ABSTRACT The Columbia River Gorge is the Columbia River’s long-held yet evolving passage through the volcanic arc of the Cascade Range. The globally unique setting of a continental-scale river bisecting an active volcanic arc at the leading edge of a major plate boundary creates a remarkable setting where dynamic volcanic and tectonic processes interact with diverse and energetic fluvial processes. This three-day field trip explores several elements of the gorge and its remarkable geologic history—cast here as a contest between regional tectonic and volcanic processes building and displacing landscapes, and the relentless power of the Columbia River striving to maintain a smooth passage to the sea. DEDICATION Dedicated to Russell C. Evarts (7 April 1947–11 July 2017) and his contributions to Pacific Northwest geology. Russ Evarts devoted most of his 30-year career with the U.S. Geological Survey to geologic mapping of Oregon and Washington. His thorough geologic mapping of the near-vertical terrain of the western Columbia River Gorge underpins much of what is reported in this guide and continues to inspire our studies of the geology of the Pacific Northwest.

ABSTRACT The deeply eroded Goat Rocks volcanic complex was a major locus of andesitic volcanism in the Cascade arc in southwest Washington during the late Pliocene to Pleistocene. This volcanic complex includes the remnants of multiple andesitic edifices over an area of ~200 km 2 , centered ~35 km north of Mount Adams on the arc axis. New 40 Ar/ 39 Ar ages for seven samples and U/Pb zircon ages for nine samples indicate a 2.5–2.9 m.y. eruptive history at Goat Rocks. Four eruptive stages are delineated: Tieton Peak (potentially 3.0–2.6 Ma), Bear Creek Mountain (>1.6–1.3 Ma), Lake Creek (1.1–0.6 Ma), and Old Snowy Mountain (0.4–0.1 Ma), each named for the major vent that was active during that time. Lake Creek volcano was the most voluminous of these edifices and probably rose at least 3400 m above sea level with a volume of ~60 km 3 , comparable to nearby active composite volcanoes. Thirty new bulk composition X-ray fluorescence (XRF) and inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry analyses from the volcanic complex are presented, in addition to 54 previously unpublished XRF analyses for samples collected by Don Swanson. The compositional variability is greatest in the early and late stages, ranging from basaltic andesite to rhyolite, whereas the more voluminous middle stages are dominated by andesite to dacite. The middle eruptive stages are interpreted to have been a time of peak thermal energy with a mature subvolcanic plexus. In addition, compositions shift from high-K to medium-K compositions with time, which mimics variation across the arc; early eruptive products are similar in composition to those of Mount Adams, and Old Snowy Mountain stage compositions are more similar to those of Mount St. Helens. The life cycle of Goat Rocks volcanic complex provides new perspective on the longevity and evolution of major arc volcanoes, and on the complex distribution of magma in the Cascade arc at the latitudes of southern Washington and adjacent Oregon.

The pattern of deformation in the western part of the Columbia River flood basalt province contains two key components: (1) anticlinal uplifts of the Yakima Fold Belt with east-northeast to west-southwest trends, and (2) strike-slip fault zones with dominantly northwest trends. It is the abundance and regional extent of the latter that distinguish this area from other parts of the province. There are many northwest-striking, right-lateral, strike-slip faults in the interval from the Willamette Valley eastward to Umatilla (123°W to 119°W longitude). Some of these faults are only a few kilometers long, whereas others are of regional extent (>100 km). Conjugate northeast-striking, left-lateral, strike-slip faults have also been identified but are far less numerous. Local variations in the stress field within basins have produced sets of subsidiary structures by transtension and transpression. These occur where fault zones change trend with respect to the NNW-SSE–oriented maximum principal compressive stress. Strike-slip faulting was active early in the history of the Yakima Fold Belt uplifts, at least by emplacement of the Columbia River Basalt Group lavas, but after the Yakima Fold Belt uplift, spacing had already been firmly established. It is probable that many of these faults are episodically reactivated basement structures that have repeatedly undergone cycles of emergence, burial by flood basalts, and reemergence. Strike-slip deformation appears to have happened simultaneously within the Yakima Fold Belt uplifts and adjacent synclinal basins. However, the pattern and magnitude of deformation differ significantly in the basins compared to the uplifts. The Yakima Fold Belt uplifts have been segmented and shifted many kilometers by strike-slip faults, while displacements within adjacent basins are orders of magnitude less. Within Yakima Fold Belt uplifts, reversals of vergence sometimes occur wherein the frontal (forelimb) thrusts and fold asymmetry switch from one side of the uplift to the other. These changes are accommodated by cross-trending, right-lateral, strike-slip faults of regional extent. The pattern of strike-slip deformation as mapped within basins in many cases appears to be immature and lacking in interconnection. Eruptive vents in the Simcoe backarc volcanic field and Boring lavas are often aligned along strike-slip faults. Pliocene-age Simcoe lava flows have been deformed by both folding and strike-slip faulting within the Klickitat Valley basin. Pleistocene-age deposits are known to be cut by both the Luna Butte and Portland Hills faults. Strike-slip earthquake focal mechanisms have also been determined for some faults.