Making and Unmaking of Puget Sound

Description

The Puget Sound is a complex fjord-estuary system in Washington State that is connected to the Pacific Ocean by the Juan de Fuca Strait and surrounded by several large population centers. The watershed is enormous, covering nearly 43,000 square kilometers with thousands of rivers and streams. Geological forces, volcanos, Ice Ages, and changes in sea levels make the Sound a biologically dynamic and fascinating environment, as well as a productive ecosystem. Human activity has also influenced the Sound. Humans built several major cities, such as Seattle and Tacoma, have dramatically affected the Puget Sound. This book describes the natural history and evolution of Puget Sound over the last 100 million years through the present and into the future. Key Features Summarizes a complex geological, geographical, and ecological history Reviews how the Puget Sound has changed and will likely change in the future Examines the different roles of various drivers of the Sound’s ecosystem function Includes the role of humans―both first people and modern populations. Explores Puget Sound as an example of general bay ecological and environmental issues Cover Half Title Title Page Copyright Page Contents About the Authors 1. Puget Sound Then and Now Physical Description Natural History References 2. Geological Origins of the Puget Sound Building Western Washington Plate Movement Subduction Slab Rotation and Rollback Earthquakes and Major Faults Seattle Fault Tacoma Fault Southern Whidbey Island Fault Other Faults Volcanoes Dangers from Volcanoes Mount Rainier Mount Baker Glacier Peak Visible Reminders of the Forces That Built the Puget Sound Mount Rainier Pillow Basalts in the Olympic National Forest Erratics Sea Stacks Alpine Lakes Whidbey Pleistocene Stratigraphy Mazama Ash Deposit Serpentine Outcrops Dungeness Spit Mima Mounds Lahars Forces Building the Sound References 3. Water Ocean Water Pacific Ocean Tsunamis Sea Level Rise and Fall Glaciers Fresh Water Rain and Atmospheric Rivers () Rivers Aquifer Droughts Effects of Water on Land Landslides Coastal Erosion Conclusion References 4. Geomorphology of Puget Sound Introduction Aeolian Biological Fluvial Glacial Hillslope Igneous Tectonic Marine Overview References 5. Early Biology of Puget Sound Evolution of the Puget Sound Region Mesozoic Era Cenozoic Era Eocene Epoch: 56 to 33.9 MYA Oligocene Epoch: 33.9 to 23 MYA Miocene Epoch: 23 to 5.3 MYA Pliocene Epoch: 5.3 to 2.6 MYA Great American Biotic Interchange Pleistocene and Holocene Epochs: 2.6 MYA to the Present The Great Megafauna Extinction Flora References 6. Humans Arrive Native Americans Earliest Humans and Their Lives Extinction of Large Mammals Early Europeans Building and Development Industry Filling and Dredging Sewage and Solid Waste Disposal Complex Systems References 7. Puget Sound Today People and More People Land Earthquakes and Other Movements Caused by Plate Movements Other Land Movement Landslides Underwater Landslides Coastal Erosion Waste Disposal Water Freshwater Rivers Ground Water The Sound Itself Pollution Sewage in Puget Sound Chemical Pollutants Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons Polychlorinated Biphenyls Metals Unknowns Plastics and Microplastics Dredging and Filling Dredging Shipping Lanes Evaluating Operations Between Land and Water Climate and Air Quality Climate Air Quality Atmospheric Rivers Wildfires Conclusions References 8. Biology of Puget Sound Introduction Animals Vertebrates Mammals Predators Prey Artiodactyla: Even-Toed Ungulates Perissodactyla: Odd-Toed Ungulates Marsupials Birds and Reptiles Birds Land Birds Seabirds and Shorebirds Snakes and Lizards Snakes Lizards Turtles, Terrapins, and Tortoises Turtles Amphibians Fish Invertebrates Terrestrial Invertebrates Insects Arachnids Spiders Scorpions Ticks Isopods (Woodlice) Myriapods (Millipedes and Centipedes) Gastropods (Snails and Slugs) Worms Marine Invertebrates Porifera Sponges Cnidaria Jellies Sea Anemones Sea Pens Annelids Flatworms Round Worms and Worms Mollusks Chitons Clams Mussels Oysters Marine Snails Nudibranchs Abalone Cephalopods (Octopi and Squid) Crustaceans Crabs and Lobsters Shrimp Echinoderms Sea Stars Plants Introduction Plants Associated with Water Native Land Plants Gymnosperms Cupressaceae Pinaceae Taxaceae Angiosperms Shrubs Flowering Plants Meadow Plants Grasses and Sedges Ferns Non-vascular Plants Fungi Algae Invasive Species Climate Change References 9. Protecting and Restoring Puget Sound Restoration Wetlands and Estuaries Dredging and Filling Prairies and Landfills Wildlife Specific Restoration Projects Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge Salmon and Snow Creek Estuary Snohomish River Restoration Smith Island Restoration Qwuloolt Estuary Project Major Challenges Invasive Species Specific Challenges Sea Level Rise Improving the Air Quality Hopeful Signs Peregrine Falcons Bald Eagles Humpback Whales Species Diversity and Stability Maintaining and Restoring the Sound References 10. Puget Sound in the Future Growth and Development More People Fewer Plants and Animals Atmospheric Rivers Land Movements Other Than Earthquakes Erosion Landslides Underwater Landslides Climate Crisis Sea-Level Rise Wildfires Winds Volcanic Eruptions A New Ice Age? Tectonic Plate Movements The Future of the Puget Sound References Index