Next, I'll introduce, The Geology, and the Great Ice-Age Floods
Now a little about the geology.
All the water falls today, were formed by geologic chance.
It's a story of, 2 great floods.
One of the greatest volcanic eruptions on the face of the earth, starting about 17 million years ago, the Columbia River Basalt Floods, traveled some 400 miles from North Eastern Oregon and western Idaho, originating from the Yellowstone Super Volcano hot spot, located in southern Oregon at that time.
Then later, The largest floods on earth, traveled right over Portland, and topped it with 400 feet of water.
FOLLOW ALONG WITH PICTURES. See Picture #4.
These events are known as the 'Missoula Floods', or Ice Age Floods, occurring at the end of the last ice age, between 14 to 18 thousand years ago.
The Missoula Floods, ripped off cliff faces in the Columbia and Willamette Rivers, scoured the 40 foot Willamette Falls plunge, and the 80 foot Celilo Falls, created "all" the other waterfalls in the Columbia Basin, and the, largest Falls on Earth, Dry Falls in Eastern Washington state.
See Pictures. Dry Falls.
Dry Falls was 12 times bigger than Niagara Falls.
WOW!
Picture #5 shows the floods route from Lake Missoula Montana, to the Pacific Ocean. Occurring about 50 to 100 times.
12,000 to 15,000 years ago,--
The birth of the Gorge.
The true making, of the Columbia River Gorge.
From here you can contemplate the natural forces that created the scene: Between 12,000 and 15,000 years ago, an ice age dam, holding back Glacial Lake Missoula, an inland sea, in Montana, collapsed, unleashing a cataclysmic flood that blasted through the Columbia River valley, known as the Ice Age Floods.
The wall of water shaved off the sides of the Gorge, tore away the lower slopes, and changed its cross-sectional profile from a V, to a U shape. It turned gentle slopes into sheer cliffs, and left the streams hanging high on the walls, to form the plunging waterfalls. It is widely believed to be, the biggest floods ever to occur on earth, occurring perhaps as many as 50 to 100 times over 2000 years!
When Glacial Lake Missoula burst, Crown Point, in front of you, from Chanticleer Point, was the narrowest constriction all along its route from Montana, where all 500 cubic miles of water were forced between these tall cliffs, only 1.5 miles apart. The flow accelerated from the narrow opening, reaching speeds of 80 miles an hour, before slowing and spreading out over the Portland Basin, topping Portland with, 400 feet of water!
WOW!
See picture #1, the Ice Age Floods.
This painting, (PICTURE #1), gives a hint, of the awesome force, and volume, of the Ice Age Floods, originating from Glacial Lake Missoula.
The viewer’s vantage point, is from Chanticleer Point, looking east. It shows the first rush, of the Missoula Floods, coming into the lower Columbia River Gorge, at Crown Point.
Beacon Rock, in the painting, is in the distance, with the viewer looking at Crown Point, in the right foreground.
At maximum flow, the largest of the floods filled the Gorge, overtopping Crown Point.
When we get to Chanticleer point, look at picture #1 again, to appreciate, and better imagine it all.
The flood waters literally shook the ground as it thundered towards the Pacific Ocean.
The animals, (wholly mammoths and saber toothed tigers), and possibly native peoples living here at that time, would have had about 30 minutes vibrational and sound warning to reach high ground, otherwise, they were swept away!
Let me know, if you want to Learn more, about the Missoula Floods.
How do we learn, about the Gorge, just ask.
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We'll be at our first stop for 10 to 15 minutes. Enough time to read the signs, see the view, take pictures, and picture in your minds eye, the great Missoula Floods, overtaking Crown Point, just in front of us, from Chanticleer Point.
Let Me Know If You Have Any Questions!
And see picture, Glacial Lake Missoula, at Missoula Montana, the origin of the Ice Age Floods. (picture #2).
More info on these 2 images, can be found at, tour Portland dot com, forward slash, pictures.
Get out here. And I'll meet you down at the end.
Grab the binoculars, and camera, and let's go!
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