Ice Age Floods Institute

Cheney-Spokane Chapter Hike – Saturday 5/11 at 12 PM – Waikiki Springs
2024-05-11 12:00 - 14:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Waikiki Springs Trailhead, Washington, 99218
Come join us for an easy hike just north of Spokane to explore Ice Age floods features, led by IAFICS board member geologist Michael Hamilton. This is one of the newest conservation areas in Spokane, and has well established trails. Waikiki Springs is an out-pouring of the Spokane Aquifer through the bottom of an ancient valley buried by sands and gravels of the great outburst floods of the last Ice Age. Hiking group size is limited to the first 20 people to sign up.

After confirming your registration we will send you the hike details and keep you up-to-date on any changes that happen before the day of the hike.
Resources: Waikiki Springs Nature Preserve

LECTURE: An Overview of the Missoula Floods
2024-05-07 19:00 - 20:00 | Pomeroy Senior Center, 695 Main St., Pomeroy, WA, United States
Lloyd Stoess, Palouse Falls Chapter President, will take participants on an epic journey from northwest Montana, through northern Idaho, eastern Washington, the Washington-Oregon border and as far south as the coast of California.
Come and see how our channeled scablands are just a part of the story – a story like none other on earth.

Columbia Gorge Geology Field Trip - May 5th
2024-05-05 08:30 - 15:30 | Skyline Health Foundation, 211 Skyline Dr, White Salmon, WA, 98672, United States
Lloyd DeKay, president of the Columbia River Gorge Chapter of IAFI, has volunteered to lead a day-long presentation and field trip on June 1, 2024, to explore the geology of the central-east portion of the Columbia River Gorge for winning donors at the Skyline Health Foundation’s Cultivate Columbia fundraiser on April 13, 2024.
The day will begin at 8:30 AM with a slide presentation about the origins and geohistory of the Gorge. Then participants will board a bus for a 40+ mile roundtrip to see and discuss a number of uniquely interesting places and geologic features found in the Gorge between White Salmon and The Dalles.
Basalt Pillows
We’ll see and discuss lahar deposits, kolk ponds, tree casts, differences between pillow basalts and Maar deposits, Ice Age Floods features, indigenous petroglyphs and even a brief trip through Africa USA. Lunch will be no-host at a local restaurant along the way.
Maar Deposits
This field trip is donated in support of the Skyline Health Foundation. The Cultivate Columbia fundraiser is currently sold out, so if you don’t have tickets and you wish to participate, you should contact the foundation director, Elizabeth Vaivoda at 509-637-2602 for more details.

Field Presentations to 7th Grade Science Students
2024-04-25 10:00 - 13:00 | Fort Cascades Regional Park, North Bonneville, WA, 98639, United States
On Thursday, April 25, four classes of 7th grade science students from Henkle Middle School will be visiting Fort Cascades Park on the Columbia River below Bonneville Dam for talks by Jeanette Burkhardt and Margaret Neumann of Yakama Fisheries and Mid-Columbia Fisheries, and Lloyd DeKay of the Ice Age Floods Institute. All together, 90 students will learn more in the field about fish, natural resources and Gorge geology. The presenters also volunteer in leading field trips for the Columbia Gorge Master Naturalist program.

Field Trip to the Ice Dam Site
2024-04-18 - 2024-04-19 | Washington
A field trip to Sandpoint ID to view geologic features related to the ice dam(s) that blocked the Clark Fork River causing the formation of Glacial Lake Missoula is planned for April 17-19th by the Glacial Lake Missoula chapter. Tony Lewis of the Coeur du Deluge Chapter will narrate a day long bus trip on April 18. A car caravan will visit Farragut State Park and other downstream sites the next day. Registration is limited and is being handled by the Montana Natural History Center at https://events.humanitix.com/ice-dam-field-trip
Discounted registration is available at Schweitzer Resort until March 18th. For further information check out these details or contact Sherry McLauchlan, 406-207-7760.

