![]() ![]() ![]() The basalt is formed of layers from flows at various periods, some of which are nearly 100 feet thick. Today, the water has eroded the walls of the rocks, exposing layers of basalt rocks. Palouse River was formed as a result of glacial floods that originated from the glacial Lake Missoula, however, little evidence is left of this massive activity of which the most visible is the Palouse Falls. Structures and interesting landforms visible on the geologic map ![]() The basalt rocks are estimated to be around 15,000 years old. These rocks were formed from the floodwaters from Lake Missoula that flowed across eastern Washington during the Pleistocene era (Alt 23). The rocks, of which basalt is the most common, are mostly metamorphic and were formed as a result of the cooling of floodwaters and ice. Palouse Falls contains many different types of rocks that were formed from glacial floods during the ice age era just before the Palouse River entered the Snake River. With each flooding, the waterfalls moved upstream until the present day structures were formed. The flood material cut long and deep channels, called coulees, that formed 3 waterfalls at the confluence of the Snake River and the Palouse River. The Palouse Falls is thought to have been formed as a result of the heavy flooding which occurred upstream when the glacial Lake Missoula burst, releasing massive volumes of ice and glacier. The waterfall is a breathtaking site visited by thousands of people annually. Although a series of falls were formed along the river, the Palouse Falls is today the only one surviving, dropping water through a distance of an estimated 200 feet. The Palouse Falls is found southeast of Washington, US, on the Palouse River as it enters Snake River. ![]()
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