ipl-logo

The Scablands Research Paper

472 Words2 Pages

The Scablands, 16,000 square miles of Washington State became a great mystery to many geologist and scientists over the years. The Scablands is a very unique area of land that consists of large potholes, tall canyons, huge dry waterfalls and just a strange landscape in general. No one understood how and what created all of these distinct features that were found in the middle of nowhere, therefore it became a mystery waiting to be discovered. Overtime, scientists began to notice the texture and the overall form of the small hills as well as the random boulders here and there which could have only been the result of a mass of water flushing through these plains. As many more thoughts and ideas were established such as the involvement of glaciers, …show more content…

The idea is presented as such, the dam was made up of “super cooled” water which means that this substance can remain in the form of liquid at several degrees below freezing, which forced its way into the cracks of the huge ice wall. Thus, the water created friction which not only melted the ice but caused the whole ice dam to collapse. Such a large amount of water had to have created the ripples that were left behind in that area. So this idea was put to the test by scientist by creating their own miniature model of the scablands and having a large amount of water flood the model in order to observe the result, and then prove their hypothesis correct. The results of this project was that the body of water did in fact create the ripples and the potholes produced by small tornadoes underwater, caused by the volume and speed that the water was traveling at. Scientists also came with the conclusion that the water caried bodies of ice containing big boulders that were left behind when the ice melted. Finally J. Harlen Brentz’s theory was proven true after so many years of research. The scabland were formed by mega floods that constantly hit these areas therefore creating all the unique details such as the layers of the canyons and shape of the landscape. Today the mystery of the megaflood is a huge part of our history today and the amazing and intricate scenery it

Show More
Related
511 Words | 3 Pages

The poorly sorted nature of the conglomerates, considered with the inclusion of wood fragments in the older conglomerate members and the graded sandstones and mudstones throughout the formation suggest deposition occurred through successions of debris flows. Presence of volcanics in the lithic fragments further indicate volcanic activity in the process of sedimentation as well—as debris flows associated with lahars are the likely source of the slope failures. Deposition environment was moderate to deep marine, as mudstone deposits require low energy depositional environment, but the style of sedimentation indicate deposition was not on a continental shelf. This is further supported by inclusion of the large overturned clast from an older member within the formation. Cross-bedding, graded bedding, and scouring surfaces provide 3 lines of evidence establishing the northern contact of the formation as the original upward oriented surface.

Read More
732 Words | 3 Pages

Appleton Arkansas Most people in Arkansas would not even think of Appleton nowadays. Appleton is a small town, but it was not always like that. It was once the second largest town in the Pope County District, but it all started with the beginning of Appleton. Not a lot of people know but Appleton was once called Sulpher Springs.

Read More
2001 Words | 9 Pages

Not only did the “bulldozing” of the glacier transport materials, but so did the meltwater from the glacier. When the glacier retreats, it deposits the debris it picked up. The boundaries of the Great Lakes look like low hills. These are known as moraines and are the result of glacial deposition (DNR, n.d.).

Read More
610 Words | 3 Pages

Hunter Reaux Flatlands begins in a world with only two dimensions where there is no conception of depth. only length and width. The world is only able to appear vertical because the rain simply falls from the north and the south resulting in pentagon shaped houses to be built in order to defend from the rain. One of the most common ways to distinguish among inhabitants (as there is no depth) is fog.

Read More
169 Words | 1 Pages

They are cut sharply into the ground — but no other tracks are visible. Various explanations for the rocks ' movement have been proposed over the years. Among them are hurricane-force winds that blow just when the lake 's surface is briefly covered with rain

Read More
1493 Words | 6 Pages

Dakshina Marlier Geology 111 Professor Yuengling May 3, 2017 The Kayenta Formation Rock Unit Description - (Part A) Copyright 2017 Salem State College Above, the Kayenta layer is the significantly more stratified, slightly darker, and knobby layer seen second from the top, directly beneath the slick and sheer Navajo sandstone cliffs which, seen here, are forming fins on the Courthouse Towers in Arches National Park, Utah. The Kayenta rock formation is a part of the Glen Canyon group found on the Colorado Plateau in northern Arizona, northwest Colorado, eastern Nevada, and Southern Utah, in the Southwestern United States.