45th Parallel’s Concert: Lost in Deep Time. April 12, 2024
2024-04-12 19:00 - 22:00 | Straub Collaborative, 3333 NW Industrial St,, Portland, OR, United States
This live musical experience immerses the musicians and audience in large-scale projections of landscapes animated to the contemporary classical program. Using photogrammetry and LiDAR, the scenes are rendered in three-dimensional point clouds that animate to reveal the sculptural aspects of the geology and landforms.
The second half of the evening’s program is “He Who Saw the Deep,” which are five studies for a larger piece in development about the ice age floods. Principally drawing on floodscapes in the Channeled Scablands, these five works explore the enigmatic landscapes that inspired J Harlen Bretz’s cataclysmic flood theory set to a musical program performed by Pyxis Quartet.

Friday, April 12, 2024 at 7:00PM
Straub Collaborative
3333 NW Industrial St, Portland, ORMore information can be found here.
Get your tickets at 45th Parallel website.
WORKS
Andy Akiho: Prospects of a Misplaced Year
PERFORMERS
Ron Blessinger, violin
Greg Ewer, violin
Charles Noble, viola
Marilyn de Oliviera, cello
Yoko Greeney, piano
Brad Johnson, visual artist

Meanwhile, enjoy this trailer video

The Geology of Sunset Highway
2024-04-09 19:00 - 20:30 | Wenatchee Valley Museum and Cultural Center, 127 S. Mission, Wenatchee, WA, United States
The Wenatchee Valley Erratics Chapter of the Ice Age Floods Institute will meet Tuesday, April 9 at 7:00 PM, at the Wenatchee Valley Museum and Cultural Center, 127 S. Mission, Wenatchee. Or via Zoom link https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84520197937 Webinar ID: 845 2019 7937
Dr. Earl F. Cater, Director of the Douglas County Museum in Waterville, will present “The Geology of Sunset Highway.” Topics he will discuss include:

Early Euro-American explorations of the Big Bend country;
Difficulty in getting to Douglas County because of elevation and size;
Barriers to Euro-American settlement: Rocks and no roads, Banks Lake area’s 800-feet high basalt cliffs, Corbaley Canyon’s fractured gneiss and schist, rockslides from basalt layers;
Obstacles from glaciation: Yeager Rock and multiple haystack rocks and other glacial features;
The first stage in Okanogan, March 1884: The Jack Smith story;
1913 Declaration of the Sunset Highway as the Red Trail;
1926 Declaration of the Sunset Highway as the Yellowstone Trail.

The program is free and open to the public.
Contact information:
Dr. Earl F. Cater
Director, Douglas County Museum
efcater@gmail.com
515-371-3535
Susan D. Freiberg
Erratics Chapter Publicity
wenvalerratics@yahoo.com

Geologist's Day - 1st Sunday in April
2024-04-07 | Washington
Geologists Day, a day dedicated to an underappreciated science, takes place on the first Sunday in April every year. Without geologists, we would know nothing about the over 4.5 billion year history of the earth. Geology is a science that studies the materials, natural features, and processes found on earth, as well as the history of all life that’s ever lived. Geologists around the world have made an enormous contribution to our way of life by discovering and developing our natural resources of minerals, hydrocarbons and water, by understanding the evolution of our planet and our solar system, by defining the evolution of life on Earth, by identifying the risks associated with natural hazards such as earthquakes, tsunamis and volcanic eruptions, and by the technological and innovation spin-offs derived from many branches of geoscience such as geophysics and geochemistry.
History of Geologists’ Day
Geology, or the study of the composition of rocks, soil and other materials, has been around since the times of Ancient Greece. In their pursuit of understanding the world around them, Greek scientists, who wondered how the rocks were formed, began studying fossils and generating theories to go along with their ideas and research. Later, during the Middle Ages, when science was thought to have challenged the Catholic Church, more advances came (albeit sometimes subversively) in the field of geology. During this time, Leonardo da Vinci explored the functions of the human body but also, one of his lesser-known pursuits, is that he became a pioneer in geology. One of da Vinci’s interesting lines of research was related to fossils. He concluded that the fossils he and others had found embedded on mountain tops must have been from animals that swam on an ancient sea bed, though none of them were exactly sure how they could have gotten there. During the 17th-century, scientists began to make important links between certain sedimentary deposits in the oceans and the strata observable in rock formations. Much of the explanation as to how that happened, however, continued to remain a mystery until James Hutton and William ‘Strata’ Smith came along. These two well-known geologists helped find the explanation of the earth’s long and slow development over the course of thousands of years. Smith was also credited as the creator of the first, geologically detailed, national map of any country in the world. In this case, the country was England and he has since become known as the ‘Father of English Geology’.
Geologists’ Day, itself, was actually the idea of a group of well-known Soviet geologists who established it in April, 1966. The day was chosen in the spring because it notes the end of winter and is a time that ramps up to the summer season field work when geologists are so active. While it continues to be a favorite day of the Russian Mineralogical Society, the day eventually made its way beyond the former Soviet Union and began to be celebrated by geologists, geophysicists and geochemists in various places in Europe, the United States and other countries around the world.
How to Celebrate Geologists’ Day
Held on the first Sunday in April, the celebration of Geologists’ Day can be fun for professional rock lovers and hobbyists alike! This day strives to help further the study of how the earth came to be. Geologists’ Day is all about learning the history of the earth, the geologists who studied the earth, and helping to inspire people out there to study geology.
Learn More About Geology
Give a nod to Geologists’ Day by learning a bit about what the discipline of geology is and how it works. Digging in rocks, observing maps, and studying how they all came to be is what a geologist’s job is all about. Make use of these online resources to learn more about geology:

