“Mega-Floods” – Presentation by Bill Burgel

Tualatin Heritage Center 8700 SW Sweek Drive, Tualatin, OR, United States

Bill Burgel In a field of geological investigation first identified and then pioneered by J Harlen Bretz, JT Pardee and Vic Baker, Mega-Floods have been recognized throughout the world and on the planet Mars. These catastrophic floods are quite capable of sculpting the landscape wherever they occur with disastrous consequences. Can they happen today? What are some notable historic examples? Is Noah's Flood one of these events? How are they different from Mega-Tsunamis that are also found around the globe? Bill will answer these questions and more at the October 24th meeting of the Lower Columbia Chapter of the Ice Age Institute. Thursday, October 24, 2024, In Person 6:45PM PDT at the Tualatin Heritage Center, 8700 SW Sweek Drive, Tualatin, OR 97062 ALSO Simultaneous Live ZOOM from THC if you cannot attend the THC meeting in-person. Click for Zoom meeting, Meeting ID: 869 4651 3479 Passcode: 322382. For more information contact: LowerColumbia@iafi.org

Cheney-Spokane Chapter Fishtrap Lake Scablands Hike

Fishtrap Lake South Loop

Fishtrap Lake, Washington (BLM Photo) Come join us for a 5-mile hike to explore the Ice Age floods features in the Fishtrap Lake area east of Sprague, WA! The Cheney-Spokane Chapter of the IAFI is scheduling a hike at the south loop trailhead of Fishtrap Lake on Saturday, October 26th . The hike will start at 10:00 a.m. The hike will be led by Don Chadbourne, geologist and board member of the Cheney-Spokane Chapter. You will meet the leader at the trailhead. Description of Fishtrap Lake Hike The hike will begin and end at the south trailhead at Fishtrap Lake. The hike will follow the south loop trail, with a total length of about 5.5 miles. The trail is mostly single track over dirt and rock, with an elevation gain and loss of about 500 feet. The hike will provide an intimate view of the channeled scablands that were carved out by the ice age floods. Features will include pothole lakes, rock benches, mima mounds, kolks, and streamlined and scarped Palouse hills. The hike will also provide wide open views of Fishtrap Lake and the surrounding country. This hike is included in On the Trail of the Ice Age Floods – Northern Reaches, by Bjornstad & Kiver. However, we will be following trails that were constructed after the book was published. Directions to the trailhead From I-90 take Exit 254 and proceed south 3.6 miles on the Sprague Highway. Turn left (east) on Miller Ranch Road and proceed 0.2 miles to the “T” at the Miller Ranch house. Turn right(south) and drive 0.8 miles to the trailhead parking lot. There is a vault toilet at the parking lot. (Google Maps Link: https://goo.gl/maps/9Zz7nwdwziMzHYh69 map coordinates: 47.33381100925525, -117.863529217959) Sign up for the hike on the iafi.org events website. The hike will be limited to 20 hikers. Items to bring with you: appropriate shoes, day pack, water, snacks, appropriate clothing for changes in the weather, sun protection, emergency items, camera and binoculars. Walking poles will be helpful. The hike is free; however, donations for support of Chapter activities will be accepted. For addition questions contact Don at 509-891-5875. A signed liability release form is required for each hiker. If you are able, please download the form and print a copy for each member of your group. Sign the form and bring it to the trailhead. (We will have extra copies on hand at the trailhead.)

Lower Grand Coulee Field Trip

Soap Lake Senior Center 121 2nd Ave SE, Soap Lake, United States

Monster Rock - Ephrata Fan Join Geologist, Mark Amara and Outing Coordinator Gene Wing of the Lower Grand Coulee Chapter for an exciting outing exploring the Lower Grand Coulee area. We will leave the Senior Center at 10am and drive South to the famous "Monster Rock" and the "Ephrata Fan area", Next we head North to the Lake Lenore area to see the Lenore Lake Monocline rocks and the Great Blade, and then we head North and do a short hike into the Deep Lake Potholes within Sun Lakes State Park and end the outing at the Dry Falls Visitor Center. Meeting Place: Soap Lake Senior Center, located at 121 2nd Ave SE, Soap Lake, WA 98851 Date: Saturday November 9, 2024 Start time: 10:00am More information: Contact Denis Felton Discover Pass is required