Read More
539 Words | 3 Pages

Volcano’s Have you ever wondered how deadly a volcano is? They can be one of the deadliest natural disasters ever because of the harsh winds. They are formed from tectonic plates and there are 3 different types. Mt.Tambora is one of the worst ever.

Read More
706 Words | 3 Pages

In this following paragraphs I will attempt to uncover this answer. It began in the small village of Montignac in the year 1940. A settler ventured up a hill and slipped into a hole. Upon doing so, a rock had fallen into the hole, he noticed that it was a very large hole. A few weeks later he had recruited help from a former teacher of his and began an exploration of the cave below.

Read More
1107 Words | 5 Pages

This caused 20 years’ worth of sediment to be deposited in the village. Causes Human • Following the main flood, a second flash flood was caused due to cars, trees and waste blocking a temporary dam in the form of a

Read More
813 Words | 4 Pages

Running water and glacial ice as shapers of the landforms and landscapes Introduction Both running water and glaciers are fundamental in shaping landscapes. Running water in streams and rivers crisscrosses the land and forms the dominant erosional process in shaping the earth’s landscape. This is because the streams and rivers form a system of moving weathered rocks from the land to the oceans and seas. They shift great large masses from one area to another and by so doing the running waters become sculptors of the land transforming it into various forms over time (Osborn 5).

Read More
947 Words | 4 Pages

Spaciarum was a vast, vaguely-defined expanse of desert that dominated the northern basin. A voracious wind howled across its featureless plains, swirling grit that tore away anything unfortunate enough to be caught in the open. The mighty Sol, giver of all life, was merely a faded pale disc trying to pierce the thick murk of the atmosphere. A heavy chugging sound, the heartbeat of an ancient combustion engine, grew louder; culminating in a whoosh of sand and dirt as a large vehicle rumbled past.

Read More
1520 Words | 7 Pages

As he was trying to try to freeze the ocean, the sun stood in its way. The hottest, scorching star that shone from the thermosphere of the universe, started melting Chillmaw’s masterpiece little by little. Driven by the blazing rays of the sun, Chillmaw flew to the center of the star, pulling back to release the most powerful hydroblast he’s ever blown. By gathering all the energies of Mother Nature, the ice dragon combines the energy to form a huge, icy sphere that shined brighter than polished silver. When the charge was complete, Chillmaw blows out a humongous frost breath, intensely braking parts of the sun, causing it to explode into a million little pieces.

Read More
1313 Words | 6 Pages

4. The influence of Aswan Reservoir Loading on Earthquake Activity The change in level of any lake is controlled by the difference between the sources of inflow and outflow, compared to the total volume of the lake. One of the factors that have been observed to have a significant effect on the rate of seismicity at reservoirs is the way in which the water level changes in the reservoir [24] and [11]. Variations in filling rate are strongly influenced by the type of utilization of the reservoir, local climatic conditions, and topography. In addition to the importance of water level changes the steady- state utilization of the reservoir, the pattern of reservoir filling from first impoundment to maximum capacity is important in terms of triggered seismicity.

Read More
746 Words | 3 Pages

I. Introduction I will discuss the geologic paradigms of uniformitarianism and catastrophism. Both theories shape the Earth’s surface, but are compared in different ways. Uniformitarianism theory details how things happen on and to the earth. Catastrophism theory believed that all things happen and change on earth due to major catastrophes such as meteorites impacting earth. The main question I will answer is how and when these two theories came about, and what makes these two theories different.

Read More
1027 Words | 5 Pages

Chorley said “Whenever anyone mentions theory to a geomorphologist, he instinctively reaches for his soil auger” (R.J Chorley 1978). Physical geographers are viewed as always being out in the field doing their own research and not sitting

Read More

More about The Scablands Research Paper

Related Topics

Open Document