Science Pub Kennedy School is a monthly event that is open to anyone and everyone. No RSVP or scientific background required. Just bring your curiosity, sense of humor, and appetite for food, drinks and knowledge! For more information or to sign up for our mailing list, email: sciencepub@omsi.edu.

Dinner and drinks will be available throughout the presentation. Please visit the McMenamins Kennedy School website for a dinner menu and venue information.

Suggested donation of $8 all goes to OMSI.

Calendar:

http://www.omsi.edu/sciencepubportland

Website:

http://www.omsi.edu

In Search of Ancient Yellowstone: How the Yellowstone Hotspot Crafted the Pacific Northwest's Landscapes

With Ellen Bishop, PhD, Geologist, Photographer and Writer

About the Lecture
The Yellowstone hotspot powers one of the world's most explosive volcanoes. Today, it steams restively in Wyoming.  But 60 million years ago, it erupted as seamounts off Oregon's coast. 

The story of North American's collision and interaction with the Yellowstone hotspot is one of geology's developing paradigms. Yellowstone crafted much of the Northwest's landscapes.  It created Oregon and Washington's coast ranges, including the Olympic Mountains. In Washington, it melted the crust beneath the North Cascades and uplifted the Okanogan and Kettle Ranges. In Oregon the Yellowstone hotspot produced explosive volcanic features including Smith Rock and the Owyhees. The Yellowstone hotspot also produced all of the Columbia River basalts and much, much more enroute to creating our nation's first national park.

Is today's Yellowstone poised to erupt again soon? And will we repeat the scenario of colliding with a seamount and ridge someday?  This photography-rich talk will introduce you to the Yellowstone hotspot's past, present, and possible future, and the astonishing landscapes it's created.