Ice Age Floods Institute website
The Geological Society of America
Society of Economic Geologists
International Association for Promoting Geoethics

Those who are even more interested might take the time to join a few online classes to further their studies. Take a look into the history of geologists, what they believed about the earth at the time they lived. If it turns out there’s an inner rock-lover in there, just waiting to get out, why not go for a degree while you’re at it?!
Show Appreciation to a Geologist
Geologists’ Day aims to show appreciation for the geologists that continue to study rocks and all their formations. In fact, this is the perfect day to gather with some friends or family to thank some of those favorite geologists, or even just a science teacher, who may have made a difference in the understanding of the world we live in.
Listen to a Geology Themed Playlist
Hop onto Spotify or another favorite music hosting site and enjoy these songs that are reminiscent of the study of the earth, rocks, landslides and all the beautiful things that go along with geology:

We Will Rock You (1977) Queen
The Geologists are Coming! (2017) The Amoeba People
Landslide (1975) Fleetwood Mac
The Petroleum Age (2011) Philip Gibbs
Geology Rocks (2017) Los Beekeepers
Uranium Rock (1973) Warren Smith
Sweet Geology (aka The Mineral Song) (2007) The Akkademiks

Share Geology Day with Friends
Show appreciation for the studies of geologists by sharing this holiday with friends and family. Go big by throwing a geology party, or keep it small by simply gifting friends or coworkers with a small stone or rock as a token of the day. Whatever method is chosen, just the acknowledgment of this day is a step in the right direction toward appreciating the earth and its scientists!
(credit https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/geologists-day/)

Special Meeting of the IAFI Ellensburg Chapter
2024-04-05 16:30 - 18:00 | Central Washington University, 400 E University Way, Ellensburg, WA, 98926, United States
Dear Members, Former Members, and Friends,
I trust this message finds you in good health and spirits. I’m Mike Doran, a fellow member of the Ellensburg Chapter of the Ice Age Floods Institute, and I’m reaching out to you with an important invitation.
Our chapter has a storied past filled with enriching field trips, captivating lectures, and engaging speakers. However, it’s time for us to refocus our efforts and ensure that we’re set for continued growth and success in the future.
To achieve this, a dedicated group of us has been actively discussing strategies and ideas. Now, we’re eager to invite you to join us for a special meeting where we can gather your invaluable input, ideas, and concerns. Your participation, in any capacity you choose, is vital as we navigate our path forward.
We’re fortunate that Karl Lillquist has arranged for us to convene on Friday, April 5th, at 4:30 PM in a meeting room at Dean Hall on the Central campus. (Please note that parking restrictions on campus ease after 4:30 PM as there is no cost then. Use parking lot O-5. Just be sure to park in General Parking slots and not Staff slots. ) The meeting time aligns perfectly with Nick’s Bretz lectures, providing an ideal opportunity for us to meet before attending his 7:00 PM talk.
During our gathering, we’ll create an open forum for discussion and have light refreshments available. Additionally, we will be conducting elections for the following officer positions: Secretary, Vice-President, and President. This is an excellent opportunity for members to get involved and help shape the future direction of our organization.
Whether you’re interested in taking an active role in the organization, standing for election, or simply wish to share your thoughts, your presence will be immensely valued. Together, we aim to bolster Karl and Nick’s efforts and ensure the sustained success of our chapter.
We’re genuinely excited about the possibilities that lie ahead and eagerly anticipate seeing you there.
Should you have any questions or concerns beforehand, please feel free to reach out to me at 253-278-3470.
Warm regards,
Mike Doran

3 New Nick Zentner "Downtown Lectures"
2024-04-04 19:00 - 2024-04-06 19:00 | Morgan Auditorium, 400 E 1st Ave. , Ellensburg, WA, United States
Thursday, April 4, 2024. 7:00 pm.
What Happened to the Spokane Ice Sheet?

