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Every time I drive through the Columbia gorge I think of what it once was and am sad that I can’t see the rapids that the Cascade Mountain range is named for.
by NegativeLatency 3y ago
Every time I drive through the Columbia gorge I think of what it once was and am sad that I can’t see the rapids that the Cascade Mountain range is named for.
If we “discovered” it today it would surely be some kind of national park or otherwise preserved. Instead it’s got multiple rail lines and highways running alongside a fairly smooth river.
Hard to imagine the deviation that would happen if a few of the Columbia dams failed, and the seasonal flooding would be another issue.
- mikhailfranco 3y agoI recommend Nick Zentner's YT lectures, if you want to understand the deep history of the Columbia basin: https://m.youtube.com/@GeologyNick https://m.youtube.com/@GeologyNick Be careful what you wish for :)
- amitp 3y agoDuring the ice ages there were huge ice dams along the Columbia River, and when they broke it was crazy. There are lots of neat formations in central WA resulting from the floods [1]. I second the recommendation for Geology Nick but some of his videos are introductory and some are meant for his geology students. Take a look at [2] for some introductory ones. [1] https://www.parks.wa.gov/225/Ice-Age-floods-in-Washington https://www.parks.wa.gov/225/Ice-Age-floods-in-Washington [2] https://www.nickzentner.com/2-minute-geology https://www.nickzentner.com/2-minute-geology
- rurp 3y agoI haven't visited that gorge but know the feeling well. One of my favorite spots in the world is Grand Staircase National Monument which, among other things, is an amazing fossil resource. The last administration tried hard to destroy much of the monument largely for coal mining. It boggles my mind that we destroy beautiful landscapes and 200 million year old fossil records for nothing more than the ability to burn a little more coal for a handful of years.