Geology Club Questions

1. Explain three differences between a U-shaped valley and a V-shaped valley. Where might you find a V-shaped & U-shaped valley in North Cascades National Park? How are each of these landforms created?

2. What is the name of the main Wilderness area located within North Cascades National Park? What animals might you find in this area? List seven of the endangered/threatened species located within the park.

3. What are the three components that make up the North Cascades National Park Service Complex? What are the names of the three hydroelectric dams located within the Ross Lake National Recreation Area? What is the major highway that travels through the park? What are the names of the two national forests that surround North Cascades National Park?

4. What are the two major volcanoes located near the park complex? List three differences between those volcanoes and the mountains located within North Cascades National Park. What is the highest peak located within the park complex? What National Scenic Trail passes through the park?

5. Approximately, how many glaciers are located within North Cascades National Park? How do the glaciers influence the Skagit River Watershed? Explain why the number of glaciers located within the North Cascades National Park is decreasing.

6. List seven of the “Leave No Trace” guidelines. Why are these guidelines so important in protecting the Wilderness and other areas within North Cascades National Park?

7. What are the three different categories of rock? What examples of these three categories of rock might you find within North Cascades National Park Service Complex? Explain how each of these rocks was created.

8. Create a poster explaining the importance of protecting the Wilderness areas of the North Cascades National Park Service Complex? (Your artwork might be posted in our Glacier Geology Club art gallery.)

9. Explain the three main forms of erosion that take place within the park. What examples of chemical and mechanical weathering might you observe? What are some methods of limiting the impact in erosion at North Cascades National Park?

10. Explain why the water in Diablo Lake appears green and the water in Ross Lake appears blue. What lake located within North Cascades National Park is the third deepest in the nation and how was this lake originally created? How deep is this lake?

11. Until the early 1970s, there was no road that traveled through North Cascades National Park. How did indigenous people travel through this area? What Native American tribes explored & settled in the region? What archeological site is located near the town of Newhalem?