Geology of the Cheney and Palouse Falls fracture zones

Fracture zones in Columbia River Basalts were recognized by Native Americans and were depicted on the earliest geologic maps of the area. Yet we don’t know what causes them or how they relate to earthquake hazards or groundwater aquifers. EWU Prof. Chad Pritchard will describe recent structural geology research on the Cheney and Palouse Falls fracture zones completed by Eastern Washington University students and others investigating regional fault systems.

Dr. Pritchard spoke to us last year about the book he co-authored, “Washington Rocks: A Guide to Geologic Sites in the Evergreen State.”

The program is free and open to the public.

For overviews of the Ice Age Floods and more information on the Ice Age Floods Institute, please see our website: http://www.iafi.org; http://www.hugefloods.com; and quadricopter videos of Ice Age features, http://www.brucebjornstad.com.