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2015 Bretz Club Field Trip Gorge Apri 11, 2015 Multiple Parts Multiple Authors Not a citable document

Wilkes (1844)

Bretz (1913)

“Although I have examined them with great care, I have been unable to arrive at any satisfactory conclusion in respect to their origin.” John Strong Newberry (1855)

Chenowith Tableland (image by C. Cannon; 2014 lidar love courtesy Ian Madin) Bretz 2015 Field trip; Possible schedule

1. Depart Camp Collins at 8:30.

2. Reconvene at Lewis and Clark SP at 9:00. Exit 18, Interstate 84 [45.541478°; -122.379897°] Day campers can meet there. Consolidate vehicles here. Depart at 9:15. (bathrooms here)

3. Cascade Locks Marine Park (arrive at 10:15) Location: Cascade Locks, I-84 exit 44 [45.668213°; -121.896078°] Walk out to Thunder Island and discuss Bridge of the Gods landslide. Depart at 11:15 (maybe a bit earlier). (bathrooms here)

4. Chenowith Tableland Mima mounds (arrive about noon) Location: The Dalles, I-84 exit 83; end of Sandlin Rd (3225 Sandlin Rd) [45.613427°; -121.242806°] Walk out over spectacular Mima mound field to rim; nice lunch vista of The Dalles basin. Somebody (anybody?) futilely explains genesis of Mima mounds. Depart at 1:30. (no bathrooms)

5. Dalles roadcut site on 197 (arrive 1:45) Location: Highway 197 roadcut, I-84 exit 87 [45.585310°; -121.120502°] Loess OR ancient flood stratigraphy; recent paleomag; Missoula flood rhythmites. Depart 2:30. (no bathrooms)

6. Mouth of (Deschutes River Recreation Area; arrive 3:00) Location: Deschutes River Recreation Area, I-84 exit 97 [45.629302°; -120.913706°] Lake of the Gods; Deschutes River geomorphology. Depart at 4. (bathrooms at Heritage Landing)

7. Thunder Island Brewing Co., Cascade Locks Marine Park Arrive at 5. (bathrooms)

Camp Collins to Lewis and Clark (Exit 18, I-84)

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Oxbow Dr. THUMBNAIL GEOLOGIC HISTORY OF THE COLUMBIA RIVER (prepared by Jim O’Connor and Richard Waitt, U.S. Geological Survey; revised April, 2015)

