CRI Geology   

This is the story of the North Atlantic region spanning billions of years. We begin with Rodinia, a supercontinent that assembled about 1 billion years ago. When it broke apart about 500 million years ago, the fragments formed the next supercontinent, Pangaea. Over the last 200 million years, Pangaea has fragmented, giving rise to the continents we know today: North and South America, Eurasia, Africa, Australia, and Antarctica. This motion of both seafloor plates and continental plates was driven by the opening of the Atlantic Ocean and other ocean basins. Old seafloor and continental margins were crumpled into vast mountain ranges, and smaller landmasses were incorporated into the growing continents. Starting in northwest Norway, we’ll journey across the UK and conclude in southeastern Newfoundland, Canada. We will encounter remarkable evidence of this past: 565-million-year-old fossils that once resided on the Moroccan coast, a testament to the incredible mobility of Earth’s crust.

Come explore the fascinating geology of Washington State with us as we climb the high Cascades, explore the deserts, and unravel the geologic story behind the beautiful landscapes of our state. We will learn about the web of geologic faults that transect the Puget Lowland, visit our mighty volcanoes, and examine the floodscapes east of the mountains left by the great Ice Age floods. We will also scan the bluffs of Puget Sound for evidence of the advance and retreat of the great Cordilleran Ice Sheet and visit the ancient seashore in Spokane. Let the adventures begin!