Geology & Ice Age Floods - Tri-Cities WA Guide

Tri-Cities Geology and Ice Age Floods

The geology of the Tri-Cities area is very unique in that it consists of a basalt and lava landscape carved by the great Ice Age Floods. During the largest floods the Tri-Cities lay under 900 feet of floodwater (i.e., Lake Lewis) that backed up behind the hydraulic constriction at Wallula Gap.

During this time the tops of the local hills (e.g., Badger and Candy Mountains) were "islands" poking out above Lake Lewis. The floods also carved the basalt and lava landscape to create the Channeled Scablands in Eastern Washington.

You will find information about the Ice Age Floods on this page by two Tri-Citians, Bruce Bjornstad and Tom Foster, along with information about the Lake Lewis Chapter of the Ice Age Floods Institute, based in the Tri-Cities. Additional resources about the Ice Age Floods, Columbia River Basalt Group, and Channeled Scablands of Eastern Washington are also provided.

Ice Age Floods Institute & Lake Lewis Chapter

About the Ice Age Floods Institute

The Ice Age Floods Institute (IAFI) is a nonprofit, volunteer-based organization that is committed to the recognition and presentation of the Ice Age Floods as a significant part of the nation's, and the world's, natural heritage. You can find excellent resources (books, maps, videos, etc.) related to the Ice Age Floods.

IAFI is committed to working with Congress to support the National Park Service's effort to form the Ice Age Floods National Geologic Trail which would essentially be a network of marked touring routes extending across parts of Montana, Idaho, Washington, and Oregon, with several special interpretive centers located across the region.

Lake Lewis Chapter of the Ice Age Floods Institute - Tri-Cities

The Lake Lewis Chapter of the Ice Age Floods Institute represents the Tri-Cities area and south-central and southeastern Washington and the adjacent areas in Idaho and Oregon.

The Lake Lewis Chapter offers lectures and field trips in the Tri-Cities region that are open to the public. In addition, this chapter has published the Lake Lewis Floodscape Brochure that includes a map of the region and several short articles about not-to-be-missed Ice Age floods features.

Ice Age Floods Glossary of Geologic Technical Terms

A Glossary of Geologic Technical Terms related to the Ice Age Floods was prepared by the Ice Age Floods Institute to help people of all backgrounds understand the geologic terms used to explain phenomena related to the Ice Age Floods.

Bruce Bjornstad - Geologist (retired) & Author

Bruce Bjornstad is a geologist (retired) who lives in the Tri-Cities and is the author of the "On the Trail of the Ice Age Floods" guide books. He has also produced videos about the Ice Age Floodscapes.

On the Trail of the Ice Age Floods: A Geological Field Guide to the Mid-Columbia Basin (2006)

On the Trail of the Ice Age Floods: A Geological Field Guide to the Mid-Columbia Basin by Bruce Bjornstad, a geologist from the Tri-Cities, shows the best places to hike, bike, drive and fly to see the unique and awesome geologic features in this region.

On the Trail of the Ice Age Floods: The Northern Reaches (2012)

On the Trail of the Ice Age Floods: The Northern Reaches geologist Bruce Bjornstad joined forces with Emeritus Professor Eugene Kiver to guide readers upstream - The Northern Reaches - in Volume 2. This book focuses on northern Idaho and the Channeled Scabland.

Ice Age Floodscapes of the Pacific Northwest: A Photographic Exploration (2021)

Ice Age Floodscapes of the Pacific Northwest: A Photographic Exploration is a heavily illustrated book by Bruce Bjornstad that contains descriptions and geologic interpretations of photographs (mostly aerial) illustrating the power and magnitude of repeated Ice Age flooding in the Pacific Northwest, as recently as 14,000 years ago.

The scale of Ice Age floods was so huge that today it is often difficult to see and appreciate the power and magnitude of such megafloods from ground level. However, from the air, landforms created by the floods often come into clear focus. Aerial images, obtained via unmanned aerial vehicle (drone) as well as fixed-wing airplane, add a new perspective on evidence gathered by dozens of scientists since 1923.

YouTube - Ice Age Floodscapes

Bruce has 40 videos on the YouTube channel Ice Age Floodscapes described as: "The many dramatic, unique and sometimes bizarre landforms created by huge, cataclysmic Ice Age floods in the Pacific Northwest is explored via unmanned aerial vehicle and still photographs."

Tom Foster (deceased) - HUGEfloods

Tom Foster, a resident of the Tri-Cities, created the HUGEfloods website. HUGEfloods contains many photographs of geologic features that he has taken. He produced several popular "I-90 Rocks" and "2 Minute Geology" videos with Nick Zentner (Central Washington University) and listed 25 features related to the Ice Age Floods region.

Tom passed away unexpectedly on March 4, 2020, leaving behind a treasure trove of Ice Age Flood images and information in his website and his blogs. The Ice Age Flood Institute (iafi.org) has worked with Tom's family to ensure that this wonderful resource will remain available to the public for years to come.

Washington Geological Survey

The Washington Geological Survey is a team of more than 40 people, working for the Washington State Department of Natural Resources, who combine diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and skills to produce and publish geologic information about Washington.

