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
Author(s): Gary C. Howard, Matthew R. Kaser
Publisher: CRC Press
Year: 2022
Language: English
Pages: 239
City: Boca Raton
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
