Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 12, 2026
06:55
Kinematic History of a Salient-recess Junction Explored through a Combined Approach of Field Data and Analog Sandbox Modeling
Published on: August 5, 2016
Prehistoric rock avalanches in the olympic mountains, washington
Science (New York, N.Y.)
|December 4, 1992
Summary
Rock avalanches in the Olympic Mountains suggest a large prehistoric earthquake occurred in the Puget Sound region. Dating indicates several avalanches happened 1000-1300 years ago, possibly coinciding with tectonic shifts.
Area of Science:
- Geology
- Paleoseismology
- Quaternary Science
Background:
- Rock avalanches have historically impacted landscapes in the Olympic Mountains.
- Understanding the timing and triggers of past geological events is crucial for hazard assessment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the timing of rock avalanches in the Olympic Mountains.
- To explore potential correlations between rock avalanches and tectonic activity in western Washington.
- To assess the role of rock avalanches as evidence for prehistoric seismic events.
Main Methods:
- Radiocarbon dating of trees preserved in avalanche dams.
- Analysis of tree ring data to establish limiting ages for avalanche events.
- Geological mapping and interpretation of avalanche deposits.
Main Results:
- Six rock avalanches were identified in the Olympic Mountains.
- Radiocarbon dating suggests three to four of these avalanches occurred 1000-1300 years ago.
- These avalanches may have occurred concurrently with each other and with tectonic deformation in western Washington.
Conclusions:
- The timing of these rock avalanches aligns with evidence for a significant prehistoric earthquake in the Puget Sound region.
- The absence of recent storm or earthquake-induced rock avalanches suggests different triggering mechanisms for past events.
- Rock avalanche data provides valuable insights into the seismic history of the Puget Sound area.
More Related Videos
07:58Data Processing Methods for 3D Seismic Imaging of Subsurface Volcanoes: Applications to the Tarim Flood Basalt
Published on: August 7, 2017
06:23The 4 Mountains Test: A Short Test of Spatial Memory with High Sensitivity for the Diagnosis of Pre-dementia Alzheimer's Disease
Published on: October 13, 2016
Related Concept Videos
01:25Rab Cascades
Rab GTPases act in a regulated cascade during membrane fusion, helping the lipid bilayers mix. The Rab family of proteins are active when bound to GTP, and inactive when bound to GDP. Hence, they act as guanine nucleotide-dependent molecular switches. Rab-GTP recognizes and binds to long or short-range tethering proteins to capture the target vesicle. These tethers coordinate with SNAREs on the vesicle and the target membrane to assemble the trans SNARE complex that locks the mixing bilayers.
01:50Global Climate Change
Throughout its ~4.5 billion year history, the Earth has experienced periods of warming and cooling. However, the current drastic increase in global temperatures is well outside of the Earth’s cyclic norms, and evidence for human-caused global climate change is compelling. Paleoclimatology, the study of ancient climate conditions, provides ample evidence for human-caused global climate change by comparing recent conditions with those in the past.
01:15Quarrying of Stone
Quarrying is the process of extracting stone from a quarry, where specialized techniques are employed to remove large blocks of stone safely and efficiently. This process can involve controlled explosions or more precision-oriented methods such as cutting and drilling.
One common method involves using a diamond belt saw to cut large blocks from the quarry face. These blocks can be about 50 feet long and 12 feet high. After the initial vertical cut, drilling is performed at the base of the block.
One common method involves using a diamond belt saw to cut large blocks from the quarry face. These blocks can be about 50 feet long and 12 feet high. After the initial vertical cut, drilling is performed at the base of the block.
01:26Minerals
Minerals are essential nutrients that the human body needs in small amounts to work properly. They play a vital role in many bodily functions, such as building strong bones and transmitting nerve impulses. Some minerals are needed for hormone production or to maintain a normal heartbeat. Major minerals include calcium, phosphorus, potassium, sulfur, sodium, chlorine, and magnesium, while trace minerals include iron, manganese, copper, iodine, zinc, cobalt, fluoride, and selenium.
04:49Robbers Cave
During the 1950s, the landmark Robbers Cave experiment demonstrated that when groups must compete with one another, intergroup conflict, hostility, and even violence may result. At the Oklahoman summer camp, two troops of boys—termed the Rattlers and the Eagles—took part in a week-long tournament. During this time, their negativity culminated in derogatory name-calling, fistfights, and even vandalism and destruction of property. However, this work also revealed that such tension could be...
01:12Conservation of Energy: Application
When solving problems using the energy conservation law, the object (system) to be studied should first be identified. Often, in applications of energy conservation, we study more than one body at the same time. Second, identify all forces acting on the object and determine whether each force doing work is conservative. If a non-conservative force (e.g., friction) is doing work, then mechanical energy is not conserved. The system must then be analyzed with non-conservative work. Third, for...