Lake Missoula Floods geologist Gene Kiver.
HUGEfloods.com Home Page Not much time? ... Click here for a quick Ice Age Floods summary Ice Age Floods Feature of the month For many years one man understood the clues but no one would listen Glacial Lake Missoula Channeled Scablands of Eastern Washington Temporary Lake Lewis Columbia Gorge Explore the variety of features created by the Ice Age Floods Columbia River Basalt Group The Pleistocene Grand Coulee Dam and the Columbia Basin Irrigation Project Washington Wines Ice Age Floods Institute

IAFI field trips are popular with the public thanks to the many experts that volunteer their time.


Interview: Gene Kiver

Gene Kiver, an Emeritus Geology Professor at Eastern Washington University, is one of the founders of the Ice Age Floods Institute.


Nick Zentner interviews Lake Missoula Floods expert Gene Kiver.

Karl Lillquist shows USGS map -J Harlen Bretz.

Karl Lillquist (CWU Geography) explains 1910 U.S. Geological Survey topographic map of Quincy Basin during IAFI field trip. This map helped spark J Harlen Bretz's interest in the channeled scablands.

- Trip Report -


Ice Age Floods National Geologic Trail press conference.

Trail Press Conference

IAFI President Gary Kleinkenecht speaks during Ice Age Floods Trail press conference. Congressman Doc Hastings and Senator Maria Cantwell also pictured.

- Press Conference -

Ice Age Floods - National Park Service Study of Alternatives.

Click to view
Nat. Park Service
Study of Alternatives

Sec. D-8 and D-9 describe formation of Ice Age Floods Task Force and IAFI.


Artwork by Stev H. Ominski - 'The Deluge'.

'The Deluge'
by
Stev H. Ominski


In an interview recorded on June 3, 2009 at Central Washington University, Gene Kiver visits Ellensburg to recall the early days of the Ice Age Floods Institute.


A former Eastern Washington geology professor who advised many graduate students (including popular author Bruce Bjornstad), Dr. Kiver spent decades mapping geology in eastern Washington with EWU Geography professor Dale Stradling. In the early 1990’s, Gene and others began talking about forming a group dedicated to sharing the Ice Age Flood story with the general public – and the Ice Age Floods Institute was born. In 2009, legislation for an Ice Age Floods National Geologic Trail – sponsored by U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell and U.S. Congressman Doc Hastings – was passed by Congress.

Later in the interview, Gene discusses an upcoming book co-authored with former student Bruce Bjornstad. On the Trail of the Ice Age Floods: The Northern Reaches is a follow-up effort to Bjornstad’s On the Trail of the Ice Age Floods: A geological field guide to the Mid Columbia Basin first published in 2006. In Volume 2 to be released soon by Keokee Books, Bjornstad and Kiver focus on the Channeled Scabland, where the evidence for megafloods is most striking and dramatic. It was in the Channeled Scablands early in the 20th century where rebel geologist J Harlen Bretz first saw most clearly, and described most eloquently, the evidence for these Ice Age cataclysms that so violently transformed the region. Coauthors Bjornstad and Kiver present dozens of trails and tours directing readers to experience, firsthand, the striking aftermath of the cataclysmic Ice Age floods.

Late in the interview, Gene reflects on his exploration adventures at the summit of Mount Rainier. Instead of the usual mountaineering exploits, Kiver and a small team in the early 1970’s mapped an elaborate system of steam caves underneath Rainier’s summit glaciers . Dr. Kiver also reflects on his long teaching career in the Geology Department at Eastern Washington University in Cheney.







Bruce Bjornstad and Gene Kiver co-author the Ice Age Floods, Norhtern Reaches - Keokee Books.

Rufus Woods Collection (CWU)- Dry Falls State Park.
Image from Rufus Woods Collection (CWU) shows early scabland interpretation.

"F.A. Banks, Supervising Engineer at Grand Coulee Dam explains features to Secretary of Interior Krug and party at Dry Falls near Coulee City, Wash." -June 11, 1946

Efforts by Kiver and others in the early 90s led to formation of the Ice Age Floods Institute - an organization dedicated to telling the story of the Ice Age Floods.

Bruce Bjornstad and Gene Kiver hiking in Palouse River Canyon.
Geologists Bruce Bjornstad and Gene Kiver hiking in lower Palouse River Canyon.

- Trip Report -



Tom Foster explores Mt. Rainier summit crater steam vents.
Mt Rainier Summit Steam Vents

Tom Foster explores entrance to Rainier's summit steam cave system. Kiver's team studied and mapped the caves in 1971.

Photo by Matt Bauermeister

Mount Rainier Update

USGS Volcanologist Tom Sisson discusses the Cascade Volcano Observatory, Rainier's volatile history, and current research efforts to learn when the next eruption might occur.

Palouse Falls and Palouse River Canyon in winter.
Palouse Falls and Palouse River Canyon in Winter.

- Trip Report from snowy day in Palouse River Canyon -

FREE full length geology programming -

View more "Central Rocks" episodes related to the Ice Age Floods:

Taped on the campus of Central Washington University and hosted by CWU Geology Professor Nick Zentner, 'Central Rocks' is a series of interviews with geologists who teach or conduct research in Washington. 'Central Rocks: Roadside Geology', a new spin-off project, is a series of short films that feature familiar locations along Washington's scenic highways.

Geologist Bruce Bjornstad - Click to open video link.
Bruce Bjornstad

PNNL Geologist Bruce Bjornstad discusses the Missoula Floods and his popular 'On the Trail of the Ice Age Floods' guidebook series.
Geologist Jim O'Connor - Click to open video link.
Jim O'Connor

USGS Hydrologist Jim O'Connor discusses current research on Washington's Missoula Floods and Idaho's Bonneville Flood.
Nick Zentner interviews Ice Age Floods expert Dr. Victor R. Baker.
Vic Baker

UA Geology Professor Vic Baker discusses his distinguished career devoted to Washington's Channeled Scablands.
Geologist Nick Zentner - Click to open video link.
Nick Zentner

CWU Geology Professor Nick Zentner lectures on eastern Washington's unique landscapes (Floods of lava and floods of water).

All photos by Tom Foster unless otherwise noted.
Screenshots courtesy "Central Rocks"

HOME Space CONTACT Space SITE MAP IAFI Space LINKS Space © 2008
Ellensburg
Lake Missoula
Lake Lewis
Ice Age Blog
Ice Age Express
Feature of the Month
The Mystery
25 Features
Channeled Scablands
Ice Age Floods Videos
Columbia Gorge
Feature Types
Columbia River Basalt
The Pleistocene
Grand Coulee Project
Washington Wine
Ice Age Floods Inst.
The Bonneville Flood