Best Links to Oregon’s Geology and Paleontology
DOCUMENT COLLECTION: Climate and Natural History
DOCUMENT COLLECTION: Oregon’s Geology and Geologic History
Hidden from View: Rewriting the history of the Mammals
Western Forests, Fire Risk and Climate Change (1.6 MB PDF)
CURRENT EARTHQUAKES in the PACIFIC NORTHWEST: This University of Washington-based site provides precise locatoins, depts, magnituds, and dates of earthquakes in the PNW within seconds of their ocurrence. Also find information on tsunamis, real-time seismograph records from around the PNW, and links to quakes around the globe. The Pacific Northwest Seismic Network
GLOBAL EARTHQUAKES: Find the magnitude, locations and depths of earthquakes around the world on this US Geological Survey site. Displays quakes within minutes of their occurrence. USGS Earthquake Hazards Program
PLATE MOTIONS AND CLIMATES THROUGH GEOLOGIC TIME: PaleoMap Project provides maps and plate tectonic animations. Shows where continents were throughout geologic time, and how they have moved. New features include maps showing climates during different geologic time periods, and global views that depict details of areas covered by sea water, locations of mountain belts, and lowlands. PALEOMAP Project
JOHN DAY FOSSIL BEDS NATIONAL MONUMENT: Site includes a wealth of information about fossil, ancient ecosystems, and geologic history here. National Park Service
COLUMBIA RIVER GORGE AND THE GREAT FLOODS: This site is an excellent and readable overview of the Ice Age Missoula Floods in the Columbia River Gorge, and the evidence for them. Text is by Jim Connor, a U.S. Geological Survey geologist who has studied and documented the floods. Historical photos of drowned trees and other features. A good read. Oregon Historical Quarterly
Plate Tectonics animations: Reknowned geologist and educator tanya Atwater and her students at University of california, Santa Barabera, have created animations of many plate tectonic processes and plate motions. Free downloads. UCSB Department of Earth Sciences Educational Outreach
Plesiosaurs: A complete history, including great animations of swimming motions, and descriptions of the different kinds of long- necked marine reptiles. The Plesiosaur Directory
Baby Plesiosaur animation: The National Science Foundation site provides information about --and an animation of--a baby plesiosuar (Marine Reptile) of Cretaceous age, recently discovered in Antarctica. Allow plenty of time (1-3 minutes) for the animation to download! National Science Foundation
Animation of the plesiosaur’s odd swimming motion. http://www.plesiosauria.com/locomotion.html
Ichthyosaurs: Another dinosaur relative whose fossils are found in the rocks of eastern Oregon and the John day basin are ichthyosaurs--marine reptiles that gave birth to live young, had huge eyes, and looked a lot like modern dolphins.
http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/people/motani/ichthyo/
Ichthyosaurs: An accurate, Scientific American site with information and pictures of ichthyosaurs of all sizes, ages, and styles.
http://www.karencarr.com/News/motani/1200motani.html
Ichthyosaurs swimming and diving styles: http:// http://www.sciencenews.org/ articles/20020824/bob10.asp
Columbian Mammoths: The mammoths that grazed in central and eastern Oregon during the Ice Age (Pleistocene) were Columbian Mammoths--the largest elephants that ever lived. http://www.mammothsite.com/MammothSitePaleontology.html
Smilodon—Pleistocene Saber-toothed cats: Includes audio clip of the reconstructed snarls and roar, based upon the fossil voice-box and other anatomy. http://www.no-pest.com/Saber-toothedCat.htm
History of Horses: Authoritative University of Florida site with information about the evolution and history of horses over the past 60 million years. http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/natsci/vertpaleo/fhc/firstCM.htm
METASEQUOIA: This deciduous conifer sheds it’s needles each fall-- one reason its fossil “leaves” are so abundant! It is Oregon’s state Fossil, a. It lived here during the Oligocene and early Miocene, but as the climate on the East side of the cascades became more temperate, the tree died out. Today, living trees are found in southern China’s rain forest. This site is a good introduction to the tree--with great links to additional information. http://www.metasequoia.org/