70-40 m.y. Birth of the volcanic arc 17-12 m.y. Voluminous Columbia River Basalt Group lava flows vent from eastern , eastern , and western Idaho. 175,000 cubic kilometers of basalt bury the landscape; dozens of flows passed through ancestral Columbia River valleys to the Pacific 12-2 m.y. Cascade Range volcanism produces broad aprons of sediment (Dalles/Rhododendron Formation). Local vents pour lava flows into Columbia River valley and build up 100s of small cones (Boring Lavas); Portland Basin forms 4-3 m.y. Regional volcanism diverts river north into present gorge through Cascade Range 3-2 m.y. Beginning of glacial ages, capture of the , cutting of Hells 2-1 m.y. Modern Cascade Range warps up; present stratovolcanoes (Hood, Adams, Saint Helens) form; Columbia River cuts present gorge; landslides push river against south gorge wall, forming south-wall waterfalls 1-0.1 m.y. At least two extensive glaciations encroach into northern Portland Basin from southern Washington Cascade Range; episodes of Columbia River deposition of sand and gravel in Portland Basin 600,000 yr ago Prune Hill lavas solidify, future source of Columbia River jetty rock 200,000 yr ago Mount Tabor pokes through Portland basin; one of several during last 1 m.y. 100,000 yr ago volcano collapses; resulting debris flow buries present site of , dams Columbia 95,000 yr ago Lava flows descend into Columbia River, damming deep lake 55,000 yr ago Beacon Rock volcano pushes through Columbia valley 45,000 yr ago Mount St. Helens erupts cataclysmically (Ape Canyon eruptive period), sending voluminous lahars down Lewis River valley, and blanketing Oregon and southern Washington with tephra 30-15,000 yr ago Last glacial age; sea level drops 120 m globally, lowering Columbia River ~100 m in Portland basin; 30 m at Cascade Locks. Portland basin coated with windblown silt from mega-east winds 20-15,000 yr ago Dozens of great floods from Glacial sweep down Columbia River with volumes as great as 2500 km3, and with discharges as great as 10 million m3/s. Maximum flood stage 120-150 m above sea level in Portland, 300 m above sea level at The Dalles. Sculpts landscape; deposits immense gravel bars along main current threads; layered sand, silt, and clay in slackwater areas 12-5,000 yr ago Sea level rises rapidly to present level; Columbia River keeps up by depositing 120 m of sand and silt 7,500 yr ago Mount Mazama (Crater Lake) erupts 50 km3 of magma; Columbia River channel filled with up to 5 m of pumice and ash 5,000-60 yr ago Large sand dunes grow along Columbia River valley bottom 2,000 yr ago Sea level stabilizes near present elevation 1,500 yr ago Eruptions of Mt. Hood send multiple lahars down the to the Columbia, forms Sandy River delta 1420-1460 AD Bonneville Landslide blocks Columbia River at “Bridge of the Gods;” Lake of the Gods up to 85 m ASL; similar to combined Bonneville, The Dalles, and John Day dams; lake breaches landslide dam sometime before 1480, sending ~200,000 m3/s down the Columbia River. Cascade Rapids is the remnant landslide dam, impounding Columbia River 15 m above pre-landslide level Jan. 26, 1700 Giant Cascadia earthquake shakes entire , sends tsunami across Pacific 1781 AD Mount Hood erupts, sending “Old Maid” lahars down Sandy River Dec. 1861 Regional rain-on-snow flooding in the Pacific Northwest, largest floods of last several thousand years on many Columbia River tributaries (Willamette, Deschutes, John Day) June 7, 1894 Largest historic flood on the Columbia River, 34,000 m3/s from snowmelt June 1, 1948 Vanport flood on the Columbia River, 28,600 m3/s May 18, 1980 Mount St. Helens erupts, sending ~34 million m3 of sediment into the Columbia River near Longview Feb. 6-10, 1996 Massive debris flows during regional rain-on-snow event bury houses, Interstate 84, and railway in Dodson/Warrendale area; Columbia River and tributaries achieve maximum stages since 1964 THUMBNAIL HUMAN HISTORY OF THE COLUMBIA RIVER

14,500 yr ago First documented humans in Pacific Northwest, DNA in Paisley Caves coprolites 10,000 yr ago Evidence of salmon fishery at the head of Five Mile Rapids near The Dalles 8,000 yr ago Earliest dated cultural features in the Portland basin 3,000 to 150 yr ago Dozens of Native American villages along Columbia River, notable population centers in the Celilo/Five Mile Rapids area near The Dalles, the Portland Basin, and, after about 500 yr ago, Cascade Rapids ~300-150 yr ago First European contact, development of equestrian culture, vast reductions of Native American populations by smallpox and other communicable diseases August 1775 Bruno de Hezeta discovers mouth of Columbia River (and names it Rio de San Roque) May 11, 1792 Captain Robert Gray enters river and gives it the name “Columbia River” October 1792 Lieutenant William Broughton (of Vancouver expedition) sails upstream to near Sandy River confluence Oct.-Nov. 1805 Lewis and Clark travel through the on the way to Pacific, running Five Mile Rapids, but portaging around Cascade Rapids; measure first tide at Beacon Rock; return through Gorge April 1806 March 1811 Contingent sent by John Jacob Astor establishes Astoria as fur trading post, becomes Fort George in 1812 July 1811 David Thompson explores entire route of Columbia River 1825 Hudson’s Bay Company established at 1841 Wilkes Expedition maps Columbia River channel; James Dwight Dana first geologist in PNW 1842 First emigrants reach end of the trail at The Dalles, forced to take to the river for final 100 km 1851 “the clearing” on west bank of Willamette incorporated as ‘Portland’ (instead of as ‘Boston’) 1855 Abbot Railroad surveys, includes doctor/geologist John Strong Newberry 1853-1910 First Coast and Geodetic Surveys of Columbia River channel and floodplain 1856 First portage railway constructed around Cascade Rapids 1860s Oregon Navigation Company runs sternwheelers between Portland and Lewiston, Idaho 1870s First wagon road from Sandy to The Dalles 1870s Beginning of continuous stage measurements of the Columbia River (at Cascade Locks and Umatilla) 1870s First dredging and pile dike construction by U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 1882-1883 completed on Oregon side by E.H. Harriman 1880-1900 Fish wheels, gill nets, and hooks annually extract up to 3 million pounds of salmon from the Columbia 1896 Cascade Locks completed, allowing ship travel past Cascade Rapids 1905 First USGS topographic quadrangles of Columbia River Gorge area 1912 James J. Hill completes Spokane, Portland & Railway on north bank of the Columbia 1915 Columbia River Scenic Highway opens between Troutdale and The Dalles 1915 Completion of Celilo Canal, allowing ship traffic past Five Mile Rapids and 1938 Completion of ; drowning of Cascade Rapids 1957 Completion of , drowning of Five Mile Rapids and Celilo Falls 1950-1980 Construction of Interstate 84, destruction of parts of the Columbia River Scenic Highway 1984 Rajneeshee’s salt salad bars in The Dalles with salmonella in attempt to steal Wasco County election 1986 Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area Act March 2009 Omnibus Public Land Management Act authorizes Ice Age Floods National Geologic Trail Columbia River Basalt Group