Mammoths of Coyote Canyon

Zoom Meeting

On Nov11, 2024, Join the Ice Age Floods Chapter Puget Lobe for a look at the Coyote Canyon (Mammoth) dig site: This site was originally discovered in 1999; but left undisturbed until 2008, with formal excavation beginning in September,2010.  The accompanied photo shows the work done thru Jun 2014.  In the intervening 10+ years additional work has completed.  As you can see by the photograph, the cinder block, 5-gal bucket, and the4x4 lumber bream, this may be a small portion of the overall site. The presentation will be Zoom only and given by IAFI Vice President Mr. Gary Kleinknecht.  Meeting starts at 7:00pm with sign-ins  starting  at 6:45. click on Zoom link:   https://us02web.Zoom.us/j/82985244730 Working Site as of June 2012

Dr. Scott Burns – Ancient Ice Age Floods Before the Missoula Floods

Zoom Meeting

Join in to Learn About The Unfolding Story of Ancient Ice Age Floods in the Pacific Northwest Ages End - Stev Ominski We have had Ice Age Floods in the Pacific Northwest over the past 2.8 million years. We mostly concentrate on the last ones which are called the Missoula Floods that happened between 15,000-20,000 years ago. But there is an unfolding story in the Pacific Northwest of many Ice Age Floods before the Missoula Floods. Erica Medley, an MS student of Scott Burns, did her thesis on the topic and discovered many outcrops of these ancient floods which are rarely discussed. Dr. Burns will talk about these oft-forgotten floods and the very interesting story of these neglected Ancient Ice Age Floods in the Pacific Northwest Join on Zoom to learn more about these very interesting older Ice Age Floods, Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024 at 7:00 PM (Pacific Time) Only on Zoom - Click Here to Join Zoom Meeting Meeting ID: 867 5486 6921 Passcode: 342192 One tap mobile: +12532158782,,86754866921# Meeting ID: 867 5486 6921 Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kdugrTW42K Dr. Scott Burns taught geology for 54 years in Switzerland, New Zealand, Washington, Colorado and Louisiana before coming in 1990 to Portland State University. He loves talking about the geology of the Pacific Northwest and this subject that is so many times neglected. Professor Emeritus of Engineering Geology, Portland State University President IAEG (International Association of Engineering Geologist and the Environment) Member Board of Directors, Lower Columbia Chapter Ice Age Floods Institute. Co-Author revised Second Edition: "Cataclysms on the Columbia" Email: BurnsS@pdx.edu Telephone: (503} 725-3389 Website: http://dr-scott-burns.com

Geology Alive: Understanding Geologic Hazards in the Columbia Gorge

Columbia Center For the Arts 215 Cascade Ave, Hood River, OR, United States

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.  

Northern Ice

Bellevue College Building L Room 219 3000 Landerholm Cir SE, Bellevue, WA, United States

(2 Dec 2024)   Grace Sherwood Winer is a geologist and explorer who has done extensive studies on the melting of glacial ice in the Arctic.  She will present present her work on the islands of Svalbard and Iceland at our meeting on 06Jan2025 at 7:00pm at Bellevue College, Building B, Room 104.  Note room change! This will be an In-person lecture and livecast via Zoom. Click on Zoom link:   https://us02web.Zoom.us/j/82985244730 Bellevue College, Bldg B, Rm 104

International Old Rock Day – January 7

International Old Rock Day - January 7 Celebrate Old Rock Day on January 7 every year. It's a day to remember the Earth’s incredible history and to pay tribute to the amazing geologists who help us understand it. We’ve been dependent on rocks since we first walked the Earth, and today it’s no different, with rocks forming the foundation of our daily lives. History of "Old Rock Day"The study of rocks was first introduced by the Ancient Greek Theophrastus in his work, “Peri Lithon” (“On Stones”), and became the cornerstone of geology for other interested scientists. The study was advanced by Pliny the Elder, who recorded numerous minerals and metals in great detail, with a particular focus on their practical use. Although working without the tools we use today, Pliny was able to correctly identify the origin of amber as fossilized tree resin.It wasn’t until 1603 when the word ‘geology’ was used for the first time by Italian naturalist Ulisse Aldrovandi. It took a further 150 years for the first geological maps to be drawn by British geologist William Smith, whose work began the process of ordering rock layers by examining the fossils contained in them.Then, in 1785, James Hutton wrote and presented a paper to the Royal Society of Edinburgh called ‘Theory of the Earth’, which outlined his belief that the world was far older than previously thought. His breakthroughs make him widely considered the first modern geologist.In 1809 William Maclure produced the first geological map of the USA, a task he completed thanks to two painstaking years spent personally traversing the country. With the invention of radiometric dating in the early 20th century, scientists could finally provide an accurate figure for the age of the earth by tracing the radioactive impurities found in rocks. It helped scientists to see that the Earth is one very old rock indeed!Rocks have been essential for human development, which is why we celebrate Old Rock Day and the wonder of the geological world. Why We Love "Old Rock Day" Geology is coolStudying the natural world helps us protect, preserve, and predict it so that we can live in harmony with natureRocks are usefulFrom the sturdy bricks of our homes to the sidewalk beneath our feet, rocks are essential for human existenceRocks are preciousSome of the most coveted things in the world today — gold, diamonds, and other gemstones — are old rocks (minerals)Reprinted from National Today - Old Rock Day

