Climate & Geology of Climate & Geology of the Puget Sound the Puget Sound

RegionRegion

akaaka

It always rains here and It always rains here and we’re waiting for “The Big we’re waiting for “The Big

One”One”

In a beaked hazelnut In a beaked hazelnut shell…shell…One of the most important concepts One of the most important concepts

we will cover in this course is that there is no “steady state” in ecology. we will cover in this course is that there is no “steady state” in ecology.

Nature is dynamic and constantly changing, Nature is dynamic and constantly changing,

which leads us to the following:which leads us to the following:

There is no “balance of nature”.There is no “balance of nature”.

ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-

changeschanges

Today is a reminder that this is true for Today is a reminder that this is true for other natural phenomena as well.other natural phenomena as well.

The landscape of the earth changes, but The landscape of the earth changes, but at a very slow scale (most of the time).at a very slow scale (most of the time).

The weather also changes, but- as you The weather also changes, but- as you will soon notice- at a much faster scale .will soon notice- at a much faster scale .

Reminders from a Reminders from a Restless PlanetRestless Planet

http://www.burkemuseum.org/static/geo_history_wa/http://www.burkemuseum.org/static/geo_history_wa/► “We live in one of the most geologically active regions of the Earth.

► Earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and rising young mountains all remind us that Washington State is situated along the violent boundary between ocean and continent.  As the Pacific Northwest shudders with earthquakes and erupts with volcanoes, we directly experience the powerful geologic forces that have built our land over hundreds of millions of years. 

► The geologic evolution of Washington State is one of the most fascinating geologic stories ever told.  It is a tale of the breakup of ancient giant continents, the birth and death of great ocean basins, the collision of exotic islands, the uplift and wearing away of generations of mountain ranges, enormous floods of molten lava and great continental glaciers of the Ice Ages. Washington’s geologic history stretches back in time more than a billion years, and it continues to unfold around us every day.

Volcanoes & EarthquakesVolcanoes & Earthquakes

The Cascadia The Cascadia Subduction ZoneSubduction Zone

Interaction Interaction between:between:►Pacific platePacific plate►Juan De Fuca Juan De Fuca

PlatePlate►North American North American

PlatePlate

Plate Tectonics or “Shifts Plate Tectonics or “Shifts Happen”Happen”

“There is very little in geologic history that makes sense except in the light of plate tectonics.”

-Townsend & Figge (Burke Museum)

“Nothing in biology makes sense except in the light of evolution”. -Theodosius Dobzhansky

Cascadia Subduction Zone

Plains, Terranes & Plains, Terranes & Continental DriftContinental Drift

a distant shoreline…a distant shoreline…

From Natural History of Puget Sound Country, Kruckeberg

Volcanic Islands approach the Volcanic Islands approach the Northwest CoastNorthwest Coast

Land

Land

For any of this to really make sense, For any of this to really make sense,

you have to ask yourself the you have to ask yourself the following question:following question:

Where were you on February Where were you on February 28, 2001?28, 2001?

►Nisqually Earthquake- 6.8Nisqually Earthquake- 6.8

Field Trip!Field Trip!

► We going to divide our group into We going to divide our group into five teams to go gather the info five teams to go gather the info from the Great Hall, Dining Hall, from the Great Hall, Dining Hall, Bird’s Nest Lodge, Mammals Den, Bird’s Nest Lodge, Mammals Den, and Invertebrate Inn fireplacesand Invertebrate Inn fireplaces

►Come back in 20 minutes and Come back in 20 minutes and present a synopsis of your present a synopsis of your findingsfindings

The Pleistocene and The Pleistocene and GlaciationGlaciation

►Key Points:Key Points: Many advances and Many advances and

Retreats of Ice Retreats of Ice sheetsheet

3,000’ Thick3,000’ Thick Advancing and Advancing and

retreating were retreating were major sculptors of major sculptors of the landthe land

Advanced 200-500’ Advanced 200-500’ a yeara year

Species composition Species composition has changedhas changed

The Thunderbird and the The Thunderbird and the WhaleWhale

LIDAR Image of South LIDAR Image of South BainbridgeBainbridge

► LIDAR: Light Distance and Ranging► “Virtual Deforestation”► 1100 ybp estimated 7.4 shallow

earthquake► 25’ uplift evident in tidal areas around

Restoration Point► Shoreline shell midden on campus

And now for the And now for the weather…weather…

or or

““Just add water”Just add water”

23.5° 23.5° TiltTiltWinter

Summer 47.6 47.6 23.5 23.5

71.1° 24.1°

http://www.learner.org/jnorth/tm/mclass/season_simulator.htmlhttp://www.learner.org/jnorth/tm/mclass/season_simulator.html

Dominant Weather Dominant Weather PatternsPatterns

►Dominant PatternsDominant Patterns Cool Wet WintersCool Wet Winters Period of Drought July –Period of Drought July –

SeptemberSeptember Aleutian Low generates Aleutian Low generates

Winter StormsWinter Storms Orographic Orographic

Precipitation Precipitation

Aleutian Low

Jet stream

Pineapple ExpressPineapple Express

► http://hint.fm/wind/http://hint.fm/wind/

Rain Shadow EffectRain Shadow Effect

Orographic PrecipitationOrographic Precipitation

RainshadowsRainshadows

We’re NOT number 1!, We’re NOT We’re NOT number 1!, We’re NOT number 1!number 1!

just <100 cm

Global Patterns of RainfallGlobal Patterns of Rainfall

Wheels of FortuneWheels of Fortune

El Niño/La Niña (Southern El Niño/La Niña (Southern Oscillation)Oscillation)

3-5 year cycles3-5 year cycles Influences weatherInfluences weather

throughout muchthroughout much

of the westernof the western

hemispherehemisphere

What this looks like hereWhat this looks like here

►El Niño in the PNWEl Niño in the PNW winters warmer + drierwinters warmer + drier = Bad skiing= Bad skiing

►La Niña in the PNWLa Niña in the PNW colder winters + more precipitation = colder winters + more precipitation =

increased snowfall (good skiing)increased snowfall (good skiing)

►Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO)-Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO)- Similar to ENSO, but much slower Similar to ENSO, but much slower

(patterns of warm/cold last decades)(patterns of warm/cold last decades)

Pacific Decadal OscillationPacific Decadal Oscillation

Originally noted with respect to Originally noted with respect to salmon fishery patternssalmon fishery patterns

warm phase warm phase cool phasecool phase

TempsTemps

= 51.7or 11° C

Global BiomesGlobal Biomes

Where on this graph, are we?Where on this graph, are we?

ResourcesResources►Climate & GeologyClimate & Geology

PrintPrint►““The Weather of the Pacific Northwest” Cliff MassThe Weather of the Pacific Northwest” Cliff Mass

WebWeb►http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/

recenteqsus/Maps/US10/42.52.-130.-120.phprecenteqsus/Maps/US10/42.52.-130.-120.php►NOAA: National Weather ServiceNOAA: National Weather Service►PNSN; www.pnsn.orgPNSN; www.pnsn.org►http://cliffmass.blogspot.com/ http://cliffmass.blogspot.com/ ►http://www.burkemuseum.org/static/geo_history_wa/http://www.burkemuseum.org/static/geo_history_wa/