Friday, April 5, 2024. 7:00 pm.
The Missoula Floods versus Bretz’s Spokane Flood

Saturday, April 6, 2024. 7:00 pm.
Was Moses Coulee Carved by Subglacial Floods?

Doors open at 6:30 pm each night. 700 seats. Open seating. Free. Will be filmed for YouTube.
Morgan Auditorium. 400 E 1st Ave. Ellensburg, Washington, USA.

Cheney-Spokane Chapter Hike – Saturday 3/30 at 10AM – Escure Ranch / Towell Falls
2024-03-30 10:00 - 14:00 | Escure Ranch, Washington, 99125
Come join us for a moderate 6-mile hike to explore the Ice Age floods features in the Escure Ranch area south of Sprague, WA. The round trip hike follows a gravel road along the Rock Creek drainage and climbs about 100 feet over a small divide and back down to Towell Falls. On the way there you will drive past sculpted Palouse ‘islands’ downstream of Rock Lake, and on the hike near Towell Falls is an Ice Age Floods gravel bar that has been incised by a stream to show its interior structure. The hike will be led by IAFICS board members, geologists Donald Chadbourne and Chris Sheeran.
After confirming your registration we will send you the hike details and keep you up-to-date on any changes that happen before the hike.

Wasting at the Southern Margins of the Cordilleran Ice Sheet
2024-03-18 19:00 - 20:30 | Washington
(21Feb2024) We have invited Ralph Haugerud, USGS to give a talk in “wasting of the Southern Margins of the Cordilleran Ice sheet” on March 18,2024. Please note that this date has moved the Chapter Meeting to 18 March 2024. Or the third week of March. While we don’t have the details yet, I bet it will be more than a review of the Mima Mounds. ￼
Our new location is Bellevue College, Bldg R, Rm103, 3000 Landerholm Circle SE, Bellevue, WA 98007-6484. See our website for directions/parking. For this meeting only, there will be NO presentation by zoom,

HIKE: Sacajawea Bar - SECOND CHANCE
2024-03-16 10:00 - 12:00 | Snake River Junction Trailhead
Due to inclement weather and illnesses some missed out on the hike on the 2nd, so this is your second chance!

Those who wish to carpool from northerly points can meet in the parking lot of Java Bloom for a 9AM departure time.

Hike starts at the Snake River Junction Trailhead at 10AM. This is a state park, so a Discovery Pass is required (or you can pay for a day pass at the park site – $10 cash or check at their dropbox).

Bring your own water, snacks, and lunch.

Please have a waiver form filled out for each participant. If you have any questions or want to give Lloyd a heads up that you’re coming, he can be reached at (509) 954-3927

Palisades Park Hike led by Michael Hamilton
2024-03-09 12:00 - 14:00 | Palisades Park, 2-198 S Rimrock Dr, Spokane, WA, 99224, United States
The 3-mile hike will be led by IAFICS board member geologist Michael Hamilton. It will take place along Rimrock Drive, which has spectacular views of Spokane and the Spokane Valley. The Glacial Outburst Flood Story will include a lot of “arm-waving,” pointing out flood features both along the trail and with views to the east. The geology discussion will include details of another kind of flood that hit the Spokane area 14 million years ago. The hike will then cut to the west along one of the park’s trails to find mysterious Mima mounds, and then loop back to the parking area.

