Category: Locations of Interest

2013-09-14 Jeff Tepper: Deformed coastal seds

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This is the first of two days of geologic field trips to the Northwest part of the Olympic Mountains.  Jeff Tepper and Carol Serdar Tepper will lead a car-caravan trip with 24 participants to several West Coast beaches review the structure and stratigraphy of the area, much of which is comprised of deformed offshore sediments emplaced by subduction beneath the Olympic Mountains by the Cascadia subduction zone.  There is no formal guide for the trip, but handouts will be distributed.  See Day 2 of the trip (09-15-2013) to Hurricane Ridge.

 

2013-07-13 Ian Miller: Field trip—Elwha river & delta

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About the Field Trip

Ian Miller will present a field trip to the Elwha River to see the effects of the first major dam removal in the U.S. This trip follows on from his January 12, 2013, Geology Lecture on Coastal Response to Dam Removals on the Elwha River: Present and Future. Ian’s talk will provide a “status report” on how the coastal zone is responding to the removal of the dams and rapid erosion of sediment impounded behind them.

For nearly a century, two dams on the Elwha River disrupted the flow of sediment from the Olympic Mountains to the Strait of San Juan de Fuca, contributing to the erosion of the Elwha River delta just west of Port Angeles and altering coastal habitat both to east and west. Removal of these dams was completed last fall, and now the river is free to flow its natural course. Already, salmon have returned to the river and are starting to spawn. Researchers from a variety of state and federal government agencies are tracking how the river’s ecosystem responds with millions of tons of sediment make there way north to the coast.

About the Speaker

Dr. Miller focuses his research, education, and outreach on natural coastal hazards on the Olympic Peninsula, including impacts of climate change, tsunamis, and chronic erosion. He has a bachelor’s degree in marine ecology from Western Washington University and earned his doctorate in oceanography from the University of California—Santa Cruz in 2011.

The trip will finish with a complimentary wine tasting at Camaraderie Vineyards (Don Corson; Owner, winemaker, geographer, and rock hound).

2012-07-22 First Nodule Point field trip

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About the Field Trip

Geology of Nodule Point, Marrowstone Island

Advisors of the Geology Groups will run the rain-canceled beach walk on Marrowstone Island on Sunday, July 22, to see the Eocene and Pleistocene sections at Nodule Point, located near the southeast end of the island.  This walk is timed for the low tide and participation will be limited (by parking spaces) to 50 persons.

Meet at Chimacum High School parking lot, NE corner.  Here we’ll stage vehicles, using the largest available (vans, SUV, station wagons) and packing in the maximum number of participants.  Arrive by 10 am, we’ll drive away at 10:15 am SHARP. ItIt’sbout an 8-mile drive to the East Beach Parking Lot, which only has a dozen spaces, some of which may already be taken when we arrive–hence the carpool restrictions.  Please DO NOT go directly to the parking lot and use up valuable space. Carpool with us from Chimacum HS.

Walk.   It’s about 2.4 miles from the East Beach lot to Nodule Point. Probable walking time, one way, is 1.5 hour–or more if we see interesting things in route. Arrival time at Nodule Point should be about 12 am (lunch). Collecting and/or defacing the outcrop is discouraged: please take nothing but pictures, and leave nothing but footprints. Wear your sturdy walking shoes/boots. Bring clothing for the weather, a pack, water, camera, and your own lunch. No bathroom facilities are available beyond the parking lot. We’ll plan to return to the parking lot by about 2:30 pm and be at Chimacum HS by about 3:00 pm.