The rumble began low but within moments had gathered into a sound unlike any he had heard before. He looked up from the ashes of the fire on which he had been boiling broth for a stew. His meal would wait. His eyes took in the singular sight of birds flying wildly over the hill that always hid the dying sun.
The “scablands” in eastern Washington State
The ground vibrated beneath his feet and fear rose through his body. He smelled something in the air rushing toward him and then from the direction of the lake… It could not be.
A wall of water, so high it blocked out the sun, came toward him. In that moment, he knew he would die that day.
This is the beginning I imagine would fit the story of the Megaflood as described in the Nova program Mystery of the Megaflood. Although what I’ve written is completely fiction, I don’t see why it couldn’t have happened to someone living in the area of the western United States where the scablands now exist.
This particular show is a fascinating mix of dramatized visuals and intriguing details about an event that’s now an accepted part of the geological history of the area.
I particularly enjoyed the experiment showing how the massive features were likely carved out of the rock by the power of water.
The premise of this episode of Nova is that the scablands were formed by a massive flood (or floods) let loose by a collapsing glacier dam. As happened in Iceland in 1996, the sudden release of these massive quantities of water led to disaster as the floodwaters rushed over and through the landscape. The waters of the megaflood were so powerful they carved out huge geological features and created oddities that scientists found nearly impossible to explain until they began to accept the theory of a megaflood in the region.
If you find geological history entertaining or interesting to watch, this is a great show to add to your collection.
Resources:
- You’ll want to check out Nova’s webpage for Mystery of the Megaflood. It’s an awesome site.
- Get the NOVA: Mystery of the Megaflood DVD.