San Juan Island National Historical Park Geologic Resources Inventory Report
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National Park Service US Department of the Interior Natural Resource Stewardship and Science San Juan Island National Historical Park Geologic Resources Inventory Report Natural Resource Report NPS/NRSS/GRD/NRR—2014/835 ON THE COVER View of American Camp shoreline looking east. National Park Service photograph. THIS PAGE Wildflowers blooming in a field in American Camp. The glacial history of San Juan Island deposited large amounts of gravel. Later inhabitants of the island piled large rocks at the edges of fields. National Park Service photograph. San Juan Island National Historical Park Geologic Resources Inventory Report Natural Resource Report NPS/NRSS/GRD/NRR—2014/835 John P. Graham Colorado State University Research Associate National Park Service Geologic Resources Division Geologic Resources Inventory PO Box 25287 Denver, CO 80225 August 2014 US Department of the Interior National Park Service Natural Resource Stewardship and Science Fort Collins, Colorado The National Park Service, Natural Resource Stewardship and Science office in Fort Collins, Colorado, publishes a range of reports that address natural resource topics. These reports are of interest and applicability to a broad audience in the National Park Service and others in natural resource management, including scientists, conservation and environmental constituencies, and the public. The Natural Resource Report Series is used to disseminate high-priority, current natural resource management information with managerial application. The series targets a general, diverse audience, and may contain NPS policy considerations or address sensitive issues of management applicability. All manuscripts in the series receive the appropriate level of peer review to ensure that the information is scientifically credible, technically accurate, appropriately written for the intended audience, and designed and published in a professional manner. This report received informal peer review by subject-matter experts who were not directly involved in the collection, analysis, or reporting of the data. Views, statements, findings, conclusions, recommendations, and data in this report do not necessarily reflect views and policies of the National Park Service, US Department of the Interior. Mention of trade names or commercial products does not constitute endorsement or recommendation for use by the US Government. Printed copies of this report are produced in a limited quantity and they are only available as long as the supply lasts. This report is available from the Geologic Resources Inventory website (http://www.nature.nps.gov/geology/inventory/ gre_publications.cfm) and the Natural Resource Publications Management website (http://www.nature.nps.gov/publications/nrpm/). To receive this report in a format optimized for screen readers, please email [email protected]. Please cite this publication as: Graham, J. P. 2014. San Juan Island National Historical Park: geologic resources inventory report. Natural resource report NPS/NRSS/GRD/NRR—2014/835. National Park Service, Fort Collins, Colorado. NPS 438/125611, August 2014 ii NPS Geologic Resources Division Contents List of Figures ................................................................................................................ iv List of Tables ................................................................................................................. iv Executive Summary ....................................................................................................... v Products and Acknowledgements .............................................................................. vii GRI Products ............................................................................................................................................................... vii Acknowledgements .................................................................................................................................................... vii Geologic Setting and Significance ................................................................................ 1 Park Location and Designation ..................................................................................................................................... 1 Geologic Setting .......................................................................................................................................................... 1 Geologic Features and Processes .................................................................................. 9 Tectonic Features ......................................................................................................................................................... 9 Glacial Features ......................................................................................................................................................... 12 Raised Beaches .......................................................................................................................................................... 13 Aeolian Features ........................................................................................................................................................ 14 Beaches, Headlands, and Other Coastal Features ........................................................................................................ 14 Estuaries and Wetlands .............................................................................................................................................. 14 Paleontological Resources .......................................................................................................................................... 15 Geologic Resource Management Issues ..................................................................... 19 Coastal Erosion .......................................................................................................................................................... 19 Earthquakes and Tsunamis ......................................................................................................................................... 20 Volcanic Hazards ....................................................................................................................................................... 22 Global Climate Change .............................................................................................................................................. 23 Groundwater Issues ................................................................................................................................................... 24 Oil and Fuel Spills ....................................................................................................................................................... 26 Driftwood Impact to Coastline Features ...................................................................................................................... 26 Geologic History .......................................................................................................... 27 Assembling the West Coast of North America ............................................................................................................ 27 A Landscape Carved by Ice-Age Glaciers..................................................................................................................... 29 Modern Landscapes Shaped by Sea and Wind ............................................................................................................ 31 Geologic Map Data ...................................................................................................... 33 Geologic Maps .......................................................................................................................................................... 33 Source Maps .............................................................................................................................................................. 33 GRI GIS Data .............................................................................................................................................................. 33 GRI Map Posters ........................................................................................................................................................ 35 Map Unit Properties Table .......................................................................................................................................... 35 Use Constraints .......................................................................................................................................................... 35 Glossary ........................................................................................................................ 37 Literature Cited ............................................................................................................ 43 Additional References ................................................................................................. 47 Geology of National Park Service Areas ...................................................................................................................... 47 NPS Resource Management Guidance and Documents ............................................................................................... 47 Climate Change Resources 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