Richard B. Waitt – The “Debacle Which Swept the Columbia Plateau” 100 years on

Tualatin Heritage Center 8700 SW Sweek Drive, Tualatin, OR, United States

J Harlan Bretz "It was a debacle," wrote J Harlan Bretz in 1923, that carved Washington's Channeled Scabland. This prescient finale today brings to mind debacles geologic, personal and periodic. The cataclysm in Bretz's "Spokane flood" initiated a famous controversy. Published arguments against great Scabland flood erupted in the 1920's and raged on into the 1940's--critics by various more conventional schemes calling for less water over more time. As Bretz had almost no published support, it seemed to many his personal debacle. Yet re-reading the early reports, and recently the summary field notes, I sense that by the extraordinary field evidence he had documented throughout the region, Bretz knew all along that his 'catastrophysm' would prevail. After J.T. Pardee showed in 1942 that huge glacial Lake Missoula had discharged abruptly. Bretz and colleagues in 1956 show with the old evidence--and with stark new evidence in giant current dunes adorning many gravel bars--that water from glacial Lake Missoula had indeed carved the 'Channelled Scabland'. With detailed geomorphic field evidence they skewer Bretz's critics--this in turn becoming their personal debacle. waittThe story takes a more gradualistic turn with discovery that Lake Missoula drained periodically. In his final Scablands paper in 1969, Bretz, by geomorphic evidence counts seven floods at most. But hardly a decade later, new stratigraphic evidence was showing that Lake Missoula released scores of giant floods during the last glaciation alone. These outbursts were both periodic and gigantic by degrees, truly colossal and coming decades apart when the damming Purcell Trench lobe was thick, but as the ice gradually thinned diminishing to coming only a decade or a few years apart, and at the end one year apart. This 'jokulhlaups' idea erupted new controversy, this one also lasting more than two decades. If it has simmered down lately, this argument is also being settled by field evidence. If Missoula floods were numerous and periodic during last-glacial marine-Isotope stage 2 (25-15 thousand years ago), what happened during seemingly equally deep glaciations of AR-isotope stages such as 6 and 12 (140-440 thousand years ago)? So far we know of no supporting field evidence--only scattered field sites that suggest one gigantic flood far back, perhaps a million years ago. It will be for today's young scientists to decipher this and other remaining enigmas. Thursday, January 16, 2025, In Person 6:45PM PST Tualatin Heritage Center, 8700 SW Sweek Drive, Tualatin, OR 97062 ALSO Simultaneous Live ZOOM from THC if you cannot attend the in-person THC meeting yourself. Click here for Zoom meeting, Meeting ID: 869 4651 3479 Passcode: 322382.

New Interpretations of Old Strandlines

Montana Natural History Center 120 Hickory Street, Missoula, MT

It’s that time of the year! Time to contemplate ice ages and glacial lakes. Time for the Glacial Lake Missoula Chapter of the Ice Age Floods Institute’s Cabin Fever Lecture!  Warm up your curiosity about those iconic strandlines we can see from town with a lecture from renowned geologist James W. Sears. New “LiDAR ” mapping techniques may imply that the famous Lake Missoula strandlines on Mount Sentinel and Mount Jumbo record only one draining of the ice-age lake. The draining coincided with massive erosion at the bottom of the lake, but passive lowering of lake level at the top, marked by short-term strandlines cut a few inches into thin colluvial soil on the mountainsides. About the Instructor: Dr. James W. Sears received his PhD from Queen’s University, Canada, in 1979, and has taught at the University of Montana since 1982. This is a live event that will not be recorded or streamed.