TD History Forum opener gushes Ice Age Floods Feb. 4th with Lloyd DeKay
Rowena Gap Crest and the river valley to the east illustrate the present beauty of the Columbia Gorge. They also bear tell-tale signs of volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, landslides, and floods. The geologic history of the Gorge is the subject of the Regional History Forum presentation Saturday, Feb. 4, at the Original Courthouse in The Dalles. (Photo courtesy of Lloyd DeKay.)
By Karl Vercouteren
“50 Million Years of Tumultuous Geologic History” is the title of the February 4 program at the Original Wasco County Courthouse, 410 West 2nd Place in The Dalles. Saturday’s program begins at 1:30 p.m. and is the first in a month-long series of presentations.
The current stunning beauty of the Columbia River Gorge is the result of 50 million years of volcanic arc eruptions, massive fissure eruptions of flood basalts, catastrophic sediment-saturated Ice Age Floods, huge landslides, and massive earthquakes.
Slump blocks result from massive landslides and are pictured in this annotated photo taken west of The Dalles. Slump blocks and other geologic features will be covered in the Regional History Forum presentation Saturday, Feb. 4, at the Original Courthouse in The Dalles. (Photo courtesy of Lloyd DeKay.)
Lloyd DeKay will concentrate on the Ice Age Floods that developed some of the geologic wonders and beauty we marvel at today. DeKay is a retired geoscientist, co-founder of Community Partners of Bingen-White Salmon, an activist and leader in a number of civic organizations, and is the current president of the Columbia Gorge chapter of the Ice Age Floods Institute.
Admission to the program is free but donations are welcome. There is a TV monitor on the ground floor of the 1859 courthouse to serve those unable to climb the stairs. Coffee and cookies will be served after the program.
