The Lecture – Did The Canadian Rockies form in Nevada?
The Quimper Geological Society is excited to welcome back Nick Zentner to an in-person lecture on May 2, 2026. Nick will have a lively lecture related to geology in action… Washington geology.
Please check back: QGS will post new information when it becomes available.
About the Speaker –
Nick has been with Central Washington University (Ellensburg) Geology since 1992. He teaches a popular geology courses to CWU students. He is very active with a new method of teaching and motivating geologists to work together through a variety of geologic topics related to the Pacific Northwest as A through Z series. For all of Nick’s outreach efforts, please visit his website: nickzentner.com.
The Lecture – Cascadia and San Andreas Earthquakes: a link?
The Quimper Geological Society welcomes back Chris Goldfinger to a ZOOM ONLY lecture on February 21, 2026. Chris has recently published an article in Geosphere and will join us to present new data showing a relationship between the Cascadia subduction zone and the northern San Andreas fault.
MORE INFORMATION will be posted soon.
Login for the ZOOM only lecture will be provided through email ten days and two days prior to the event (if you are registered as a member). Otherwise, the login will be posted later on this page.
About the Speaker
Dr. Chris Goldfinger, emeritus professor at Oregon State University (OSU), is a marine geologist and geophysicist with a focus on great earthquakes and structure of plate boundary fault zones around the world. Chris has been involved in over 45 oceanographic cruises over the last 30 years, using many geophysical tools (deep submersibles, sidescan sonar, seismic reflection, etc.). He is currently working on great subduction earthquakes along the Cascadia, NE Japan, the Caribbean, and Sumatran margins, as well as the northern San Andreas Fault, where he uses the evidence for earthquakes found in deep-sea sediments.
Chris received his PhD from OSU in 1994. He is a Fellow of GSA and was the recipient of the 2016 GSA Kirk Bryan Award for Quaternary Geology. Windsurfing in the Columbia River Gorge and aerobatic flying are some of his favorite sports, as well as sailing to the south Pacific Chris has temporarily landed in Fiji.
The Lecture – Exploring History and Nature in the City (Seattle)
Quimper Geological Society (QGS) welcomed back our friend David B. Williams, author, naturalist, and tour guide on December 6, 2025.
David B. Williams presented his two new books: Seattle Walks and Wild in Seattle. QGS leader and advisor, Carol Serdar Tepper interviewed David about his new books. He discussed how urban dwellers can get to know their city better by getting outside, walking, observing, and paying attention. He shared some of his adventures including birding at 60 mph, the pleasures and discoveries to be made by going back to the same location repeatedly, and how to date a 1100-year-old earthquake. During this talk, David shared some geologic connections and insights about his 2025 trip to Japan when he walked along the seawall constructed after the 2011 tsunami.
This talk appealed to newcomers, visitors, and longtime residents, giving everyone new ways to appreciate Seattle, as well as inspire them with ways to connect with their hometown.
About the speaker
David B. Williams is an author, naturalist, and tour guide whose award-winning book, Homewaters: A Human and Natural History of Puget Sound is a deep exploration of the stories of this beautiful waterway. He is also the authorof Too High and Too Steep: Reshaping Seattle’s Topography, Stories in Stone: Travels Through Urban Geology, as well as Seattle Walks: Discovering History and Nature in the City. Williams is a Curatorial Associate at the Burke Museum and writes a free weekly newsletter, the Street Smart Naturalist (https://streetsmartnaturalist.substack.com/ – by clicking the “No thanks” you may access the previous newsletters). More information about David’s books may be found at www.geologywriter.com