Extent of Columbia River Basalt Group; 16.7 Ma - 5.5 Ma, 210,000 km2; 210,000 km3 http://volcanoes.usgs.gov/observatories/cvo/cvo_columbia_river_basalt.html

11.8 Ma Pomona ow, last one down the Columbia (modied from Tolan et al., 2009)

The Dalles

Page 4 Uplift and Landsliding Meters above Sea Level 2000 Cascade Volcanic Arc WEST EAST Mt. Defiance Larch Mountain Hood Yakima Fold Belt 1000 Portland Basin canic Rocks River Sandy ine Vol The lc--alkal Willamette River Ca Dalles River lt Group Portland Basa iver k Formation 0 R Cree diment ia agle pecos Co ental se mb E hane h For ntin Colu O mat io n 0 5 10 MILES 0 5 10 KILOMETERS

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 Approximate Interstate 84 Mileposts Schematic geologic cross section for south of the Columbia River corridor through the Portland Basin and Columbia River Gorge. Horizontal scale approximate. After Allen (1984, p. 78). 45º45’ 0 5 10 MILES Wind Mtn. 0 5 10 KILOMETERS

Cascade Fountain 47

Bonneville Dam Skamania 40 Ruckel 56 45º30’ Washougal

35 31 Dodson Columb Debris Flow Fans ia River Interstate 84 Milepost18 25

122º30’ 122º15’ 122º 121º45’ Landslides and landslide complexes of the western Columbia River Gorge, after Palmer (1977).

Relative landslide activ- ity, from Tom Pierson and Russ Evarts, in progress

CascadeBonneville Landslide

Page 5 100 times more massive than Oso (but not quite as mobile)

Volume, in cubic meters 104 105 106 107 108 109 1010 1011 14

12 Rowan (N.Fk. Stillaquamish) 10 Oso (March 22, 2014) 8 Bridge of the Gods 6 Length/Height

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2 Debris/rock slides and avalanches; modi ed from g. 4a; Iverson et al., 2015, EPSL, 412, 197-208 0

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108 Rowan (N.Fk. Stillaquamish) Bridge of 107 the Gods Oso (March 22, 2014)

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Area, in square meters in Area, 105 Debris ows, rock avalanches; 104 compilation of Griswold and Iverson, USGS SIR 2007-5276

103 104 105 106 107 108 109 1010 1011 Volume, in cubic meters

Page 6 Lake of the Gods (at 280 ft [85 m] above sea level)

Lacustrine deposits

Lake of the Gods

Herman Creek Deltaic deposits

Minimum alternate Spillover (280 ft; 85 m)

Eagle Creek basalt on CRB talus

Wallula Gap Lake of the Gods Bonneville Landslide

Klickitat R.

John Day R. Deschutes The Dalles R.

