Age Floods trail. Drawing on the intersections of geology, history, and design, he will present a vision for how thoughtful architecture and interpretation could bring this extraordinary landscape the public presence it deserves. This FREE presentation is sponsored by the Columbia River Gorge Chapter of the Ice Age Floods Institute.  The presentation begins at 7:00 PM, Thursday, April 30, in the Sprint/Baker Gallery Room of the White Salmon Valley Community Library, 77 NE Wauna Ave, White Salmon, WA 98672. Rand Pinson Rand Pinson, AIA, is a partner and architect at Pine Bureau, a narrative-driven architecture practice. Rand has extensive experience across the US landscape and is an alumnus of the world-renowned Auburn University Rural Studio in Hale County, Alabama. His professional work includes design-build projects at the Epicenter, a nonprofit community design center he helped found in Utah; Lake Flato Architects in Texas; and Waec hter Architecture in Portland, Oregon, focusing on residential, environmental, and hospitality projects. His work has won numerous AIA awards and has been featured in international publications and exhibitions, including the Museum of Modern Art in New York and the Venice Biennale. Rand was named the 2025 Van Evera Bailey Fellow by the Architecture Foundation of Oregon.  Rand is a member of the Ice Age Floods Institute, a Master Naturalist, and a geology enthusiast. He is drawn to an architectural narrative that resonates in memory, is responsive to the land and environment, and is grounded to its time and place.