HOW GEOLOGY SHAPES SOCIETY IN THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST - MEGATHRUST QUAKES, MEGAFLOODS, AND INCREDIBLE VOLCANOES

Living in the Pacific Northwest of the United States allows people to interact with geology daily. In the western half of the states people have to be prepared for the Cascadia megathrust quakes on the whole margin every 500 years and on the southern margin every 250 years. Buildings have to be built specially, and people need to be prepared at home and at work for large quakes. Neighborhood emergency teams are now common place in cities preparing for the Big One! The megafloods of the past (Missoula Floods) have shaped and formed over 16,000 miles of land in this region creating some incredible landforms and have redistributed rich soils from eastern Washington to the Willamette Valley. They have had incredible effects on agriculture. The abundant volcanoes add incredible beauty in the Cascade Range, but also have brought dangers of explosive eruptions to the region as evidenced by the eruption of Mt. St. Helens in 1980. The distribution of radon in homes is also controlled by geology of the past, especially the Missoula Floods. I try to create new eyes for all of my students, whether in classes at the university or in talks to public, to learn more about how society is shaped by mother nature and her use of geology!