Nov 7

Geological guidebook delves into flood features

Layout 1Ice Age cataclysms violently transformed the Northwest thousands of years ago, leaving behind scores of flood features, many found nowhere else on Earth. A pair of geologist authors share their knowledge about the Ice Age floods in a new book, On the Trail of the Ice Age Floods: The Northern Reaches: A geological field guide to northern Idaho and the Channeled Scabland, supported by special presentations and book signing events throughout the Northwest.

The floods helped gouge out Idaho’s largest and deepest lake, Pend Oreille, and sculpted the weird topography of eastern Washington. This new geological field guide in a series leads readers upstream – northward into the Channeled Scabland and northern Idaho.

Following up on his first volume, “On the Trail of the Ice Age Floods: A geological field guide to the Mid-Columbia Basin,” geologist and Eastern Washington University alumnus Bruce Bjornstad joined forces with one of his former professors, EWU Professor Emeritus of Geology Eugene Kiver.

On the Trail of the Ice Age Floods: The Northern Reaches explores numerous flood features and present dozens of trails and tours directing readers to experience, firsthand, the striking aftermath of the Ice Age floods. The authors explain 19 types of landforms and point out 65 flood-formed features. They include 39 hiking and biking, five driving tours and two aerials tours with self-interpretive narratives for readers. The 480-page, softcover book includes 32 pages of color plates and sells for $26 (Keokee Books, Sandpoint, Idaho).

Both volumes of On the Trail of the Ice Age Floods make ideal companions when exploring the Ice Age Floods National Geologic Trail, named one of The 10 Most Spectacular Geologic Sites in the continental United States by Smithsonian Magazine.

“We encourage everyone to discover for themselves this wild and scenic landscape, much as it existed when legendary geologist J Harlen Bretz first unraveled the floods’ mysteries early in the 20th century,” said Bjornstad.

Bjornstad, a resident of Richland, Wash., is a licensed geologist/hydrogeologist who has studied the Ice Age floods since 1980. Kiver retired from EWU in 2002 and divides his time between Cheney and Anacortes, Wash., while still conducting research. Both are active members of the Ice Age Floods Institute and regularly lecture and lead field trips on the subject.

For more information, contact Keokee Books at 208-263-3573.


About the authors

A resident of Richland, Wash., Bruce Bjornstad is a licensed geologist/hydrogeologist who has studied the Ice Age floods since 1980. He is a senior research scientist at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. Also a licensed geologist, Eugene Kiver is professor emeritus of geology at Eastern Washington University, and while he lives primarily in Anacortes, Wash., he still conducts research near his Cheney, Wash., home, which lies on a pendant flood bar. Both are active members of the Ice Age Floods Institute and regularly lecture and lead field trips on the subject.

Early praise for “On the Trail of the Ice Age Floods: The Northern Reaches”

“This remarkably detailed and authoritative guide leads you by trail, road and aerial tour to discover for yourself the amazing world of cataclysmic flood geology. You cannot get a better published source for your field excursions into this fascinating region.”
– Victor R. Baker, Ph.D., Regents Professor, University of Arizona

“After hiking and exploring the Channeled Scabland region for 35 years, I didn’t know what I was missing until I read this book. The authors rock.”
– Rich Landers, Outdoors Editor, The Spokesman-Review

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