Updated Washington Tsunami Design Zone for the New Washington State Building Code

Tsunami hazards in Washington State Tsunamis are large and potentially dangerous waves caused by earthquakes, landslides, volcanic eruptions, exceptional weather systems, and meteorite impacts. Tsunamis have struck Washington in the past, and are expected to do so again in the future. You can learn more about tsunami hazards on the WGS website. The Washington Geological […]

New Geologic Hazards Clearinghouse Plan Released on Anniversary of the 2001 Nisqually Earthquake

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 […]

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, […]

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 […]

Celebrate the New Year with new lidar images!

Happy New Year from the Washington Geological Survey! In honor of the New Year we’ve created many new lidar-derived images that we would like to share with you. These new images cover the state from east to west and include mountains, floodplains, glaciers, and other landscapes sculpted by geologic forces. Scroll down to read more […]

A new look and new features for our Recently Reported Landslides map

Are you curious whether there have been any landslides near you recently? Now you can find out on our new and improved Recently Reported Landslides map! The interactive map shows recent landslides compiled by the Washington Geological Survey based on reports from media sources and government agencies. The compilation is updated regularly throughout the year […]

New tsunami vertical evacuation structure and evacuation maps for the Washington coast.

On August 5th, the Shoalwater Bay Indian Tribe dedicated the new Auntie Lee Vertical Evacuation Tower in Tokeland. The Tokeland tower is the third vertical evacuation structure in North America, joining rooftop structures in Westport, Washington and Newport, Oregon. The Auntie Lee Vertical Evacuation Tower can accommodate over 400 people and has dramatically reduced the […]

New Landslide Inventory of Portions of Snohomish County Published

We are pleased to announce the publication of our Landslide Inventory of Portions of Snohomish County, Washington. Abstract An updated inventory of landslides was produced by interpreting 1,663 mi2 of lidar data in western Snohomish County. Following published protocols, mapping yielded 6,171 landslides, 7,145 fans, and 1,289 rockfall deposits. Through a review of orthophotos and […]

More new lidar images of Washington’s landforms!

The Washington Geological Survey has just added 10 new lidar-derived images of the State’s landforms to our image collection. This new set includes landscapes shaped by glaciers, ice-age floods, rivers, and landslides. For more information, check out the image descriptions below and use the associated links to view and download high-resolution versions of each one. […]

New map poster offers a bird’s-eye view of Mount St. Helens

In recognition of Volcano Awareness Month in Washington State, the Washington Geological Survey (WGS), with support from the U. S. Geological Survey (USGS), has released a new map poster: ‘Mount St. Helens: A Mountain Reborn’. The map features a bird’s-eye view of the volcano that famously erupted on May 18, 1980. That eruption instantly transformed […]