Lower Grand Coulee Chapter Hike - Saturday 3/9 at 10AM - Columbia National Wildlife Refuge - Upper Goose Lake
2024-03-09 10:00 - 15:00 | Upper Goose Lake, WA, WA, 99344, United States
Join Outing Coordinators Curt and Gene of the Lower Grand Coulee Chapter on March 9th for a leisurely, free 2-1/2-mile hike to visit Ice Age Floods Features in the Columbia National Wildlife Refuge at Upper Goose Lake!
Date: Saturday March 9, 2024
Start time: 10:00 am
Meeting Place: The GPS coordinates to the parking area at Upper Goose Lake are: 46.941040, -119.272415.
DRIVING DIRECTIONS
Traveling from the north, west or northwest, the entrance to the Columbia National Wildlife Refuge is off of Highway 262 East, at the far East end of the Potholes Reservoir Dam (GPS coordinates are: 46.981656, -119.254667). From the east or northeast, that same entrance to the wildlife refuge is also from Highway 262, but coming from the West on 262 W, which connects with Highway 17. From that entrance to the wildlife refuge, travel 2.1 miles to a fork in the road and keep right, from the fork travel another 0.7 miles to the turnoff to Upper Goose Lake Road. Turn right and then drive 0.9 miles to the parking area (GPS coordinates: 46.941040, -119.272415).
Traveling from the South or southeast, go through Othello traveling north on N Broadway Ave. Go past all the potato processing plants and then turn left on McManamon Road. Drive 4.6 miles to turn off to Morgan Lake Road (GPS coordinates: 46.889449, -119.230164). Turn right onto Morgan Lake Road, and drive 4.5 miles to turn off for Upper Goose Lake Road. Turn left, and then drive 0.9 miles to the parking area (GPS coordinates: 46.941040, -119.272415).
Fees: This Wildlife Refuge does not require a Pass or a day pass is required for parking.
What to bring: Lunch, drinks, snacks, appropriate clothing and footwear, camera, etc.

HIKE: Sacajawea Gravel Bar
2024-03-02 10:00 - 15:00 | Snake River Junction Trailhead
Join the Palouse Falls Chapter for a leisurely, free 2-3 mile hike to visit Sacajawea Bar on the Snake River!

Start time: 10:00a
Meeting Place: Snake River Junction Trailhead (see Google Maps for further location information).
Fees: This is a state park, so a Discovery Pass or a day pass is required for parking.
What to bring: Lunch, drinks, snacks, appropriate clothing and footwear, camera, etc.
Optional add-on: Juniper Dunes

For those who want to carpool from Washtucna, meet at Java Bloom. We will leave at 9:00 am.

Imagined History: Paddling Lake Missoula
2024-02-28 18:00 - 19:30 | North Spokane Library, 44 E Hawthorne Rd, Spokane, WA, 99218
Follow along on this imaginative look at the period when Lake Missoula was carving out our shrub-steppe scablands. Paul Lindholdt writes environmentally inflected nonfiction and journalism. His 10 books include In Earshot of Water, an ecological memoir that won the Washington State Book Award, The Spokane River, and Interrogating Travel.
Presented by Paul Lindholdt, of the Ice Age Floods Institute

PNW in Brief: The Most Recent Ice Age Floods
2024-02-26 18:00 - 19:30 | Argonne Library, 4322 N Argonne Rd, Spokane, WA, 99212
During this presentation, we follow the path of the floods from western Montana across the Idaho Panhandle, through the Columbia Basin and Gorge, into the Willamette Valley and finally to the Pacific Ocean. We look at some of the major floods features found within the four-state area-features you can see out your windshield as you travel through the floods area.
Presented by Dr. Gary Ford, president of the Ice Age Floods Institute
Brochures prepared by the Ice Age Floods Institute and National Park Service will be available. Books, videos, and maps on the floods will be available for purchase from the Cheney- Spokane Chapter of the Ice Age Floods institute.

The Spokane Aquifer: Legacy of the Ice Age Floods
2024-02-22 14:00 - 15:30 | Moran Prairie Library, 6004 S Regal St, Spokane, WA, 99223
The Spokane Aquifer is a legacy from the giant Ice Age floods that roared through the Spokane Valley, leaving behind a porous, coarse gravel that hosts our communities’ water supply. The Aquifer story includes tales of fascinating, unique geologic processes and community historical events that formed and harnessed this resource.
Presented by Geologist Michael Hamilton from the Ice Age Floods Institute

Ice Age Floodscapes of the Pacific Northwest
2024-02-20 19:00 - 20:30 | The Reach Museum, 1943 Columbia Park Trl , WA, Richland, WA, 99352, United States
Ice Age Floodscapes of the Pacific Northwest: A photographic exploration
Geologist and author Bruce Bjornstad will present a bird’s eye view of the Ice Age megafloods that impacted the Pacific Northwest as recently as 14,000 years ago and shaped the landscape of the mid-Columbia basin. Bruce’s presentation will be a stunning picture show of amazing drone photos from all over the Pacific NW flood plain. This will be a hybrid meeting, live and livestreamed via ZOOM, on Tuesday evening at 7PM. We will post it to Youtube after editing. It will be great.

