💦The Missoula Floods were caused by the failure of a massive ice dam holding back Glacial Lake Missoula.
🌊The floods were the result of the release of 20 million cubic kilometers of water per hour.
🌍The floods radically reshaped the landscape in just a matter of days.
🗻Dry Falls, one of the locations affected by the floods, was five times wider than Niagara Falls during the floods.
🌋The landscape affected by the floods was primarily basalt rock, which formed from ancient lava flows.
How were the Missoula Floods caused?
—The Missoula Floods were caused by the sudden failure of an ice dam holding back Glacial Lake Missoula.
How did the floods reshape the landscape?
—The floods carved deep canyons, cliffs, and waterfalls, drastically altering the surface of the earth in just a matter of days.
How powerful were the floods?
—The floods released 20 million cubic kilometers of water per hour, with water flowing at speeds of over 120 kilometers per hour.
Were there any human witnesses to the floods?
—Archeological evidence suggests that humans were present in the area during the time of the floods, and Native American creation stories contain references to similar catastrophic floods.
What impact did the Missoula Floods have on science?
—The Missoula Floods challenged prevailing scientific ideas about geology and led to a shift in understanding the role of catastrophic events in shaping the Earth's landscape.
00:00The Missoula Floods were massive and catastrophic floods that reshaped the landscape of eastern Washington.
05:41The floods were caused by the sudden failure of an ice dam holding back Glacial Lake Missoula.
09:38The floods radically reshaped the landscape, carving deep canyons, cliffs, and waterfalls.
11:23The landscape affected by the floods was primarily basalt rock, which formed from ancient lava flows.
13:21The Missoula Floods challenged prevailing scientific ideas about geology and led to a shift in understanding the role of catastrophic events in shaping the Earth's landscape.
