Anniversary of the 2001 Nisqually Earthquake 23 years ago today, the magnitude 6.8 Nisqually earthquake shook the Pacific Northwest. People in Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia experienced shaking that in some places lasted over a minute. The earthquake caused as much as $1–4 billion in property damage, and provided a stark reminder that Washington State […]
Tag: geology
Four New 1:24,000-Scale Geologic Maps Published!
We recently released four new 1:24,000-scale geologic maps covering parts of Thurston, Pierce, Lewis, Kittitas, and Stevens Counties. The new geologic maps include: You can access and search through all geologic maps from the Washington Geological Survey via an interactive map here: Washington State Geologic Map application Below we include additional information about each publication, […]
New Tsunami Modeling Released for the Chehalis, Hoquiam, Willapa, and Wishkah Rivers
We have released new tsunami inundation and current speed maps for the Chehalis, Hoquiam, Willapa, and Wishkah Rivers in Grays Harbor and Pacific Counties. The maps show the modeled inundation from a Cascadia subduction zone earthquake scenario. Tsunami Hazard Maps of the Chehalis, Hoquiam, Willapa, and Wishkah Rivers—Model Results from a L1 Mw 9.0 Cascadia […]
Updated Landslide Inventory of the Columbia River Gorge Published!
We are pleased to announce the release of a new publication: Landslide inventory update of the Columbia River Gorge in Clark, Skamania, and Klickitat Counties, Washington. The publication consists of a pamphlet summarizing key results and describing the methods used. This publication builds on a 2018 inventory of the Columbia Gorge by mapping additional landslide hazard areas such […]
Introducing the Washington Geological Survey’s new Data Preservation Website!
One of the biggest and most important tasks facing the Washington Geological Survey (WGS) is the preservation, cataloging, and digitization of data stored in physical collections produced over the 133-year history of the Survey. These include field notebooks, maps, out-of-print publications, field photos, thin sections, and more. A team of data preservation experts at the […]
Update to Intermediate-Scale Surficial Geologic Mapping Released
We are pleased to announce that we have added 16 new maps to our intermediate-scale surficial geology compilation. These maps have been digitized from older geologic maps originally published on paper over the past few decades. The maps are now available for viewing on our Geologic Information Portal and for download as a geodatabase from […]
New Alluvial Fan Inventory of Klickitat County Published!
We are pleased to announce the release of our new “Alluvial fan inventory of Klickitat County”. The publication, which consists of a pamphlet summarizing key results, is accompanied by an interactive story map. The newly mapped alluvial fans have been added to our WASLID landslide database, which can be viewed on our Geologic Information Portal. […]
A new way to easily explore and access geophysical data for Washington State
Geophysicists have studied the complex geology of Washington State for decades, generating countless geophysical datasets. These datasets encompass various geophysical methods, which are techniques that use instruments such as seismometers, magnetometers, and gravimeters to study the structure and composition of the subsurface. Geophysical datasets can be an enormously valuable resource for researchers, students, planners, and […]
Introducing a new way to understand the data on our Geologic Information Portal
Our Geologic Information Portal hosts many different datasets, ranging from information about natural hazards such as tsunamis and landslides, to surficial geologic mapping at a variety of scales. With so much exciting science to share, we want to make sure our users can find the layers they are interested in and understand what they are […]
New Aggregate Resource Inventory of Kitsap County Published!
We are excited to announce the publication of the Aggregate Resource Inventory of Kitsap County. The publication includes a 1:100,000-scale map plate and accompanying pamphlet. What are aggregate resources? Sand, gravel, and bedrock may be mined or quarried to produce raw materials known as construction aggregate. Construction aggregate is used in the manufacturing of concrete, […]
WASHINGTON STATE GEOLOGY NEWS 