Bruce Bjornstad is a retired geologist with degrees from the University of New Hampshire and Eastern Washington University living in Richland, Washington. During his career Bjornstad has written numerous documents and reports on the geology of eastern Washington as well as two geologic guidebooks “On the Trail of the Ice Age Floods” that tell of the transformation of the Pacific Northwest as recently as 14,000 years ago. Bjornstad is also the creator of the online YouTube Channel “Ice Age Floodscapes”. Most recently, Bjornstad has published a new, full-color, coffee-table-style book titled: “Ice Age Floodscapes of the Pacific Northwest: A Photographic Exploration”. Bruce will have books available for purchase.
This presentation is free to attend. It begins at 7 pm, Tuesday, February 20, at the REACH Museum, 1943 Columbia Park Trail, Richland, WA
Or join the Zoom Meeting, 7PM – 8:30PM
Please note, the Zoom link that was listed before Feb. 8 was a mistake, the correct link is:
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/88136774109?pwd=[REDACTED]
Meeting ID: 881 3677 4109
Passcode: [REDACTED]

Cheney at the Head of Channeled Scablands
2024-02-20 18:00 - 19:30 | Cheney Community Library, 610 1st St, Cheney, WA, 99004
In this overview, learn about the history of the Channeled Scablands. We look back to around 20,000 years ago at the end of the last glacial maximum and at the formation of two huge, glacially dammed, meltwater glacial lakes—Missoula and Columbia. We explore the subsequent failures of the Lake Missoula ice dam, which resulted in a series of megafloods that occurred between 18,000 and 14,000 years ago. Then, we discuss the geologic and hydrologic factors that control lake formations from the Medical Lake area to Fish Lake.
Presented by Dr. Linda McCollum, professor emeritus of geosciences at EWU and of the Ice Age Floods Institute

Dr. Scott Burns - Ancient Ice Age Floods Before the Missoula Floods
2024-02-15 19:00 - 20:00 | Tualatin Heritage Center, 8700 SW Sweek Drive, Tualatin, OR, 97062, United States
Come and 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
Come and learn more about these very interesting older Ice Age Floods,
Thursday, Feb. 15, 2024 at 7:00 PM (Pacific Time)
Live at Tualatin Heritage Center, 8700 SW Sweek Dr., Tualatin, OR 97062
Or on Zoom – Click here to join via ZOOM
Meeting ID: 827 0148 6070 Passcode: [REDACTED]
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

JT Pardee and the Lake He Discovered - Talk by Bill Burgel
2024-02-13 19:00 - 20:30 | Wenatchee Valley Museum and Cultural Center, 127 S. Mission, Wenatchee, WA, United States
The Wenatchee Valley Erratics Chapter’s next program will be Tuesday, February 13 at 7:00 PM. Our speaker will present live at the Wenatchee Valley Museum and Cultural Center, 127 S. Mission, Wenatchee. There is also a Zoom link so one can watch remotely: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84520197937 Webinar ID: 845 2019 7937.
Joseph T. Pardee
Bill Burgel is coming up from Portland to tell us about “Joseph T. Pardee and Glacial Lake Missoula.” Pardee was a USGS Field Geologist whose expertise was in Western Montana, where he was raised and worked for years. He was the first to recognize, around 1910, the features of a vast, ancient Glacial Lake Missoula.
In the 1920s, working independently of Pardee, Harlan Bretz had determined from field evidence, that only an extraordinarily huge flood, or floods, could have carved out the Channeled Scablands and the big coulees associated with them in eastern and central Washington. But he didn’t know the source of the water. Pardee quipped that he “knew the source of Bretz’ water.” In 1925, he suggested to Bretz that the draining of a glacial lake could account for the magnitude of water flows needed to create the Scablands and coulees.
The program is free, and open to the public.
—-
Bill Burgel worked in the railroad industry for 40 years, in engineering and operations. With his background and training in geology, he was often called upon to resolve landslide issues and rerouting studies, earthquake warning strategies, and to conduct long tunnel analyses.
Contact information:
Brent Cunderla – Erratics Chapter President
cunderla@nwi.net (509) 860-6067
Susan D. Freiberg – Erratics Chapter Publicity
wenvalerratics@yahoo.com