The Washington 100 section of their website provides viewers with a thorough guide to explore 100 geological places up close and personal. This section has graphics, videos, and maps for us to learn about well-known attractions including Mount Rainier and Palouse Falls. There are 7 regions to choose from to learn more: Columbia Basin, North Cascades, Okanogan, Olympic Peninsula, Puget Lowland, South Cascades, and Willapa Hills.

Publications

Ice Age Floods Institute - Book Store

The Ice Age Floods Institute (IAFI) has an online store with a good selection of books, DVDs, and videos available on the Ice Age Floods. Buying from the IAFI helps its mission to educate the public and increase appreciation for the floods story.

Cataclysms on the Columbia (2009)

Cataclysms on the Columbia, by John Eliot Allen, Marjorie Burns and Scott Burns, tells two stories. One follows geological research that challenged the scientific paradigm of the early 20th century, and the other chronicles the results of that research: the discovery of powerful prehistoric floods that shaped the Pacific Northwest. The last Ice Age left scabland buttes, dry falls, and old river channels in its wake, but it took the detective work of geologist J. Harlen Bretz to prove it to the world. With a lifetime of research and an unshakeable belief, Bretz made history and changed geology forever.

Columbia River Basalt Group

The USGS Cascades Volcano Observatory in Vancouver, Washington has published information on the Columbia River Basalt Group (CRBG). You can also read the comprehensive field-trip guide (2017) to the vents, dikes, stratigraphy, and structure of the CRBG in Oregon and Washington.

Hiking Guide to Washington Geology (2009)

The Hiking Guide to Washington Geology, by Bob Carson & Scott Babcock, offers more than 50 superb hikes, from short day trips to overnight backpacking treks, to the best spots around Washington to see the Earth's most monumental forces at work.

Glacial Lake Missoula and its Humongous Floods (2001)

As geologist J. Harlen Bretz walked the dry scabland channels of eastern Washington in the 1920s, it dawned on him that he was viewing a landscape sculpted by water. Lots of water. A flood of catastrophic proportions. Glacial Lake Missoula and Its Humongous Floods, by David Alt, tells the gripping tale of a huge Ice Age lake that drained suddenly - not just once but repeatedly - and reshaped the landscape of the Northwest.

Ice Age Flood Features Near Richland, Washington - Road Guide (2009?)

Team Battelle volunteers and the Lake Lewis Chapter of the Ice Age Floods Institute prepared the downloadable road guide brochure Ice Age Flood Features Near Richland, Washington (PDF) that describes two routes for self-guided tours of Ice Age flood features within 20 miles of Richland, Washington. Nine stops are identified where evidence of these cataclysmic floods can be observed first hand.

Ice Age Floods in Washington: A Cybertour (2008)

Ice Age Floods in Washington: A Cybertour explores the impact of the Ice Age floods on Washington state and covers fourteen areas of interest.

Mystery of the Megaflood (2005)

NOVA Science Programming On Air And Online (PBS) provides information on the Mystery of the Megaflood with topics that include Fantastic Floods, Ice Age Lake, and Explore the Scablands.

Sculpted by Floods: The Northwest's Ice Age Legacy (2010)

Sculpted by Floods: The Northwest's Ice Age Legacy is one hour-long video that was produced by KSPS, the public television station in Spokane and is a great primer on the floods. It is a story of the earth's power, scientific discovery and human nature - one touted by enthusiasts as the greatest story left untold. During the last ice age, floods flowing with ten times the volume of all the world's current rivers combined inundated the Northwest. What left behind was a unique and often puzzling landscape that we call home.

The Channeled Scablands of Eastern Washington (1976)

The Channeled Scablands of Eastern Washington summarizes the sequence of geologic events that culminated in the so-called "Spokane Flood," and was prepared in response to a general interest in geology and a particular interest in the origin of the Scablands often expressed by those crossing the State of Washinx

The Scablands: A scarred landscape as strange as fiction (2014)

The Scablands: A scarred landscape as strange as fiction was published by Scott K. Johnson, a hydrogeologist, on Ars Technica. In 2014, he made a trip to Eastern Washington to check out the Scablands first hand. At Frenchman Coulee, he met up with local geologist, Bruce Bjornstad.

Washington State - Get the Dirt on Wine (Documentary 2006)

Washington State - Get the Dirt on Wine tells the story about Washington State Wine from the great Ice Age floods to vineyards and why Washington State is such a great place to grow great grapes and make great wine. Interviews with a geologist, vineyard managers, wine critics and wine makers tells the story of the Terroir for all of the wine regions of this amazing state (view the trailer).

Where the Great River Bends (2008)

Where the Great River Bends, edited by Robert J Carson, is a book about the natural and human history of the Columbia at Wallula. This book covers the geography, geology, biology and history of an area symbolized by a unique geologic feature, the Twin Sisters. Here the Ice Age floods rushed through, Native Americans lived, fur trappers traded and railroads thrived, making it an important historical and cultural landmark in the West's awesome landscape.

Wikipedia

Several authors have contributed information on Wikipedia about the Channeled Scablands, Columbia River Basalt Group, and Missoula Floods.