Columbia River Basalt Group
The Columbia River Basalt Group is a big group of cooled lava rock that covers a huge area in the Pacific Northwest part of the United States.
You know how when you cook spaghetti and you put it in a pot of boiling water? The same thing happens with lava - it comes out of a volcano and can flow like spaghetti.
A long time ago, there were huge volcanic eruptions that spewed a lot of lava out of the ground in the area that is now Washington, Oregon and Idaho. This happened about 15 million years ago, before humans were alive.
The lava was really hot and it flowed for miles and miles, piling up thick layers of cooled lava across the land. Over time, the lava rock got covered by other types of rock and sediment, so it's now buried underground.
Many of the mountains and hills in the region were formed by the Columbia River Basalt Group, and the layered rock formations are really impressive to see. Scientists study these rocks to learn more about the geologic history of the area and how it has changed over time.
You know how when you cook spaghetti and you put it in a pot of boiling water? The same thing happens with lava - it comes out of a volcano and can flow like spaghetti.
A long time ago, there were huge volcanic eruptions that spewed a lot of lava out of the ground in the area that is now Washington, Oregon and Idaho. This happened about 15 million years ago, before humans were alive.
The lava was really hot and it flowed for miles and miles, piling up thick layers of cooled lava across the land. Over time, the lava rock got covered by other types of rock and sediment, so it's now buried underground.
Many of the mountains and hills in the region were formed by the Columbia River Basalt Group, and the layered rock formations are really impressive to see. Scientists study these rocks to learn more about the geologic history of the area and how it has changed over time.