Ice Age Floods Around the World
2024-01-08 19:00 - 20:30 | Washington
On 08Jan2024 the Puget Lobe Chapter has Guest Lecturer Dr. Vic Baker presents “Ice Age Floods Around the World”. This presentation will be a “Zoom” (URL https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82985244730. And in-person at Bellevue College Bldg R, Rm R103. see map in separate post.
There are approximately 24 mega-floods referenced on the maps, of which, #4 is probably the Missoula Floods and outwash from the “Atwater”(#9) and Lake Bonneville (#5) outburst floods. (index unavailable)
Known ice-age mega-floods (red arrows and numbers) for the northern hemisphere (polar view). Blue areasindicate the extent of glacial ice and purple areas show mega-lakes at the time of the ice-age flooding.

Spirit Whales and Sloth Tales: Fossils in Washington State
2023-12-12 19:00 - 20:30 | Zoom Meeting
The Wenatchee Valley Erratics Chapter of the Ice Age Floods Institute’s next program will be Tuesday, December 12 at 7:00 PM. This is a hybrid program, with the speakers presenting remotely via Zoom from Seattle. For those who are not computer- or Zoom-savvy, you can attend in-person for a screening at the Wenatchee Valley Museum and Cultural Center, 127 S. Mission, Wenatchee. Or at home via Zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84520197937 Webinar ID: 845 2019 7937
In Washington, you are never far from the past, including evidence of plants and animals that came before. Fossil flowers in Republic. Trilobites near the Idaho border. Primitive horses on the Columbia Plateau. Tracks of giant birds near Bellingham. Curious bear-like creatures on the Olympic Peninsula. With abundant and well-exposed rock layers, Washington has fossils dating from Ice Age mammals from only 12,000 years ago, to marine invertebrates more than 500 million years old.
Join co-authors Dr. Liz Nesbitt and David B. Williams as they discuss this rich array of past life, which is featured in their new book, “Spirit Whales and Sloth Tales: Fossils in Washington State“— the first book ever on fossils in the state! Why did they choose the fossils they did? What is the new science that has allowed paleontologists to tease out the 500-million-year long story of life in this region?
Liz Nesbitt is curator emerita of invertebrate and micropaleontology at the Burke Museum. David B. Williams is an author, naturalist, tour guide, and Curatorial Associate at the Burke Museum.
Please sign in, or show up, at 7:00 PM, December 12! The program is free and open to the public.

Crystal Caves Hike - Lower Grand Coulee
2023-11-18 10:00 - 12:00 | Crystal Caves – Lower Grand Coulee
Join our Lower Grand Coulee Chapter Outings Coordinator, Gene Wing, and others on 11/18 at 10AM for a hike to the “Crystal Cave” just south of Soap Lake. We will meet in the parking area at the end of Road 23 NW at 10AM.

Directions: Follow Hwy 17 North from the city of Soap Lake to Road 23 NW, turn left and continue to the parking area at the end of Road 23.
Map coordinates: 47.424369, -119.505622

Bill Burgel Lecture- Missoula Floods Evidence in the Greater Portland Area
2023-11-16 18:30 - 20:00 | Tualatin Heritage Center, 8700 SW Sweek Drive, Tualatin, OR, 97062, United States
Bill Burgel will lead you on a 45 minute long travelogue – starting in the Columbia River Gorge and ending south of Tualatin – of all the amazing geology produced by the Missoula Floods. Did you know one of the largest scour pits formed by the floods is right here in Portland? And, why Rockwood got its name? This Travelogue will be available should you want to visit each of these sights.
Bill Burgel – “Where to See Evidence of the Missoula Floods in the Greater Portland Area”
Thursday, November 16, 2023. In Person 6:45PM PST at 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 to join zoom meeting Meeting ID: 824 3786 3054 Passcode: [REDACTED]
Bill Burgel
Bill Burgel Bio
Bill Burgel retired from the railroad industry after a successful forty year career. He worked for several railroads in 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. 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.
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 including Geologic Society of the Oregon Country, University of Oregon, Portland State University, Central Oregon Geologic Society, Ice Age Floods Institute – several chapters, plus many other groups.
Bill is a graduate of The University Michigan: BS in Engineering. At Idaho State University, he earned MS Degree in Structural Geology. Bill is a member of the IAFI Lower Columbia Chapter and its Board of Directors.
This is our last regular meeting in 2023. We will not meet in December since our regular meetings on the third Thursday of each month is so close to the Christmas Holiday. Thank you all for your support and attendance at Lower Columbia Chapter/IAFI programs and events as we enter our 20th consecutive year in 2024. Best wishes for a very happy holiday season.

