Nick on the Rocks

The Seattle Fault, discovered in the 1990s, runs right beneath downtown and out to Bainbridge Island. When did the fault last produce a large earthquake? What is Seattle doing to prepare for the next one?

Spectacular rock columns are on display throughout the deserts of eastern Washington. How do these crazy stone pillars form? How old are they?

Is it true that the Columbia River has had many different paths throughout its long history? Yes. What does the evidence look like? Did the Yakima and Salmon Rivers shift around too?

Scenic Lake Chelan is a vacation paradise that was created during the Ice Age. But how can geologists prove that an ice sheet from Canada did the digging?

When did a mountain in Washington split and slide to Oregon in the Columbia River Gorge? Why did it happen — and will it happen again?

Geologists have found places in the Cascades where Mount Rainier-like volcanoes once stood, but the ancient volcanoes are now gone. What are the clues to find the ghost volcanoes?