Most of eastern Washington State is either farmland or mountains, but then there are large swaths of the landscape where all you can see is barren bedrock and strange rocky land formations.
The early settlers in eastern Washington
referred to these areas as scablands because they were not suitable for farming.
How did Scablands get its name?
The name “Channeled Scablands” was
first used in the early 1920's by geologist J Harlen Bretz of the University of Chicago
, who made a comprehensive study of the region and proposed the idea that the erosional features were the result of a gigantic flood.
How did the giant boulders get to the Scablands?
And as chunks of ice from the original glacier were carried huge distances by the floodwaters, the boulders they contained within were
randomly flung aside
. When the flood waters receded and the icebergs melted they would reappear scattered all over the Scablands.
Could the rivers and lakes that exist in the Scablands have formed mysterious rock formations Why or why not?
Could the river and lakes that exist in the Scablands have formed the rock formations?
No, the lakes and rivers would not be powerful enough
. … From Canada, a large glacial lake.
What made the Scablands in Washington?
The channeled scabland was created
where the Ice Age floods accelerated across the tilted surface of the Palouse slope
, causing massive erosion. Much of the eroded sediment was carried all the way to the Pacific Ocean.
How were the Channeled Scablands created?
During the last ice age, 18,000 to 13,000 years ago, the landscape of eastern Washington was
repeatedly scoured by massive floods
. They carved canyons, cut waterfalls, and sculpted a terrain of braided waterways today known as the Channeled Scablands.
Who discovered the source of the Channeled Scablands flood water?
Two exceptional geologists,
J [no period after the J] Harlen Bretz and Joseph T. Pardee
, are credited with deducing the erosional mechanism and water source that created the Channeled Scablands.
Why would flooding happen in front of a glacier?
Failure can happen due to
erosion
, a buildup of water pressure, an avalanche of rock or heavy snow, an earthquake or cryoseism, volcanic eruptions under the ice, or massive displacement of water in a glacial lake when a large portion of an adjacent glacier collapses into it.
How is a coulee formed?
Formation of Coulees
Coulees can be formed through one of two ways. Some coulees develop
as a result of volcanic eruptions
. They are not as common as those formed by water erosion. Coulees that develop as a consequence of erosion are vast canyons that are characterized by steep walls.
What caused the mega flood?
Geologic evidence shows that truly massive floods, caused
by rainfall
alone, have occurred in California every 100 to 200 years. Such floods are likely caused by atmospheric rivers: narrow bands of water vapor about a mile above the ocean that extend for thousands of kilometers.
Which flood was the result of an ice dam failure?
Scientists think
the Kuray flood
occurred sometime during the last ice age and was also caused by an ice-dam failure. The torrent released an estimated 350 million cubic feet (10 million cubic meters) of water a second.
What is a glacial lake and how is it formed?
Glacial lakes typically
form at the foot of a glacier
. As glaciers move and flow, they erode the soil and sediment around them, leaving depressions and grooves on the land. Meltwater from the glacier fills up the hole, making a lake.
What is scab rock?
1 :
an area or outcropping of scabland
following the tongues of scabrock between the cultivated fields— H. L. Davis two-acre patch of scabrock— W. M. Mason. 2 : rock forming or scattered over the surface of scabland.
What are the seven wonders of Washington state?
- Mount Rainier. Mount Rainier National Park.
- Diablo Lake. North Cascades National Park.
- Hurricane Ridge. Olympic National Park.
- Hoh Rain Forest. Olympic National Park.
- The Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area.
- Mount St. Helens.
- San Juan Island.
What are three unique features observed in the Channeled Scablands of Central Washington?
Distinct geomorphological features include
coulees, dry falls, streamlined hills and islands of remnant loess, gravel fans and bars, and giant current ripples
. The term scabland refers to an area that has experienced fluvial erosion resulting in the loss of loess and other soils, leaving the land barren.
When was the great Missoula Flood?
| Glacial Lake Columbia (west) and Glacial Lake Missoula (east) are shown south of Cordilleran ice sheet. The areas inundated in the Columbia and Missoula floods are shown in red. | Date Between 15,000 and 13,000 years ago | Location The current states of: Idaho, Washington, and Oregon | Cause Ice dam ruptures |
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