A Story in Time - Idaho Historical Markers on Waymarking.com

One of a group of signs at the Kooskia Welcome Center site at the intersection of U.S. Hwy. 12 and Idaho Hwy. 13, just north of Kooskia, Idaho.

Marker Name: A Story in Time Marker Type: Roadside Marker Text: The geology of this area is dynamic, complex and very interesting. Right here, so much has happened -- the beginning of a batholith, the end of a basalt flow, and the legacy of plate tectonics. Plate Tectonics Imagine Kooskia as part of North America’s West Coast. From near the equator, a chain of volcanic islands moved slowly north colliding with the coast and sliding underneath the larger continental land mass. A new “West Coast” was created. Geologists refer to this movement of large sections, or plates, of the earth’s crust as plate tectonics. Idaho Batholith Visualize a depth 15 miles beneath the earth’s surface. Hot granite magma rose through surrounding rocks as though it were an enormous bubble, dragging its surrounding metamorphic rocks along. Seen to the east, this great expanse of exposed granite is known as the Idaho Batholith, one of the largest granite bodies in the world. Columbia River Basalt Now, picture this area at the eastern edge of migrating molten basalt, flowing from volcanic fissures near south-central Washington. Over thousands of years, these basalt layers poured over the landscape, slowly filling ancient canyons. The Clearwater River eventually carved its course separating what is now the Camas and Weippe prairies. County: Idaho City: Kooskia Group Responsible for Placement: U.S. Forest Service Date Dedicated: Not listed Marker Number: Not listed Web link(s) for additional information: Not listed

Visit Instructions:
In your log, please say if you learned something new, and if you took any extra time to explore the area once you stopped at the historic marker waymark. If possible please post a photo of you OR your GPS at the marker location. Also if you know of any additional links not already mentioned about this bit of Idaho history please include that in your log.

Recent Visits/Logs:

Date Logged Log User Rating   10/09/2010 Volcanoguy visited it