Lake of the Gods at 85 m above sea level, extends 250 km upstream; maps by Heather Bervid

Page 7 Mima Mounds Prairie Mounds Biscuit Scabland Pimple Mounds Soil Mounds Hog Wallows

Generalized map of Mima mound distributions in North America (from Johnson and Burnham, 2009) Charles Wilkes (1844): “they certainly are not places of burial… and are such an undertaking as would have required the united e orts of a whole tribe." George Gibbs (1855): “Below the Des Chutes the hills are freckled over with mounds” Louis Agassiz (in Gibbs, 1873): “Pronounced ‘unhesitatingly’ to be nests of a species of sucker” John Strong Newberry (1857): “Although I have examined them with great care, I have been unable to arrive at any satisfactory conclusion in respect to their origin.” Joseph LeConte (1874) “Surface-erosion under peculiar conditions” G.K. Gilbert (1875) “There is little question that they are the vestiges of hummocks thrown up by prairie dogs, or other burrowing animals.” J Harlen Bretz (1913) The Mima type mounds are so striking in appearance, and so di erent from topographic forms ordinarily seen, that even the car-window observer is at once interested, and the range of hypotheses for their origin has been considerable.” And “The explanation....is believed to lie in some combination of water and ice action..., such e ective combination being unique so far as the writer is aware.” Aaron Waters (1929) “Probably no landform of similar size has occupied such a conspicuous place in geological controversy.” Rube Newcomb (1952) “[T]he enigmatic origin of these mounds [Mima Prairie] constitutes a continuous embar- rassment and a challenge to geological science. Hal Malde (1964) “I believe the patterned ground on the Snake River Plain developed under a former periglacial climate.” And “The struggle of ideas concerning pimpled plains leans either to physical processes or to biological activity and is tempered by an observer's experience and prejudice.” Johnson (2009) “… evidence has gradually accumulated which conrms that burrowing animals are involved.” Others: “decay of basalt” Chemical precipitation Ants Clay volcanoes Ice-wedge polygons Tree throw

Seismic shaking The Dalles pocket gopher (from Moore and Reid, 1951) Ice-rafted debris Page 8 Fifty shades of....Mima Mounds Images by Charles Cannon

Page 9 124ºW 120ºW 116ºW 49ºN CANADA Cor WASHINGTON MONTANA dilleran Ice Sheet bia River um ol C n Seattle

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Bretz (1925) “Beyond the Channeled Scabland”

350 Rowena Gap Elevations not flooded 300 Elevations flooded Energy profile 250 Water surface profile for 10 million m3/s 200 Portland 150 Basin

Pre-impoundment Columbia River water surface 100 (Critical Flow) Arlington 50 Hood River The Dalles ELEVATION, IN METERS ABOVE SEA LEVEL SEA ABOVE METERS IN ELEVATION, Sea Portland level Columbia River bottom profile

Cross section 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 5055 60 65 70 75 80 85 90 95 100 105 110 115 120 0 50 100 150 200 DISTANCE FROM PORTLAND, IN KILOMETERS Evidence for maximum Missoula flood stages in lower Columbia River valley and step-backwater flow calculation results for a discharge of 10 million m3/s. Modified from Benito and O’Connor (2003). Page 10 Missoula Floods, Paleosols, Loess, and Possibly Ancient Flood deposits???

Modified from Cordero (1997; 324 pages!!!). Loess, older flood deposits (?), and soils 1 s 2 mite hyth od R 3 ssoula Flo a Mi 4 5 k -1 20

Covered U.S. Highway 197

Modern soil Paleosol 1

Paleosol 2

Paleosol 3 Pumice lapilli (Dibekulewe tephra; ~0.5-0.6 Ma) Paleosol 4 Section legend Blocky structure Paleosol 5 Carbonate seams Root traces 2014 Update Large burrows Even more down here (including reversed!) Tephra

Bonneville Flood St Helens S 2σ 1σ 0.006 Trego Hot Springs 0.004 G n = 4 0.002 n = 11 0 n = 3

Probability per year Probability 30000 25000 20000 15000 10000 Predate Flooding Calendar Years Before Present Syn Flooding Postdate Flooding Radiocarbon controls on age of Missoula ooding (O’Connor and Benito, 2009)

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