Washington Geology Test

Bretz and other locals called the carved up terrain in the Columbia Basin this.....

• Scoured Rock

• Channeled Scablands

• Carved Basalt Plains

• Torn Badlands

This theory explains that geologic changes can sometimes happen rapidly!

• Uniformatarianism

• Natural Chaos Theory

• Catastrophism

• Superior Destruction

These highlands are believed to have once been a tropical island by Australia and docked with Washington about 180 MYA.

• Okanogan

• Cascade

• Kootenay

• Olympic

These mountains were formed underneath the ocean and are the youngest addition to our state’s coastline.

• Okanogan

• Cascade

• Kootenay

• Olympic

These mountains were formed only 10,000 years ago and are all active volcanoes.

• Okanogan

• Cascade

• Kootenay

• Olympic

These sediments were caused by the glaciers and deposited along the shoreline. They now cover the underlying “basement rock”.

• Okanogan

• Cascade

• Kootenay

• Olympic

These sediment rocks are the oldest on our planet that we can see. You can actually see these in the Spokane Valley!!

• Talus

• Erratic

• Belt

• Loess

These are broken bits of Igneous (Basalt) rock caused by freeze/thaw cycles

• Talus

• Erratic

• Belt

• Loess

These are huge boulders brought in by water and floating ice!

• Talus

• Erratic

• Belt

• Loess

These fine dust particles were blown in by wind and have made the Palouse region a major wheat producer because of the fertile soil.

• Talus

• Erratic

• Belt

• Loess