CANCELLED - Terroir of Oregon Wines - Dr. Scott Burns
2023-11-08 19:00 - 21:00 | Pioneer Church, 18005 S Gronlund Rd, Oregon City, OR, 97045, United States
This lecture has been cancelled for now.
Terroir of Oregon Wines – the relationship of geology and climate to wine tastes – presentation by Dr. Scott Burns – Lower Columbia Chapter: In-Person Meeting
The Willamette Valley is famous for having different flavors of Pinot Noir wines based on their soils. Dr. Burns will discuss what terroir of wine is and how geology and climate affects the flavors of the wines. He will also compare the terroirs of Oregon and Washington wine growing areas. We will sip some different wines at the end to show how the flavors differ.
Join us for this joint Lower Columbia Chapter/Baker Cabin Historical Society Meeting at Pioneer Church, Oregon City, on Wednesday, November 8, 2023 at 7:00 PM PST. The meeting will begin with Dr. Burn’s presentation at 7:00PM. At the end, Dr. Burns will present some different wines to sip showing how the flavors differ. Limited seating. Must be 21+ to sip.
Directions: I-205 Exit 10 Hwy 213S, Rt on Washington St, to round-about: take 2nd exit onto Clackamas River Rd, 5.7 mi to rt on S Hattan Rd. Go up hill 1 long block to top. See Pioneer Ch from corner. Rt. on S Gronlund Rd to 1st driveway: Church parking lot. ADA accessible. For add’l parking, take main entrance road at str. corner to the Baker Cabin parking lot.
Dr. Scott Burns is Professor Emeritus of Engineering Geology at Portland State University, Past President of IAEG (International Association of Engineering Geologist and the Environment), and Co-author of revised second edition: “Cataclysms on the Columbia.”

Puget Lobe Chapter Zoom Meeting
2023-11-06 19:00 - 20:30 | Zoom Meeting
The Puget Lobe w1ll meet November 6, 2023 via Zoom (https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82985244730) for Scott Burns to present “Ice Age Floods throughout the Quaternary. Don’t forget the older ones.” Keyword is the “older ones” – older than our “recent Fraser” Missoula Floods (18Kya-15Kya). Scott will tell you how to identify the deposits.

The Other Half of the Equation: JT Pardee and the Lake He Discovered
2023-10-19 19:00 - 20:00 | Tualatin Heritage Center, 8700 SW Sweek Drive, Tualatin, OR, 97062, United States
Bill Burgel
While J Harlen Bretz was exploring the Scablands with his grad students, Joseph Pardee was quietly amassing convincing data about the existence of Glacial Lake Missoula. Pardee’s work ultimately led to acceptance of Bretz’ theory of catastrophic outburst flooding as an important tool in the shaping of our world. Come hear Bill Burgel in person discuss JT Pardee’s critical role in the evolution of the science of geology!
This presentation is In-Person Only on Thursday, October 19, 2023 at 7:00PM,
at Tualatin Heritage Center, 8700 SW Sweek Drive, Tualatin, OR 97062
About our presenter: Bill Burgel
Bill retired from the railroad industry after a successful 40 year career. He worked for several railroads in the engineering and operating departments.His interest and training in geology was often called upon to resolve landscape issues and rerouting studies, implement early earthquake warning strategies and conduct numerous long railroad tunnel analyses.He has given many talks on rail issues as well as earthquake preparedness and topics pertaining to regional geology to local audiences throughout the Pacific Northwest. Bill is a graduate of The University of Michigan, BS in Engineering and MS in Structural Geology from Idaho State University.
